The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-01-16
ia, co,rs.nondenee of the 1ntelItoencer.

iii LuC ulSGOIy VI u COuutl q IlCa GOhiO-
what unusual comes to the surface;
soften good, probably more often bad.
California is at this time called upon to
IDEAL with man of the decidedly bad
order, and this man justly claims a
ssplace in history as the acme of criminal
#perfection. II the story OF his life were
kwritten few would believe it. It would
8surpass the most imaginary fiction OF
@the yellow-backed novel. The mans
name is Chris Evans, and he has shown
himself the superior of Jesse James, the
Daltons, Vasques or Joaquin Mueretta-
The word Superior" in this sense
4 means that he surpasses them all in the
extent and magnitude of his evil deeds.
Il 1nasmuch as the newspapers all over
#tAe country have published accounts OF
sshim, and especially within the past two
weeks, since he escaped from Jail,
qlave thought brief account of this
lnan-I should call him a wonderful
man,-Would be Of interest to the INTEL
q LIGENCERy readers.
81 1 am intimately acquainted with
Chris Evans, as much so as person
9eould be who had seen him nearly
daily for ak months, and who often
talked with him for hours. There was
y aDluCLu1HH Ill LILO WIN ldSClioCSd
sth ose who came near him. When
FIRST met him was few days after the
light at Stone Corral where Evans had
been defeated and his companion in
crime, John Sontag, killed. Evans had
been carried to Jail, and when entered
Iexepcted to see a villainous looking
monster. more resembling a demon
Ethan man. No newspaper up to that
Time had ever published q picture OF
Isyans, and people were left to imagine
his appearance. I had my Imagination
asswork, and when I entered his cell
Through three or four iron DOORS. suited
t9SDante's Inferno, 1 was not prepared
80 believe that the fine looking man
propped up with pillows on an iron
1bedstead was the terrible Chris Evans.
His face and forehead reminded me of
tile pictures OF Stonewall Jackson, but
his com pleXion was not the same. being
Blond.
THE WOUNDED BANDIT.
He was fearfully mutilated by bullets.
IIs had fought at Stone Corral for an
hour, and he showed it. His right eye
had been torn out by bullet. His left
entirely gone. His rightarm had been
shot at the wrist and the bullet had
come out at the elbow. He had been
alfot through the back, and his head
MAS cut in several places by bullets,
While more than twenty had passed
tisrough his clothes. The doctor had
arrived, and was about to begin an ex-
animation. In doing SO, he asked the
Bandit questions. I was again sur
prised Mt the voice of the man. It was
soft as woman's, and was as musical
s5s1 I ever heard, although he wassvery
SYeak. From that time until DeCem Der
2g 1898. I saw him nearly every day,
fand studied him "a I never studied an
other man. ButIswill first give a very
SbEief story of his life as he told it to me,
md as learned it from others.
He was born in 1916 at Bennington,
t., and when fifteen years of age Joined
The union urmy. He was ono of tie
lew who escaped from Harpers Forty
when it was captured by the confeder-
ates. He swan the Shenandoah river
and hid in a fodder shock, and ulti-
nately escaped. He was scout in
Virginia, West Virginia, kentucky and
ennessee, and had many hair breadth
e5capes.
d learn from others, but not from him,
that he studied for the priesthood of
the Catholic church in Canada, but
abandoned it. Ats any rate he was in
canada, and a year; or two later again
stas in the U. S. army, fighting Sioux
and other Indians, escaping almost
mirnculously from several ambuscades
and nlassncres. He was often the car
lier of dispatches, and on long and
ssaough journeys always went on foot,
aahd such was his speed and endurance
that no horse could outgo him for fifty:
aor a hundred miles. After he came to
ss5alifornia he was famous as pedestrian.
and after turning bandit, he could ap-
ear in different places with such
.sTapidity that no one believed it possible:
~ He was little more than % years of
#aSe when he cameto California, and
nade his home in Visalia. Except that
ss5ife killed Il man soon after for speaking
diaparagingly. of a girl with whom he
WAS keeping company, he was model
seItizen for twenty years, SO far as was
ever known. He married and his
cmldren now number seven.
becomes A nIanwAYMAN.
He was one of a large number OF set
liars who made their homes in what
ssst9iays supposed to be government land
Che San Joaquin Valley. 1t proved
tosbe the property OF the Southern Pa
cihc railroad, and when the officers
came to eject the settlers, a fight oc-s
5curred: In which several citizens were
BILLED. This is known in California his
tory as the ..AIussel Slough Massacre"
EvansSvowed revenge, and he certainly
has had it. lie lost probably not more
than $500, and he has made it cost the
railroad company $4,000, at least.
He became sattrain robber. and ascot
ateds with him two young brothers
which they did were laid to the Dalton
gang. TheYSrobbeda train Mt Allla, and
e Shot two tramps who happened to be
s there. Then robbed train at
Goshen and one!at Pixley. They blew
the cars openswith dynamite After the