Newspaper Coverage of the Evans & Sontag Story

The San Francisco Examiner, Thursday morning, September 15, 1892, p. 1:

(Transcription from Nita Van Cleave)

  SEEKING THE BANDITS' LAIR
_________
 
  Large Parties From Visalia and Fresno
Take the Field to Capture or
Kill Evans and Sontag.
_________
 
  Details of the Fight Given at the Inquest
on the bodies of Wilson
and McGinnis.
 
  EYEWITNESSES TELL THE STORY  
    The Law-Abiding People of the Upper
San Joaquin Valley Thoroughly
Aroused to the Situation - Sheriff
Hensley Discovers a Redoubtable Re-
treat of the Murderers - No News of
the Whereabouts of the Fugitives -
Wilson's Brother to Avenge His Death.
   
  _________  
  [Special to the Examiner]
VISALIA, September 14. - The streets were thronged today by large crowds of people, who discussed nothing but the terrible fight near Sampson's Flat. Yesterday and its results, and the consensus of opinion seems to be that the daring desperadoes must be captured or wiped out of existence at any hazard and cost.
The reports originally sent out that more than two men were killed by Evans and Sontag prove to have been incorrect. It is now known that Wilson and McGinnis were the only ones killed.
Preparations were made all day to renew the hunt for the outlaws, and squads of officers left for the hills this afternoon.
This evening the Indian trailers, Pelon and Cameno, took the train for Yuma. They refused to continue the pursuit on the ground that they did not receive any support in the fight from anyone, with the exception of Frank Burke, who stood his ground manfully and returned the outlaws' fusillade. They told Burke they were completely disgusted with the outcome of yesterday's encounter with the bandits, as they had to do the fighting assisted only by officer Burke. No amount of persuasion could change their plans, and they took the evening train for home, accompanied by Frank Burke.
 
  BURKE BENT ON VENGEANCE.  
  Burke will go on to Tucson with the remains of Officer Vic C. Wilson, who met his death in the terrible fight yesterday morning. Burke is almost heart-broken over the death of his comrade. He will return to this city in a few days accompanied by his brother and several men who will assist him in running the bandits to the earth. He is determined to avenge his partner's untimely end, and his future course will be inspired by a sense of duty to his murdered comrade.
Burke showed himself to be a brave and courageous officer. He was in the thickest of the shooting yesterday and never flinched when the bullets were whistling around him. He is confident that he shot Evans as the desperado was disappearing in the cornfield. He was behind a log and Evans was in plain view. The effect of the first shot he did not know. The next time he shot Evans fell forward and dropped his rifle. He shot at Evans again as the latter was running through the corn. He aimed at Evans' chest and arm.
The Indian trailers do not think that Burke wounded the train robber.
 
  JAMES YOUNG INTERVIEWED.  
  James young, the owner of the house where the fight took place yesterday, was in town today and was interviewed regarding his knowledge of the train robbers.
In conversation with an Examiner representative Young stated that he had been working at Moore & Smith's lumber mills at Sequoia all summer and had returned home Monday. Tuesday morning he left his house to find a horse and was about half a mile away when the shooting took place.
He heard the firing and surmised that a fight was taking place with the bandits, although he did not think the encounter was at his house.
When he returned home he found a note written by one of the officers requesting him to come to Visalia at once, which he did.
He said he knew nothing about the robbers and had not seen them.
 
  OBDURATE INDIANS.  
  The two Indian trailers were on the streets nearly all day today. Both wore overalls and cotton shirts. One of the Indians had on a pair of Evans' overalls that were found by him at the robbers' camp last Sunday. Both Indians were bare-headed, and their heavy growth of black hair hung down to their necks. They wore turkey handkerchiefs around their necks. The Indians were objects of great interest to the residents and were almost constantly surrounded by groups of spectators. The Indians, however, did not like their notoriety, and when a crowd gathered around them they would get up, giving a guttural utterance of intense disgust, would leave for some less frequented spot.
The two Indians are splendid specimen, of physical manhood, and as trailers they were a great success. They trailed the robbers from place to place and never made a mistake. Their services will be needed in the hunt for the bandits, but they could not be induced to remain here for any monetary consideration.
Detectives Smith and Thacker, ex-sheriff Dan Overall, James and Milton Wagy of Tulare, John Broder and ex-City Marshall Gilliam and an Examiner representative and others left for the hills this evening. They were well armed, and equipped for a prolonged chase.
 
