Sheriff Kay and Party Return to Visalia.
RESULT OF INQUEST.
Story of The Trouble Told By Evans
To Rancher Ward.
DID THE SHERIFF SEE THE MEN?
A Report That He Was Close Upon
Them--Career of The Sontags
In Minnesota.
VISALIA, August 7.--The Coroner resumed the inquest to-day on the body of Oscar Beaver, killed by the train robbers Friday night at Chris Evans' house.
Harvey Ward, who lives twelve miles from this city, and who furnished the robbers the cart and mule, testified that Chris Evans and John Sontag came to his house Saturday morning, between 5 and 6 o'clock, and demanded breakfast and a team, offering to pay for the same. The men were armed with double-barreled shot-guns and six-shooters. Evans said he had shot a man in Visalia. He was backing a buggy out of a barn when a voice said:"Who's there?" and he shot in that direction. Evans said he never saw bullets fly so fast as they did then.
The fellow who called out was a gritty little devil, and returned the shot. Evans told Ward how detective Smith and Witty tried to arrest him Friday noon on suspicion of being a train robber, and that he would allow no man to arrest him in his own house.
Evans said he was innocent of any crime. He was anxious to know who he had killed Friday night. After the shooting Evans and Sontag left town, seeing no officers in the road, though expecting to run into them every minute. The robbers stayed at Ward's place about two hours and then left, taking the mule and cart, paying two dollars for their use. They said they had plenty of provisions in the mountains. While eating breakfast at Ward's place the train robbers were very watchful against surprise and kept their guns handy for use. Sontag was very lame and tired.
W. Nolan corroborated Ward's testimony with the exception that he says Sontag told him that he shot Beaver. Joe March, stock-raiser, testified that last Monday he saw Evans and two other men on Nigger creek. One man was named Young. The other man he did not know. John Sontag was not with the party. March then identified George Sontag as the man of the party he did not know. Then men were on horseback and had flour sacks on the horns of their saddles filled with something. March's testimony is considered an important link in showing these men were on the way to rob the train.
The jury returned a verdict that Beaver came to his death from gunshot wounds inflicted by Chris Evans and John Sontag.
Sheriff Kay and party, who went in pursuit of Evans and Sontag last night, returned at 4:30 this afternoon. All have closed mouths and are instructed to keep so. Under-Sheriff Hall and four or five others who left yesterday morning are still absent.
It is believed the Kay part lost the trail, but it is whispered and probably correctly surmised that they came back to secure pack animals and will leave again to-night, prepared to camp on the trail of the robbers.
They brought back to town the mule and cart Sontag secured of Ward. The outfit was secured in the bed of Nigger creek. The Kay party saw nothing of the Fresno posse, said to be stationed higher up the mountain, with the expectation of heading off the robbers.
It is said that the Kay party overtook Evans and Sontag, and were within less than eight yards of them when a young man could not resist the temptation to take a shot at them. This spoiled a possible capture. As the pursued, who were taken by surprise, were thus warned to seek a safe hiding place, which is easily found in the rugged section where they are.
This story is not given as the truth, through apparently coming from a reliable source.
Deputy Sheriff Witty's condition is much improved to-day. Had Witty know the facts he would have gone prepared for an encounter. He say he was shot three times, the first shot hitting him in the neck, which stunned him and caused his pistol to fall from his hand. Nothing was left then but to flee from his murderous assailant. Detective Smith did not jump the fence, as claimed, but went through the pickets, breaking eight or nine to splinters. It is generally believed the scratches he shows were thus obtained.
Beaver was buried to-day at Lemoore, the funeral procession being one of the largest ever seen there. His wife arrived from Rio Vista last night. Two sisters came from Santa Cruz this evening, expecting the funeral would be to-morrow. Several floral pieces were sent from San Francisco but arrived too late for use.
Known in Minnesota, Where One of Them Has a Bad Record.
Special to the Mercury.
John Sontag removed to California five years ago and had a good record. George was brought before the United States Court at St. Paul on a charge of raising United States currency. His reputation has not been good. He returned here three months ago, but has not been seen since.
This circumstance, together with his fight with the officers at Visalia, California, leads to the suspicion that he was one of the parties who figured in the Kasata affair. It was given out shortly after this that robbers were in the city for two days after the attempted robbery and if so it might be that Sontag and Evans were the parties.
The police are thought to have important inside facts. The robberies at West Prairie Junction, Kasata and Collis were conducted on the same plan, and there is reason to believe the same parties carried out the three.
The stepfather of the Sontag boys is proprietor of a hotel in this city, but their own father's name was Contant.
