Christopher Evans: Murder

Christopher Evans was born 19 Feb 1887 in Bells Corner, Ottawa Municipality, Ontario, Canada, to Thomas Galway Evans (1804-1898) & Mary Ann Switzer (1807-1893).

Taken after his arrest in 1893

Inmate: #3055 Folsom Prison

Rec: 21 Feb 1894

Crime: Murder

He was a partner to George E Contant aka George Sontag. I wrote a blog on him already.

They were train robbers, George was more hardcore than Chris, but Chris had a family and Chris has an agenda, he was ticked off at the railroad because they took the land he worked and he built his home and was going to hold a rifle to anyone who was going to take it from him.

Here are some newspaper articles on his crimes

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38582319/chris-evans/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38582487/chris-evans/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38582139/chris-evans/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38582244/chris-evans/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38581592/chris-evans/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38582946/chris-evans/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71708555/george-c-sontag/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71707242/george-c-sontag/

He was paroled 1 May 1911, here's a wonderful newspaper articles with photos of him finally free.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/606596912/?terms=Chris%20Evans&match=1

This was where the outlaws hid

Prior to his involvement with the law in 1892, Evans was a respected citizen and family man. Evans had resided in Visalia since 1869 or 1870. At times, he worked as a millwright in the mills of A Wagy and Jasper Horrell. At one time he was a warehouseman for the firm of Adolph Sweet, and for several years he was employed in the same capacity by the Granger's bank of California. Evans also raised livestock and farmed his own small acreage just southwest of Visalia, and during season he often worked in the lumber industry of the Sierra Nevada of Tulare and Fresno Counties.

Here's a photo of his house

Christopher married 4 Nov 1874 in Tulare County, CA. to Mary Jane Byrd (1876-1970)they had the following children:

A photo of his beautiful wife:

Evelyn E Evans

1876–1970

Ynez P Evans

1881–1966

Winifred Evans

1882–1968

Joseph Frances Evans

1884–1974

Louis Napoleon Evans

1886–1925

John Christopher Evans

1889–1951

Carlton Patrick Evans

1890–1954

Here's a photo of them

Christopher mentions in one of the newspaper article how he was in the same cell for 17 years it was number 165. He claimed it was a lucky cell as everyone who was ever in it was pardoned or paroled. He was 65 years old when he walked out of the gates at Folsom.

He waited on the sick in the hospital ward. He did not use tobacco or liquor.

Photos of him when he was released from prison.