  RIDDLED WITH SHOT.  
  Sheriff Kay and E.A. Gilliam returned to this city this afternoon from a trip through the Sanger country. They were not in the hills when the fight took place, and knew none of the particulars of the ambuscade until they reached Sanger last night.
V.C. Wilson's remains were taken to Tucson, Arizona, tonight by Frank Burke, where the funeral will take place.
Wilson's body was completely riddled with small bullets, no less than 125 being counted.
The remains of A. McGinnis were taken to Modesto this morning by his brother-in-law. McGinnis's face was horribly mutilated by the gun shots. Over thirty-five bullet wounds were counted in his body.
Fred Witty, who was shot in the neck, left this morning for his home in Modesto. His wound is not serious.
 
  _____

THE INQUEST.
_____
 
  Details of the Battle at the Turner
House Brought Out.
 
  [Special to the Examiner.]
VISALIA, September 14 - At 7:30 this morning Coroner T.W. Pendergrass began to impanel the jury to inquire into the cause of the death of the murdered officers. At 8 o'clock the jury met in the undertaking parlors and viewed the bodies.
The following are the names of the jury: G.S. Voyle, Spier Jackson, J.H. Woody, T.E. Henderson, H. Nuttall, E.W. Holland, T.H. Stonsland, B.M. Smith, B.S. Richardson, H. Levinson, C.E. Coughran and G.L. Bliss.
During the viewing of the bodies several of the jurymen became faint and had to retire a moment to fresh air. At 8:30 the jury retired to Judge Holder's office to listen to the testimony of the witnesses.
 
  F.J. Burke of Yuma, A.T., was the first to testify. He said:
I am a Deputy Sheriff at present. Was at Young's house yesterday when the shooting occurred. Went to buy some potatoes and was with Al Witty. Saw Wilson and McGinnis shot dead. Saw smoke issue from the window of the house. Wilson and McGinnis were from seven to ten yards from the door when they were killed. I was from fifteen to twenty yards behind them. Saw both Evans and Sontag. Saw both Wilson and McGinnis fall. The shots came from inside of the house. The descriptions I have heard of Evans and Sontag answer those of the men who did the shooting. I saw Evans very plainly.
Both Evans and Sontag got their man when they shot. Evans was soon after shooting at me. There was a third party in the house shooting, but the killing was done by Evans and Sontag.
V.C. Wilson lived in Tucson, Arizona. He was a detective of the Southern pacific Company. He has a wife and child in Tucson. He was about thirty-six or thirty-eight tears of age. He came to Texas when he was four years old. He is an American.
I met Mr. McGinnis when living, and recognize him as one of the dead men. He told me he was a married man. The shooting occurred between 10 and 11 o'clock yesterday.
 
