The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-10-14

and made "a success of it. and Kept
| repeating it, because they did not get
J much. These robberes were commit
| ted III California. Chris and John had
! committed three robberies before
joined them.
His First Job.
John, Chris and | held up the pas
senger train at Western Union June
| ton, seven miles from Racine, on the
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul rail
road, and blew off the door of the ex-
press car and blew the safe and Sc
cured $4,000 i'll cash. This was the
biggest haul that we ever made. No
body got hurt. nor was anybody ever
hurt or shot in any of the robberes
that we committed after that OF
course, we did some shooting to in
| tlmidate the train crews and passen
| gers, but never shot at them. We
never robbed the passengers, either.
Tn those days l was considered a
good shot. Wth my forty four alibre
Colts revolver l would not lay down
for any Winchester. At 100 yards. |
could kill eight quail out Of ten. My
, brother was an even better shot. !
couldn't do that now, as 1 have had
trouble with my eyes for years.
The Kasota Robbery.
I'm 1892, Chris Evans came back
from his home at Visalia, CAL, and our
| next robbery was committed at Kasota
July l, of that same year. We boarded
| the south bound Omaha train at ST.
Peter and stopped it before it got to
kasota and ordered the express mes
senger to open the door, which he did
Evans went into the car, but did not
get anything. as the express messenger
managed to hide a package containing
| 5000.
Then we went to California and
| held up train at Coils and secured
$1,000 from the Wells Fargo Express
company's car. That was our last rob.
berry. | was arrested two. DAYS after
. the robbery, tried and convicted and
sent to the penitentiary at Folsom for
life; for train robbery. Seven months
later ! tried to escape, and was shot
seven times by the guards. al was shot
three times through the right leg
which accounts for my lameness, once
through the groin, once across the
back, once across the heart, and once
near the hip. One bullet was in me
eleven months before it was taken out
Capture of Outlaws.
'Chris and John avoided arrest fol-
ten months, having secret hiding
/ place in the mountains in Fresno coun,
ty. They planned to go to Visalia tt
visit Evans family. but Evans brother,
inlaw told United States Marsha
Gard at Los Angeles of this intended
visit and that if he would 90 to q
place called Stone Corrcl and lay in /;
cabin there the two bandits would
come by there i'll four OF five days
The marshal with a posse of four mel
| lay in the cabin as directed, and wher
my brother and Evans went by OF
their way to Visalia the posse sud
denly opened fire on them. The TIVE
/ lIicll 1CluTHeu lue HIc SO elleclNcl
that the posse was obliged to ban
| don the cabin with one man wounded
! but the bandits were in the open ant
the posse was under cover. My brother
was mOrtally wounded, but Evans
who had hand shot off and an ey,
shot out, managed to escape Us dark
ness came on. Evans was captured
that night three miles away. JOIN
died i'll the county Jail at Fresno, ant
Evans was tried and convicted OF muir
der and sentenced to Folsom prison TO
| life. He made an effort to be par
doned or paroled. but when he ap
peared before the board he told how
he had shot people, and his manne
was such that the board did not thinl
that he showed any remorsc, and hi
petition was refused He kind o
Dragged of what he had done, an,
will probably have to stay in prison
the rest of his days.
Evans was also good shot. w
never tried .our hands at bank rob
berry, confirming our operations to rail
way trains. / have lectured all TIN
way from California to here, and an
going on to New York, and then south
! L have met with success. | am goin:
it alone. but have been advised to con
suit lyceum bureau i'll Chicago, which
| | will nrObably do