The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-24
TELLS OF TRACY.
Louis Ward, Who Located Out
law for Cudihee, Talks.
He Also Produces Statement
From the Fugitive.
HE WILL BE GOOD.
Won't Kill Any More Or Hold Up
Farm Houses.
Expects to 10 Away Where He
Won't Be Known.

Louis Ward, who undertook the task
of locating Tracy for Sheriff Cudihee
has at last broken silence and has made
public the following statement which he
says was written by Tracy
This statement is a poorly written
scrawI and announces that the writer
is innocent of the crime for which he
was convicted in Oregon and sent to
the penitentiary Of that state, that he
is innocent of any desire to kill unless
retain the liberty which he has SO dear
ly bought. In full. with grammatical
corrections. it is as follows:
IT was not guilty of the hold-up in
Portland, and I was convicted py lies
and circumstantial evidence. 1 did steal
in Utah. and I killed a man there. but
when got out of that scrape l made up
my mind to reform, and made an hon
est living until I was sent to the penl-
Tertiary by the lies of Dave Merrill
have avenged that wrong by killing the
cur like dog. I killed the guards at
the penitentiary because that was the
only way to escape. 1 Killed the OIL
GERS at Seattle for the same reason.
have stopped at farm houses to get food
and clothing, but I have never harmed
any one who was not hunting for me-
1 have never threatened harm to any
man except to keep him from squealing
on me. / took Anderson with me be-
cause I needed his help, but 1 treated
him well and did not harm him. Now
I am free. am not coming to be taken
again. If the officers try it it will only
be the worse for them
It am not going to hold up any more
farm houses and 1 am not going to
show up again in Washington. I am
going away where 1 will not be recog-
nized and then 1 will live the honest
life I long for. TRACY
This message was written while
Tracy and Ward were together at the
Sawyer Lake cabin, Monday afternoon.
Two miles away posse OF eight des-
perately determined officers of the law
waited inpatiently for Ward to return
and bring them the information of the
convict's whereabouts. Without APP
parent uneasineSS or suspicion Tracy
saw Ward depart. That was the last
time Tracy has been seen by man and
the last the officers of the law have
been able to learn. They were not
even able to ascertain from Ward
whether or not he had seen Tracy there
that afternoon. Ward refusing abso-
lutely to give up the Information which
he had previously promised.
Before Ward left him he gave him
long talk about what to tell the officers
and the newspaper reporters when he
went back to Seattle. But when Ward
got to where the officers were he re-
fused to tell them anything whatever OF
any use to them He evaded their ques-
tons and confused himself in his an
swers so that they held him for several
hours When they did let him go he
got away as quickly as possible for fear
that he would be made to suffer for his
refusal at the critical period to carry
out his agreen ent with the sheriff.
Since then he has been afraid to come
out of hiding. The interview with the
outlaw had to be obtained through an
other.
about me that was not true" Tracy
told Ward, but they have done the
best they could do. I have seen news
paper men everywhere. l have seen
officers and a number of places where
there were no officers in sight. The re-
porters were always on the spot before
the officers. Some of them carried guns.
and one of them that man Sefrit, took
two shots at me at Bothell. I took two
shots at him, too, but 1 am glad now
that missed him. Had they come at
ter me unarmed I would not have kept
away from them so much.
"One injustice they all seem to do
me is to picture me as a hardened
criminal, with a bloodthirsty desire to
slay and kill whenever a chance offers
1t ought to be a sufficient answer to
this charge that / have never taken a
chance shot at any one OF the many
deputies that have passed near me from
time to time when l was in hiding.
Had wanted to- might have killed a
score of them, but they were not both.
ering me much. and besides many OF
them were slow and inexperienced
that it would have been a shame to
harm them. II L cOulO get a snOt ~
Cudihee or at that man Carson. who
has the b1oodhounds. 1 might wing
them to show the other officers that
could do so and make then quit pur-
suing me. All Of the poor people have
| taken things from during my flight will
hear from me when get place where
| can write. I intend to pay them all
| In full for what I have taken from
them, and especially the man johnson,
who went to Tacoma and bought me
| this gun. It is the handiest weapon
| have. because it is almost as good as a
] rife, and besides / can carry it in my