The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-11-27

to be hunted up and brought TO the bat each time
his turn came. State Senator John q. Hall. in
letter dealing with this period of Tracy's lire. say
that the young man boarded i'll his family. and tha
he had abundant opportunity for observation. 'Hs
was" says senator Hail. "a great bookworm. but as
regards all practical matters Of this world he was as
ignorant a babe" He frequently stared vacantly
at those to whom he was speaking at some
imaginary object through and beyond them. At
other times he wrote with his finger in the AR;
During his stay at Conneautvilie these ana
many other strange acts were observed He re-
NAMED in that village during the stay OF his oroter
parish priest, but the latter being transferred 10
Crossingville Andrew went to Greenvile ana con-
nected himself with the office OF A. d. Giiiespie.
While there he applied for admission to the bar Oh
the county and passed his examination triumphanuy.
He took rank at once the most Intelligent young
III the village. but. although his queer tane,vs
had grown upon him. he never optruueo LIE PeS"'
liarities upon his friends.
TRAcY's CHARACTER.
Mr. Gillespie who is burgess or the Town o.
greenwich writes letter regarding this period OF
Tracy's life in which he says:-"As he Ciracyl was
under my instruction had eoou oppol'unui.s ~ ~
hayed himself while with me AZ peaceaoie mai Oh
good moral habits yet there were eccentricities
of mind which would puzzle an adept IN
psychological Iearning--strange Authorizations or
mind roaming in the fanciful. At Conneautville
occurred the first startling exhibition or morbid I'M
nulse which finally developed into assassination.
Remember in all instances that we are dealing with
greatly respected and whose classical and general
Education placed him on q level with the b'st
people whom he met. On the occasion re-
ferred TO he engaged in hearing
Young lady recite French or Latin, my informant
cannot be sure which. when, without moments
warning because the lady either failed to compre-
bend his explanation to with him. he sprang
upon her. seized her by the throat and threw her
about with such violence that marks were left on
her body for nearly two weeks. His conduct did
not appeart to be anger much as an inexplic-
able impulse which he could not resist. He
moments later, and declared that he could
not himself explain or understand his conduct HIS
action and description OF his feelings would recall to
remarkable case of the man who was 'impelled" to
take off the shoes of every young lady whom he en-
countered on Fifth Madison avenues. 1t will be
remembered what difficulty the courts had in deal
ing with il which there was neither desire for
robbery intent TO assault.
With this indellble stamp upon his character
young Tracy went to Mercer and entered the law
office of Griffith Mason. am just in receipt of
o long letter from Mr.. Mason. dated yesterday. He
is now at Pittsburg, before the Supreme Court,
guing plea for stay OF proceedings and tho grant
fog about aeI ye years Dart of which tine he
was in my employ. and had 1t not been
for his oddities he would in all probabil-
ity have been with me yet. But he was
of no use in business He was an excellent scholar,
well read in the law. but destitute of the first bust
ness qualification He originated nothing, could
rot prepare the simplest paper in legal form without
a form book some one to dictate to him Imita-
ton the extent OF his genius" Mr.. Z. G. Eber-
man. the District Attorney of Mercer county wrote
to the Board of Pardons declaring that he had always
considered Tracy to be Of unsound mind, unsafe
LAW AND SPELLING BEES
From Mercer Tracy went to Sharon, in the same
county. and for the first time opened an Office for
money he several occasions traded away his most
valuable law booGs AID did other acts Of equally
curious nature Ihss was about 1874 and the spell
ing school placia lowing spread to Sharon Tracy
came at 40 e,s front as the champion
speller His fszHs in this respect spread
into the adjoining counties. Mr.. Lucius
Rogers, Deputy Secretary OF Internal Affairs relates
that he present at spelling bee in Smethport
by technicality. The authority which governed
the decision was Worcesters Dictionary but Tracy.
who believed only in Webster. refused to admit that
the etymoogy of the moro recent photographer
correct. He stated to Mr.. Rogers that there not
single word in webster's Unabridged Dictionary
that he could not spell and define. The young law
yer who had never had case in court. soon removed
to the place of his birth and to the scene of his
crime. We now find him back in Smethport proba-
bly, for the last time. Events hurry him forward
toward the awful climax
AT HIS OLD HOME
Hiring q room milliner's shop young Tracy
fitted it up with table, few chairs and what books
remained to HIM after leaving Sharon. The study
like the man. 1t was phenomenal. Bare of
almost every comfort. picture of disorder and
example OF carelessness and shiftlessness. it
tanned one feature which marked its occupant
as an eccentric man. On the table where
ought to have been the papers and mechan-
ical paraphernalia Of the profession which
Tracy pretended to follow, stood picture In India
ink OF beautiful face 1t placed upright. rest
ing y small easel. and the floor before it was
"a small bench. The whole. a rude way, formed q
shrine before which, every morning. the young
monomaniac kpelt and affected to pray. Before
beginning tho ideness OF the day the worshpper Of
blessing. 1t was saint new to the cal
endar. but not unknown to all the jewellers in and
about Smethport. 1t was the face of 1.-THE prettiest
woman in the country" by common consent. GER
tany the belle Of the village. was the portrait Of
Mary Reilly.
have taken much trouble to ascertain the history
of this portrait and the brother OF the condemned
man, tho Rev. Michael Tracy. supplies it:-Four
years ago the reverend Father visited Cincinnati
and Andrew accompanied him. While passing along
a street of that city they saw man exhibiting some
n DhOtOnranlq-
Andrew. taking out q note book and pencil drew
the form of the ingenious device. and his
return home made excellent fac-simile of the
original His first and only trial of the machine was
the production OF this picture which yet again
romantic manner. lie spent several weeks
the portrait. finishing it In India ink
in manner that totally surprised all his
friends, who had never suspected that the
capabilities in any branch of art. other people.
seeing this picture. brought photographs OF their
friends to have them enlarged. Offering to pay q
high price, but Tracy prolific as he was in promises.
never even began second portrait , He
but tho people rather liked him despite
his moroseness. The notoriety given to the picture
timately associating the names of the two cousins.
Andrew Tracy and Mary Reilly. Mary was q
hair and handsome features and figure. Old
man keilly's daughters were famous for
their beauty throughout the valley Of
Potato Greek. He had half-dozen OF them, but
Mary was the prettest. The two cousins had been
raised together and had formed strong attac
for each other children. During Andrews alb
ut school there IN proof that the two young
people INDUCED IN extensive correspondence.
Indeed, the evidence seems to indicate that
the young mans weakened and restless mind
seized upon the memory OF the old affection
and vtalzed into the most passionate alteration.
They appeared to- think much OF each other when
together and letter in existence. written by the girl
u short time before her death. is signed 'Your afi-
anced wife," The people of the village. who knew
not of the rigorous rules OF the Catholic Church. for
bidding the marriage OF cousins took it for granted
that the couple would be married in due time.
LAST STRAW
Suddenly Ii was noticed that Andrew Tracy had
taken to drinking. Either he drank deeply, or his
nervous organization showed the effects Of even a
small quantity of liquor. for even his friends admit
that lie went home nearly every evening in an in
toxicatcd condition. 1t would be interesting to
know the quality of the liquor he drank. because
very little OF some kinds made among the hills
OF Western Pennsylvania would destroy the
most evenly balanced minds in the State.
In answer to my inquiries MIR. Lucius Rogers,