Robbers of the Rails: The Sontag Boys of Minnesota
By: John J. Koblas
Publisher: North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc.
Pages: 309 including contents, notes, biliography, index

Review by: The Man Behind the Mask

You’ve sure got to hand it to Jack Koblas. The man is a prolific writer.

And a good one.

In 2001, he produced two books. In 2002, he produced two more books.

And—so far—in 2003, he’s come out with another one. But this is a departure from most of his earlier efforts, since they delved into various aspects of the lives and careers of the James-Younger Gang members. The new book, Robbers of the Rails: The Sontag Boys of Minnesota explores the lives and careers of another outlaw band, the Evans and Sontag outfit.

They’re one of the most prominent train robbing organizations in the history of California. So that’s why it may be surprising to learn that two of the boys actually came from Minnesota (which, not so ironically, is also Jack Koblas’ home turf). Or that they pulled a couple of jobs in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

And the book explains why the Evans and Sontag name wasn’t entirely accurate. Brothers John and George were born to a couple named Contant. Their father died and the mother remarried, this time to a man named Sontag. John switched to his stepfather’s last name. George went by his original last name. But then again, Evans and Contant and Sontag doesn’t have quite the right rhythm…

Anyway, the criminal enterprise was started because two members wanted to punish the railroads. John Sontag had actually worked for the Southern Pacific until he was seriously injured in an on-the-job accident. He asked his bosses for a less physical position, say, working as a clerk. Instead, the SP fired him—and lit a fire that wouldn’t die.

Chris Evans had his own bone to pick with the railroads. He believed—correctly—that he was being overcharged for shipping his crops and produce to market. And in his righteous indignation, Evans decided to punish the evildoers.

So the two held up a Southern Pacific train in Northern California on February 22, 1889. They got $5,000. That led to another robbery. And another. And another.

George Contant joined up in 1891 when his brother made a trip back to Minnesota. George would be around for only three holdups, including two in the upper Midwest, before things started coming apart for the gang. In fact, he was the first member of the outfit to be caught and sent to prison.

Meanwhile, Evans and Sontag led a charmed life, avoiding the numerous posses and other fortune-seekers that were out to claim the growing rewards on their heads. At the same time, the outlaws put the shoe on the other foot by announcing that they would kill any lawman they could find. It all culminated—but it did not end there—in a bloody shoot-out in the summer of 1893 in which John Sontag was mortally wounded and Chris Evans was terribly shot up and captured.

As usual, Jack Koblas tells the story of these men and events with a flair and verve that keeps the reader turning the pages, anxious for the next development. The research is excellent and well delivered.

Sure, it helps to have subjects that are fascinating. It doesn’t hurt that the Evans and Sontag story hasn’t been given a lot of attention over the years. But Koblas takes those advantages and builds on them. Robbing the Rails is a keeper.

So what’s the next book, Jack?

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