Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-07-23

mysteriously supplied. Early in the morn
ing of June last he and David Merrill,
another convict, escaped from tue penn
Tertiary after killing three guards and
fatally wounding another convict, VINO
died the next day. Posses were organ
lied to pursue the escaped felens, but
they got cut of the city. The next morn
ing, however, they returned to Salem
AID robbed ]. w. Roberts and another
man Of clothing Then they lied again.
Their trail was marked by reports OF
stolen horses and farmers whom they
held up.
The Governor OF Oregon ordered out
the militia and bands OF deputy sheriffs
and posses were sent ont in all dsrec-
tons Tracy and Merrill saw one Of
these bands, lay in ambush for the dep
uties, fred at them and escaped. Later
they broke through a Gordon Of 30 mi
litia, who had surrounded them In dense
woods, They kept on stealing horses to
ride. pressing forward until the beasts
were worn out Finally the fugitives
reached the Columbia ciyer. over this
they escaped by forcing G. Sutherland
at the muzzles OF their revolvers to ferry
them across They landed near Van
couver barracks.
On June II the men shot and wounded
Deputy Sheriff Bert Brescher in a fight
at Salmon creek, stole more horses and
rode away They robbed house near
Laeetner and another near Kelso, Wash.
July / Tracy was seen at Tennino,
thirty miles from Tacoma. He was then
riding alone. The next day he arrived at
South Bay and held up six men. Later
be forced Capt. Clark and his crew of
four men to convey him in a gasoline
launch over Puget Sound to Meadow
Point. north of Seattle. The captain
says that Tracy had told him while on
his boat that he had killed Merrill.
On July a party of pursuing officers
under the leadership of Deputy Sheriff
Charles Raymond of Snohomish County,
and Deputy Sheriff John Williams Of
King County, located the desperate at
Bothell, twenty miles north of Seattle
and on the line of the Northern Pacific
Railroad. Tracy had taken a commah :
ing position in a clump of FRS and had
probabiy seen the posse before he himself
had been observed. There was no parley-
ing on either side. The posse, strong in
numbers and perhaps somewhat encour-
aged by a reward, aggregating $3,6E) for
Tracy's capture. prepared 10 surround the
outlaws hiding place. Tracy, fighting
for freedom and life. was determined not
to be taken and with his trusty rifle open
ed fire on his pursuers. h2 fred i've
shots in ali and these were sufficient to
insure, for the time. his escape. At one
Of the discharges Raymond was shot and
fell TO the ground dead. Another bullet
struck the rifle Uarrel Of Williams. splin-
tering 1t and burning itself in the dep
uty's chest Williams feh to the ground
badly wounded Before the other meme
beers OF the posse could recover their wits
the outlaw escaped.
The evening Of the same day saw
Tracy at the home OF a Mrs Van Horn
in Woodlawn Park, a suburb of Seattle.
The outlaws presence was sec reilly made
known by M-S. Van Horn to a butcher 5
boy, who spread the alarm. TO s"rround
the house was a matter OF only a brief
/ time. and then the officers fit sure that
| their quarry could not escape them. Tracy
| opened FIRE on the officers. instantly kill
| Ing Policeman E. +. Breeze and fatally
wounding Neil Rawley, another Of his
would-be captors. He then coerced TIVE
men to act as shields and under their pro
| lection he made his way out Of the range
OF FIRE and disappeared in the woods anc
| the darkness.
| The tragedies thoroughly aroused tbs
authorities and Gov Mcbride ordered GU
two troops Of the State militia to coop
crate with the civil power in runninl
| down the Desperate. Scores of men were
sworn in as deputies and a systemati,
| search for Tracy began.