  Testimony of Detective Smith:
I know Mr. McGinnis. We were at Young's house on Pine Ridge at 11 o'clock yesterday. Most of us dismounted at the fence.
The members of our party were the two Yuma Indians, Pelon and Cameno Dulce, A.W. McGinnis, Vic Wilson, Fred, better known as Al, Witty, Warren Hill, Frank Burke and myself. The house was made of logs. There is a door and a small window in front. McGinnis took his rifle. Wilson left his shotgun and Witty also left his.
When the shooting began my horse commenced bucking. I saw Wilson fall across McGinnis. When I saw the bodies soon after Wilson was lying partly across McGinnis. The rifle of McGinnis had one blank shell in it.
When my horse threw me I got behind a tree.
I saw Evans stealing up firing at me. Then he stopped and fired at Burke. The Indians were some sixty yards away and fired.
I went into the house and found a shotgun. It was a 12-gauge gun. There was a small sack, like a hunting bag that can be hung over the shoulder, lying near the shotgun. The gun had two empty shells in it. The window pane was shattered. There was a shot by the window, as though someone had been sitting there looking out of the window. The bag had 200 wire cartridges loaded with No. 1 shot in it, and also some cartridges that could be used for a pistol or rifle. There is one door in the front of the house and also a small window. I was at this house three days before and say {saw} the young boys. It is a log house and has corn growing on three sides.
Soon after the shooting I saw a man in the house named Mainwarden. He is an Englishman. I saw smoke issuing from the window. There is a window in each end of the house, but there was no firing from these windows. It would have done no good to have fired from these windows, as it could not have been in the direction of the posse.
I saw Vic Wilson fall. I rushed for my horse to get my gun. I did not see Evans and Sontag until I saw them behind a log.
The Englishman came to the door and said "there is no one here." We covered him with our guns and made him come up to us. There is corn growing on each end of the house and on the back. I did not see what became of Evans and Sontag. There is only one door in the house.
 
  Deputy Sheriff G.W. Witty was called. He said:
I knew McGinnis. His name was A.W. McGinnis. He was a Deputy Sheriff of Stanislus County. He leaves a wife and daughter, who reside in San Francisco at 906 McAllister street.
 
  The next witness was E. Mainwarden, the Englishman. He is about thirty years of age, with dark red hair and a full, short beard. He was dressed in a short, peculiar-looking ulster and tight-fitting pantaloons. His testimony was as follows:
I was at Young's house in Fresno yesterday. I live near them and keep my tools in their house because my house is very small. I went to Young's at 9:30 yesterday morning. The door was shut when I went in. Evans made me acquainted with Sontag. The Young boys were not there. The house has a loft in it. I was up in the loft to get some wax to put on my young trees. There was no one in the loft. Evans told me to get some breakfast. He said they had been without blankets for three nights.
Evans asked me if I had seen a posse looking for them. I told him I had seen some men on Sunday. They did not talk very much. One read from a book and the other had a paper. They each had two shotguns. Sontag kept his on his lap. Each had on pistols. Evans sat near the window all the time. The young boys were not there. I live half a mile from Young's place.
I made some bread. As I was taking it out of the oven Evans ordered me to get some water. He said: "If you look back or give us away, we will shoot you." I went for water to the spring 100 yards from the house. It is a little uphill to the spring. They kept me covered with a gun as I walked toward the spring.
I lay down when the shooting began. I saw none of the shots. Saw the smoke. Could not see the men fall. Had not got to the spring when the shooting began. As I walked toward the spring I waved my hand close to my side.
Saw one man approaching the house. Was afraid to sing out anything. I lay on the ground for some time. I saw the robbers going away.
When I got back to the house the dark man was still alive. He had on a corduroy suit. This man had eaten supper with me at my cabin some time before. He seemed somewhat lost.
I saw Evans and Sontag leave through the corn. Could not say whether Evans or Sontag was hurt. Saw the gun left at the house. It was a shotgun. It was standing between the door and the window. The house is not very large. I saw the window pane was broken. It was not broken when I left to get the water. Looked like it was broken by a shot. I was upstairs before the shooting occurred. Evans or Sontag did not say there would be any shooting.
The Young boys do not lock the house. We do not lock our houses up there.
I saw Evans and Sontag running from the house after the shooting was over. Did not notice what kind of guns they had. One was ahead of the other. The tall man was ahead. The window has six panes.
I saw Wilson coming up to the house before the shooting. I was badly scared. I came back after I saw Evans and Sontag leave. I was unarmed.
I would not have gone into the house in the first place if I had known Evans and Sontag were there. I met Evans twice before the shooting. I did not know Sontag before.
 
