The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-03-24
He Wrote His Life History Before
He Made His Escape.
VERY EVENTFUL CAREER
A Much Injured Man, According to His
own Estimste-He Was Merely
Avenging an Insult.

graph announced recently that Chris
Evans had gone for life to the prison at
Folsom. California, many asked:
What did he do?"
II is enough of description to say that
he was the most notorious outlaw on
the Pacific since the days of Black
Bart. To show what he did, his own
words are best.
After Evans was tried and con
victed at Fresno he conceived the idea
of writing an account of his life. He
Immediately set to work, and the day
before he made his escape he completed
his manuscript, which will probably
soon be given to the world in primer
type and yellow paper binding.
Evans narrative covers his life from
his birth to his capture after the
famous fight at Stone Corral. Without
any attempt at establishment of any
kind, Evans tells plain, matter-of-fact
story. He neither brags nor deprecates
himself. He makes no threats, nor
promises, no confession of wrong doing,
and expresses no hopes, desires or am
billions.
The detectives have Traced back
Evans life for about 20 years. Prior
to that his history is som ewhat blank,
although they claim to have discovered
enough to connect him with several
Union Pacific train robberies that &C.
Cured in the early 70's. If Evans mar
rative is true in dates and details, it
covers the unknown ground. Although
it is free from sensational events,
he tells nothing that would implicate
him in any crime prior to the time that
he took to the mountains with Sontag.
A member of the Examiner staff has
seen Evans autobiography, and great
part of it is here given in the outlaws
own words, without correction or com
mendation.
He was born at Bennington, VT, and
was union soldier under Sheridan.
Bits of autobiography follows:
A squad of US, under cnmmand of
Sergeant Baker, was on picket duty
two miles from camp, on the road lead
ing to Maynesboro, and l was stationed
about quarter of mile up the road,
where county crossroad came in. +
hid behind butternut tree, and while
there one of Mosbys men rode up. AS
he was going by covered him with nv
Spencer rife and ordered him to sur
render. He did so, and told him, in
answer to his question of what I was
going to do with him, that would take
him TO headquarters. He begged me
with tears in his eyes to let him go.
for If I took him to General Sheridan
he would be shot. AS looked into his
blue eyes thought of my far away
home and my dear mother. for he was
boy like myself, and after making
few inquiries as to where he lived, l let
him go. took his horse, and when he
was out of sight fred a couple of shots
and taking the horse with me went back
to Sergeant Baker, and was compli-
mented for my capture of good horse
and saddle.
Evans recital of his army experiences
on the frontier is long and includes ac-
counts of many skirmishes and battles
with the Indians.
In July, he goes on, my term of ser
vice expired, and refusing a tempting
offer to re-inlist, I went to work on the
Union Pacific, and in one year and
half saved up $500, which afterwards
spent prospecting and travelling over
the country, arriving in San francisco
in May, 1869, where Istayed two weeks,
and then went to work on the Western
Pacific in Livermore Pass, and had
charge of gang of Cinnamon at
tunnel.
An old acquaintance named John
Egan, who was born in st. Lawrence
county, New York, and now lives in
Upton, Mo-, went with me to look for
more work. He wanted to go down the
coast, while wanted to go to Calaveres