The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-01-16
DISCOVERY OF THE GANG.

: {. I.
beyond recovery.
Officers decoyed George sontag to the
Jail and had the key turned on him be-
fore he was informed that he was under
arrest. Then they went to the resi-
dence OF Evans in the suburbs of Visa
liza, village of 1000 people. Wien
they called on Evans and the other
Sontag to surrender they were answered
by the flash of revolvers and every Off
Ger fell, but they ultimately recovered
from their wounds. Evans and Sontag
sprang into the buggy belonging to the
officers, and drove away for the noun
tains. The whole town turned out in
pursuit, but that night, while the posses
were out on the plains, Evans and Som
tag drove into town and ate supper at
home. They were discovered and sur
rounded. Evans killed the man who
called on him to surrender, and he and
Sontag fled again.
A WONDERFUL RECORD.
Here began what turned out to be
one of the most wonderful records in
history Evans and Sontag remained
in Fresno and Tulare counties for ten
months, delying arrest and eluding
pursuers. They were never further
than fifty miles from Fresno, a city of
$4,000 people, and all this time the ban
dts had $4,000 reward on them, and
from five to fifty persons were constant
ly in pursuit of them. No man could
ever predict what Evans would do. No
plan to capture him could succeed, be-
cause he never did what others would
do under the circumstances. His ac-
tions were reckless beyond belief.
many times they appeared in Fresno,
Visalia and other towns, and each time
they escaped when discovered.
FINALLY p1cba Indians were hrOuObt
up from Arizona and were taken to tho
mountains by V. G. Wilson. a West
Virginian, to chase down Evans and
Sontag. A number of persons followed
to see the fun. But the Jun was rather
serious. Evans and Sontag were sur
rounded in hut far up in the noun
tains, and the Indians made'the attack.
Within one minute every man in the
posse was in full retreat, except two
left dead on the ground, and others
wounded. The Apaches raised yell
and fled, and never stopped till they
reached Arizona. Wilson was killed.
Sontag was shot through the arm, and
Evans in the forehead, but they stood
their ground till none were left to OPP
pose them. Then they withdrew into
the mountains further, and were I'M
heard OF for many weeks.
The next move was to set spies on
the trail of the outlaws. These spies
went in the disguise of minors or wood
choppers. But Evans was not to be de-
ceived, and he shot one of them, and
drove the others out of the mountains.
All the details of the bad career cannot
be given in a brief article. It is said
they shot more than twenty men in
their career. Their aim was SO unerring
that few ever escaped.
EVANS WATERLOO.
Finally, the Waterloo came. Every
artifce OF open and secret warfare had
failed to capture them. They were fed
by friends in the mountains. At last
one Of these friends was bribed to de-
coy Evans and Sontag into trap. The
place chosen was vacant cabin at the
foot OF the mountain at Stone Corral.
Officers lay concealed in the cabin, and
Evans and Sontag were sent there by
the traitors4to get supplies promised.
They walked into the trap. When
within seventy steps of the cabin the
officers fred Both men fell. Evans
shot in the face. 1t happened that an
old straw pile was at hand, and the two
outlaws buried themselves in that, and
prepared to sell their lives as dearly as
possible. Every odd was against them,
but they displayed courage worthy OF
better cause.
The fight lasted from sunset till an
hour after dark. Both the outlaws were
shot to pieces. More than $50 shots
were fred at them. About an hour
after dark Sontag received his mortal
wound, and told Evans to save himself
If he could. Evans told me afterwards
that no was blinded by the first shot,
and mover saw but one person in all the
fight, not even Sontag: That man was
an officer named Jackson. Although
Evans had only one glimpse of Jackson,
and that only of his legs as he stood be-
hind the cabin seventy yards away, yet
the wounded outlaws aim was still I'M
erring, and he shot his mau through
the leg, which was afterwards ampu-
tated.
Evans crawled through the grass and
made his escape. He wasshot through
the body, one arm off, the other shot
through, his eye out, and yet'he walked
eight miles through brush and rocks
that night t, and reached friends house,
where he was again betrayed. Evans
could not use his remaining hand, and
was tal1en.
He spent six months in the Fresno
Jail, anu in Deem Der of 1898 was found
guilty of the murder OF Wilson, and
was sentenced to the penitentiary for
life.
HIS CHARACTERISTICS.
While he was in sjail I saw him often.
Inever grew tired of studying the man,
who had something superior about him,
but he had turned his talents to evil
purposes. One more pleasant to talk
with could not be found. II one could
forget his crimes, there was no person
more pleasant to be with. So chlldlike
and playful was he that it seer med im-
possible he could be the nerciless OUT
law. ;sg
3. He was the only fatalist l ever knew
He declared to me many times that
men haveJno more TO do with shaping
their destiny than . locomotive has in
deciding which road it shall take.
}tt.Men,'n he would say, are like ma
chimes. They obey other forces thar.
their o'wnSwills.." Evans became quite
a literary cell brity.8 Some of the5metro-
itan dailies paid him well for