The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-06

was not found for many days thereaf-
ter. in the brush near Chehals.
Il shot him in the back" said Tracy,
but he was going to shoot me.
I'VE quarreled. The day before the
quarrel we found a newspaper which
contained an account of our escape and
the pursuit. That account gave Merrill
equal credit with myself for the deeds
which I alone committed The news
papers since we escaped have all along
persisted in giving him equal credit for
the escape and the getaway with me
The fact of the case is that he didn't
wanted TO sneak through the country,
keeping under cover and preferred to
90 hungry rather than show himself
for the purpose of getting food. s
That isn't my style. No man can
take me alone. And if had a proper
travelling companion, a. man of nerve
Il couldn't be taken by a regiment of
deputies. If I am shot it will be from
behind. And with another man to guard
the opposite direction, a man of some
nerve who knew how to handle a gun,
we could go wherever we wanted to
and not be compelled to keep under
cover portion of the time as I am
In travelling alone
"But Merrill was N. G. He was never
anything but an impediment to me and
am glad he is out of the way. l never
could trust him on guard except in
way, and then he was SO frightened
that at times he would wake me up
needlessly in the fear that we were be-
ing surrounded.
so when I got the paper and saw
that the reporters and the people
thought he had some nerve it made me
hot. 1 thought at first 1 would shake
him and travel alone, but before we
agreed to separate l taunted him with
his cowardice and he got huffy. Then
we agreed to fight duel. This was in
the woods in Lewis county, not far from
Chehalis.
1--WE agreed to start together from a
line and walk ten steps each, in oppO-
site directions from each other, and then
turn simultaneously and begin firing.
From his haggling in arranging the
terms was convinced that he was in
tending to turn before he had taken the
ten steps and I was determined not to
let him get the drop on me like that.
So when I had taken eight steps, /
turned around and took a shot at him.
I hit him in the back. The first shot did
not finish him and shot again. That
finished him. I then concealed the body
in the brush and proceeded on my way.
Merrill only got what he deserved.
He intended to turn and shoot me in the
back, then he would have sneaked out
of the country through the big timber
and would not have been heard of for
months would not only have been
dead, but would never have been found
because he would have been afraid to
tell where my body was"
FINDING MERRILL'S BODY.
The body of Dave Merrill, Tracy's pal
was found July Is in the woods bv Mrs
Mary Wagner and her R-year-old SON
of Napavine, who will claim the reward
of 81, $50. While picking berries they dis
covered the corpse thrown over log
and jammed between two tree stumps
few feet off the main road. A bullet
hole was plainly seen in the back and
also one in the wrist Three 3O.30 Win
| chester shells were found. one behind q
cedar tree at the roadside. and two
about ten feet from the corpse. The
indications are that Tracy fired the first
shot from behind the tree and the1
stepped nearer and completed the as
sassinat ton of his dying pal and broth
er-in-law. Tracy first told the story
| that he had killed Merrill the day that
he rode in a captured launch to Seat
| tie, July 2.