The sun., 1903-10-18

but tho two men reached ths mountain.
safely. There they wore fed and warned
Of the approach >of pMsuers. but ono DAY
a band Of officers oame suddenly upon tho
The latter dropped bshind boulders
whaoked tho of1cerr. emptying three
saddles. So. for several months tho hunt
Finally IL came to the ears Of the visalia
Sheriff that tho two fugitivcS intendeG pay
Ing q visit to tho Evans family IN visana
before making their way 70 oid ..a9 Men,e0; therc
In an Old deserted cabin ON the road from
the mountains. he argued that Evans ana
Sontag would stop at the cabin before
making tho last ten miles into Viealh.
His reckoning proved true, and toward
the close Of one day the hidden band saw
the two mon coming across the neld TO the
cabin. Both could have been overpowered,
probably without bloodshed. a. they entered
the cabin; had not one Of the posse. IN MS
eaRerness, stuck his head out Of the door.
Quick as lightning Evans fired at him.
Then Evans and Sontag dropped into heap
Of straw and made preparations Tor nas'io
for life.
Tho mon In the cabin fred through loop,
holes, but 1t is probable the bandits would
have escaped under cover OF darkness had
It not been for the presence OF HI rap,
pelje. a Mexican deputy. who was 9 DEAD
shot. Rappele pumped lead a ato aotns tns ~ hsyG
burrowed. He had large calibre ri1e and
He soon had Sontag riddled with bullets
and Evans badly wounded. But Chris kept
up 20 lively flsillade of buckshot that NO
one dared to venture out to capture. Fin
ally. Rappelje tried to flank him, but tho
wounded bandit escaped IN the gathering
darkness.
Bright and carly tho next morning tho
pursuers took up the trail. They found
where the wounded man bad made his way
to the nearest house after water. He left the
bloody print Of his wounded hand on the
fence palings. and they tracked his tran
by the blood spots to . well that had gone
Afraid to arouse tho household. the man.
who was half dead Of the thirst that comes
from gunshot wounds. made his way to
another house q milo away, and there
drank his fill. In this all night search for
water Chris Evans suffered the torments
OF the traditional purgatory.
He was out Of his head most OF the time,
and simply kept on. urged BY VII powet
secured water. In the morning he was
found in an upper room Of the Widow
Perkins's house, where he had taken refuge.
He refused to surrender and he kept his
pistol by his side until he fell asleep, when
the woman removed it and sent word to
the officers. At nightfall they came with
a wagon and carried the wounded robber
to Visalia, where his hand and portion Of
his arm was amputated.
John sontag lived a few days, but blood
poisoning set In and killed him. Evans
was tried for murder, not for train robbery,
and was convicted and sent to prison for
life.
Evanss vito showed much devotion to
her husband and tried in every way to
secure influence to tighten his punishment.
in lurid melodrama, founded on the main
incidents Of her fathers criminal career,
but it fell nat, and she soon returned to
Visalia, where she and her mother have
supported themselves by washing.
There is no question Of the strong love
Of Evans for his wife and daughter and II
is mainly because Of them that he aalss for
parole.