The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1902-06-21
CHASE GIVEN UP
SEARCH R0R C0NyiCTs Is ABAN---4
DONED.

ing on Horseback in
Vicinity of La
Center.
Vancouver, Wash, June 18.-
Tired, chagrined, and covered with
the dust of many miles of jungle,
road and brush, Sheriff Marsh, sew
eral of his deputies, detectives and
about dozen members of Compa-
| ny G, Washington National Guard,
returned here today from an unsuc-
cessful chase after Tracy and Mer-4
riH, the escaped convicts. The chasaf
will be resumed when a new clew
presents it:elf. The bloodhounds
are at Woodland with Guard Car
son and Walter Lyons, private Sec
retary to Governor Geer.
Tracy and Merrill are supposed
to be having gay time of it on
horseback, somewhere in the wilds
between Ridgefeld, Pioneer and La
Center, but their postoffice address
is unkn 3wn. Through somebody's
error of judgment yesterday after
noon, when an opportunity present..
ed itself to follow trails leading to,
Lewisville, Ridgetield and La Gen.
ter, posses were sent in pursuit of
Tracy and Merrill to Ridgefeld and
| La Center. The indications now are
that when the posse divided, the
outlaws were about one hour ahead
of the man-hunters, and were riding
toward Lewisville.
The first clew as to the outlaws
presence around Pioneer came yes
/ terday afternoon at 2 o'clock, when
Miss Anderson saw two men on
horseback riding from Pioneer to
1Lewisville. One horseman wore a
hat, sat on saddle, and the other,
wearing a handkerchief around his
zhead rode bareback. Each msn
carried a: rife. In the meantime,
the hounds had lost the scent, and
the posses were hurrying to Ridge
field and La Center, only to find
that the eonvicts had not been seen
or heard Of at those points. This
was between 3 and 4 o'clock in the
afternoon.
Twelve members Of Company G
were in tho brush toward La Center
yesterday trying to head off the
conY.cts, should they venture that
way. Tae militia boys were
armed with Winchesters, Krags,
Mausers and Springfield rifles.
This afternoon two horsemen
were seen riding along by-path
in timberland, three-quarters of
mile west of La Center. and farmers
. dogs in the vicinity began to howl.
Two guards who were patrolling
the crossroads came running In
time to see the two horsemen disap-
4 pear in the gloom of hill. This
i was the last alarm of the ase.
i "Won't the morning Light ever
Gomez said one tired member of
| the little band. All through the
night vigilant guard was kept, and
while one hunter slept others took
their turns at watching and vice
, versa.
The blcodhounds bayed at the
man in the moon. Bright and
early this morning the chase was
resumed, but all energy seemed
gone. There was absolutely no
clue, and one by one the man-hunt-
ers came home. Detectives Day
and Weiner struck for Portland.
The militia boys came home on BIZ
cycles and in carriages.
Sheriff Marsh, after leaving dep
uties to remain guarding approach
es to the Lewis river, to prevent the
convicts from crossing the stream,
left for Vancouver and arrived here
at s o'clock.
sI am too tired to talk. I am GO
, ing back if l get another clew," he
said to an Oregonian man. It was
observed, however, that the sheriff
was not too tired to answer vol
ley of questions as to the why and
wherefore from crowd of citizens
in front of cigar store.