The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1902-06-13
JAIL BREAK IN OREGON
PRISONERS KILL THE GUARDS.
They Were Long Time Men-Made
Their Escape While Going to
Work i'm the Foundry-Shot Eel
low Prisoner-Arms Had Been
Furnished Them.

Salem, Ore, June lO.-Two desperate
prisoners, Harry Tracy, sentenced to
20 years, and David Merrill, a 10 year
man, serving sentence for assault and rob-
berry from Multnomah county, made an
outbreak from the penitentiary Monday
morning, after killing three guards
Frank Ferrell, shop guard, and S. X.
Jones and b. f. Tiffany, fencemen.
The prisoners had just marched into the
foundry for work at a. m. when Tracy
suddenly appeared, armed with rifle
shot Guard Terrell, killing him almost
instantly Ingram, life prisoner, at
tempted to take the rifle from Tracy,
when Merrill shot Ingram through the
leg, SCATTERING it. Other prisoners were
forced at the point of a pistol to take
the ladder to the wall, when the two
armed men escaped Going outside, they
shot Guard Jones dead at a distance of
$50 yards. Guard Tiffany, after being
wounded, jumped off the fence and fol-
lowed the men, shooting at them. when
they killed him.
The prisoners then escaped into the
woods. A posse of 40 men is out after
the prisoners and have them located in the
woods half way between Salem and the
reform school. The men are desperate,
and battle is expected. The posse is led
by Sheriff f. w. Durbin, Sheriff-elect II.
b. Goliath and officers from the prison.
The prisoners are armed with two rifles
and two revolvers. The arms are believed
TO have been thrown over the stockade
Sunday night by friends among excursion
lists who came from Portland. Ingram,
the wounded prisoner, was sentenced
from Linn county for killing his brother,
in 1891.
Guards Taken by Surprise.
Prisoners employed in the foundry
were marched to work at Z o'clock and
had entered the holding room with the
guard, Terrell, inside, and Guard Staple
ton in an adjoining room. Suddenly,
without warning, Tracy and Merrill APP
peared with rifles. Tracy aimed at Fer
rell, when Ingram, life prisoner, attempt
ed to reach and disarm Tracy. Instantly
Merrill shot Ingram, and Tracy killed
Ferrel, the latter falling forward, dying
almost instantly. The prisoners, Tracy
and Merrill, at once made for the wall
near the northeast corner of the stockade
where they scaled the walls 10y means Of
a ladder When outside the wall Guard
Jones, on the northwest corner of the
stockade, was killed, having been shot
twice in the abdomen and breast.
Used Tiffany Shield.
Tiffany was also shot. and he droppei
off the fence, engaging the fugitives in 4
fight His gun was soon empty and he
was taken by the escapes and used as g
shield while they made for the timber
When out of range of the prison they
stopped and deliberately killed Tiffany
escaping into the timber Immediately
They had taken Titfany's gun, but, find
ing it empty, threw it away. Duncan
Ross, new guard, was on the fence neal
Tiffany, having been ordered up to re
lieve the latter at his post. Ross was un
armed and the escapes shot at him, on,
bullet striking him in the forehead, in
flicting slight scalp wound.
A large force of men is now ou
searching for the escapes, who are know
to be in the timber between the prison
and the reform school, and as they arr
desperate, a battle is expected before they
are secured. The prison authorities offel
$1,000 reward for the capture of the pris
.oners. The three guards killed have fam
lilies. Great excitement prevails in thi
city, and scores of men are leaving Tor TIN
woods, armed and determined to run tht
murderers down. A farmer has just lie
ported that he saw the escapes in the
woods near the reform school, four miles
south of this city.