  When Mainwarden had finished his testimony he arose and stood by the table. He wanted to know why the officers had put him in jail like a prisoner.
Doctor Pendergrass politely informed him that he had nothing to do with that, for it was the business of the officers.
Deputy Sheriff Russell escorted Mr. Mainwarden back to the County Jail, and he was released a few minutes later.
Here the courtroom was cleared of spectators and the jury proceeded to deliberate upon a verdict.
The substance of the verdict the jury was that V.C. Wilson, a resident of Tucson, Arizona, and A.W. McGinnis, a resident of San Francisco, came to their death from shotgun wounds at the hands of Chris Evans and John Sontag, at the residence of Mr. Young on Pine Ridge, at or near Sampson's Flat, in Fresno county, on the 13th day of September, 1982.
 
  _________
ON THE BANDITS' TRAIL
_________
 
  Discovery of a Rifle Pit Prepared by the
Fugitives.
 
  [Special to the Examiner]
FRESNO, September 14. - Deputy Coroner L.O. Stephens and Dr. J.L. Maupin returned from Dunlap and Sampson's Fat (Flat) at 7:30 o'clock this evening.
Stephens left here yesterday with Sheriff Hensley and posse to hold an inquest on the bodies of the men killed by Evans and Sontag.
Stephens told your correspondent that Sheriff Hensley is confident that the robbers are still in the vicinity of Sampson's Flat. When he left Mill Creek, two miles above Dunlap, Sheriff Hensley and posse were examining their guns and ammunition and preparing to go in pursuit of the robbers, who are supposed to be in the near vicinity of Sampson's Flat.
Hensley has with him eight trusty men, all officers. Beside himself there are in the posse Constable McFatter of Selma, formerly Sheriff of Butte county; Constables Pack and Ashman of Fresno and Constable Hill of Sanger; and deputy Sheriffs Ed McCardle and W.J. Pickett of Fresno.
Stephens reported this evening that a rifle pit made by Evans and Sontag had been found in the side of the mountain in the vicinity of Sampson's Flat. The pit had been dug in the ground and was not accessible except from one direction. Provisions were found in the pit, and it is believed the robbers made it to retreat to in a last extremity. The location of the pit was selected with great care, and two men in it with plenty of provisions and ammunition could defend themselves against any number of men, so difficult is it of access. It is one mile above where the fight occurred. Rocks for breastwork were placed in front of the pit, which was in every way very strongly fortified. To resist all attempts at capture seems to be the determination of the robbers. Sheriff Hensley is aware of the character of the men he has to deal with. He said today when making preparations to start after Evans and Sontag that he would command his men to shoot on sight of the robbers and take no chances.
Stephens had a long talk with Hill concerning the fight at Young's house. He said only two men were killed. When Hill sent word that four men were shot he meant that two men were killed and two others shot but not killed. Witty was one of the men shot, and Evans was also supposed to have been shot.
Evans in his flight left his shotgun, but took Wilson's Winchester rifle, but none of Wilson's ammunition.
Stephens and Dr. Maupin were prepared to hold the inquest and bring the corpses to Fresno. They were surprised on reaching Dunlap to learn that Smith and the whole party, including the trailers and the dead bodies, had gone to Visalia. No reasons for such actions could be ascertained. Why Smith should leave Young's house and rifle pit entirely in the hands of Evans and Sontag is not explained. He knew Sampson's Flat was in Fresno county and that he had no right to take the corpses to Visalia.
Sheriff Hensley and posse are well-armed with Winchester rifles, revolvers and shotguns. Shotgun cartridges carry twenty buckshot to the charge.
Evans' track is easy to distinguish, as his shoe sole is worn in two and makes a peculiar track.
Stephens left Sheriff Hensley at 11 o'clock this morning and returned to Fresno. He thinks the Visalia inquest is illegal, as Smith had no right to take the bodies there.
F.M. Miller of the Grangers' warehouse in this city said today that Chris Evans is a fatalist and believes no power can kill him until the time set for his death arrives. Evans worked for Miller in his warehouse in Tulare in 1877. Miller states he observed at the time Evans had peculiar notions. He was a total disbeliever in any hereafter and was sort of an anarchist.
 
  ________
WILL THE GOVERNOR COMPLY?
________
 
  Mr. Town Wants Him To Proclaim the
Robbers As Outlaws.
 
