The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-08-08
TRACY ENDS
HIS OWN LIFE
USES HIS GUN TO CHEAT THE
GALLOWS.
SURROUNDED AND WOUNDED
Crawls into Grain Field and Kills
Himself to Avoid Certain
Capture.
SURROUNDED AND WOUNDED

Spokane, Wash, Aug. 6.-Harry
Tracy's race is run. The great man
hunt is ended. Crippled, bleeding.
hopeless cf escape, the Oregon outlaw
crept into a wheat field near Fellows
last night, made last despairing ef-
fort to bind up his wounds, then gave
up his long race with death. Placing
a revolver at his forehead, he pulled
tered his skull.
At daylight this morning his body
was found, his stiffened hand still
grasped the revolver that ended his
career of crime After battling the Of
ficers of two states, after a wonderful
flight of nearly 400 miles across Ore
gon and Washington, Harry Tracy
was hunted down by five citizens of
the little farming town of Creston,
but one of whom was even deputy
To them is to be paid the $4,000 re-
ward. Sheriff Gardner and posse ar
rived in time to guard the wheat field
through the night, but the work was
already done.
The outlaw was dead.
To Whom Credit Is Due.
The party to which belongs the
credit was made up of the following
citizens of Creston: G. A. Strauts,
deputy sheriff; DR.. e. c. Lanter,
Maurice Smith, attorney; j. J. Morri-
son, railroad section foreman, and T.
Ifllengren These men, armed to
the teeth, set out from Creston yes
terday afternoon about 2 O'Clock. They
were working on the information of
the Goldfinch youth, who had been
forcibly made the companion of the
Oregon convict for over 20 hours at
the Eddy ranch. Proceeding south
easterly for about IL miles, the pur-
suit party made all possible haste in
reaching the Eddy ranch on Lake
creek about three miles south from
Fellows, a station on the Washington
Central railway. The country is full
of scab rock and the party took all
precautions as to ambushes. When
within a few hundred yards of the
farm, they saw Farmer Eddy moving
in one of his fields. While engaging
him in conversation, they saw man
issue from the barn door:
''Is that Tracy?" asked one of the
party.
1T surely is" replied Eddy.
Pursuers Surround the Fugitive.
The party separated, Lanter and
Smith accompanying Eddy in the di-
rection of the barn, while the other
two men swung around to cut off any
break for liberty in another direction.
The two man-hunters stepped behind
the barn On slight eminence, from
which they could watch everything
that went on, and the farmer contin-
ued on up to the door. Tracy came
from the barn again and began help
ing his host in unhitching the horses.
He carried no rifle, although he had
his revolvers IN place. The fugitive
saw the men carrying rifles, and turn
ing sharply to Farmer Eddy, said:
who are those men?"
II don't see any men, said Eddy.
Tracy Makes Dash for Liberty.
Tracy pointed out the two men on
the hill, waiting to be sure of their
man before they began shooting.
Eddy then informed his companion
who the men were, and the outlaw
made leap for the barn door.
The officers, stepping little closer,
commanded:
Hold up your hands!"
The outlaw jumped behind the farm
er. He commanded the farmer to lead
his horse to the barn and under it's
cover he moved to shelter. When
near the stable he broke and dashed
inside. Quickly he appeared, rife in
hand, and started on dead run down
the valley.
The Battle Begins.
Turning on the two men, the des-
peradc fired two shots, but without
his usual LUX. Neither bullet took
effect. Without waiting for further
fighting, Tracy took to his heels down
the valley leading south from the
barn. heading for the brush.
.
The man-hunters were off in pur-