  There was not much talked about at Fourth and Townsend streets yesterday outside of the killing of Wilson and McGinnis by Evans and Sontag.
Early in the day Detective Hickey of the company sent to General manager A.N. Towne a telegram stating that there was no doubt that Clark Moore, an employee of the flume company, who at one time had mined at Sampson's Flat with Evans and Sontag, had apprised the latter of the approach of Wilson and his posse. He saw the posse half an hour before it reached Young's house and ran on in advance of it in the direction of Young's house. Hickey is sure the fellow warned Evans and Sontag.
Hickey's telegram also stated that Wilson and his posse were going to Young's house to leave a note for John Broder of Visalia, telling him where to meet the posse Tuesday night, Broder having gone to Visalia on Monday with that understanding. At the time the members of the posse knew Evans and Sontag had been at Coffy's house the night before, and it was their intention, after going to Young's house, to surround Sampson's Flat and stay there Tuesday night.
The sudden attack of Evans and Sontag on Wilson and comrades is spoken of in Hickey's telegram in the same manner as published in yesterday's Examiner. He thinks there is not much doubt that Frank Burke hit Evans during the shooting.
Later in the day Mr. Cowan had a consultation with President Valentine of Wells, Fargo & Co,. and they jointly sent a telegram to Governor Markham requesting him to issue a proclamation declaring Evans and Sontag outlaws and warning people not to harbor them. They also requested him to increase the $300 reward now offered by the State for their capture, and in closing their communication stated that the affair had assumed such serious proportions as to warrant him in taking the steps outlined.
Andrew McGinnis, another of the murdered men, was a resident of this city, living with his wife and daughter at 890 MCAllister street. Since last March he has been selling cigars for Paul Friedman of 519 and 521 Jackson street. From the records on file with the company it appears that V.C.Wilson, one of the men who were shot, went to work for the company in 1890, as its special agent for Arizona and New Mexico, with head quarters at Tucson. He succeeded R.H. Paul on the recommendation of that gentleman when he became United States Marshal for Arizona. Mr. Paul in recommending Mr. Wilson said he was as brave, sober and honest a man as could be found in the country. He was thirty-three-years-old, a native of Virginia, being a son of Dr. Samuel Wilson of that State. He was raised in the family of Governor Coke of Texas, now one of the Lone Star State's United States Senators. During President Cleveland's administration he was appointed Chief of Mounted Customs Inspectors along the Mexican border, serving four years. He leaves a wife and child at Tucson, and a host of friends all over the Southwest and in California who will remember him for his manly bearing and high sense of honor at all times.
Mr. Friedman, in speaking about him yesterday, said: "He was a splendid fellow and a good salesman, and early in the month I tried to persuade him to remain with me and not go on the hunt for the robbers. But the reward was a large one, and knowing the country well, he thought he could bring the robbers in dead or alive. When he left he said to my bookkeeper that he was going on a hunting trip."
McGinnis was a native of Ohio and lived at or near Modesto for a great many years. For a long time he was a deputy under constable Perres, and in trying to arrest a negro on one occasion killed him after the negro had first shot at him. He was considered a fearless fellow and a fine shot. His body was sent up to Modesto from Visalia yesterday, and his wife and daughter left here last night for the same place.
 
  __________  
  Wilson's brother bent On Vengeance.  
  It was Vernon E. Wilson who was killed by the train robbers, Sontag and Evans, during the fight with a posse yesterday, and not Victor Wilson, as telegraphed accounts had it.
The dead man was a nephew of United states Senator Coke of Texas, and this morning Walter E. Wilson, a brother of the deceased, arrived from Alaska on one of the incoming steamers.
The latter first learned of his brother's death when he reached San Francisco, and as quickly as he possibly could travel Wilson rushed down to Fourth and Townsend streets and called on the officials at that place. He explained who he was and was at once fitted out with arms and ammunition.
Wilson is now on his way to Fresno to avenge his brother's death. He will join a posse and is determined to stay in the fight until the robbers are rounded up or either he or they are killed.


 

Return to Oscar Anderson Beaver


This page created on 09/15/02 17:05.