The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1902-06-21
CONvICTS MOVE ON
TRACY AND, MERRILL TR AyELING
NORTH.
Hold Up Horseman and Secured
Two Good Mounts-Battle With
Two PursGera-Last Seen
Shots Exchanged on
Two Occasions.

La Center, WASH. June Hin
It's theatrical progress North the
man-hunt has reached this ordina-
rily peaceful village. Sheriff Marsh,
ESherif Totten, Guard Carson, the
ibloodhcuadsf and various members
of the numerous posse are here
spending the night after day of
alarms and bloodleEs pursuit Of the
convict murderers. Tracy and Mer-
lrill are not here, but they are sup
posed to be somewhere within a ra-
dius of one Or two or three miles OF
La Center. Just where they will
be tomorrow morning the day will
only bring forth. From past ex-
1perience with these xpert and in.
teresting fugitives, it is Pretty safe
Ito guess that distance will lend its
more or less enchanting charms to
1.-The view the officers will then get
of their quarry. After a stern chase
lasting throughout the entire day,
the officers adopted the scheme of
getting to a point ahead and thus
Iintsrceptihg the rogues' progress.
and it looked for while tonight as
if the scheme would he highly sue
cessful. Tracy and Merrill were
heard from, making their mysteri-
Gus way tosard the town, and after
tbobbing up gerenely for few mo-
|ments= they again took an oppertune
.tlme for disappearing. The whole
posse rushed out after them, leav-
ling the little town in a state of IN.
precedented excitement; but they
came back in due time empty
handed.
Unwearied by the long chase af-
ter them, and full of determination
and fight, Tracy and Merrill came
within 80 yards of two of their pur-
suers, Bert Blesecker and Luther
Davidson, of Vancouver, about i
o'clock last night, on the edge of
Salmon creek, between Tenny and
Belts bridges, eight miles north OF
Vancouver, and hunters and hunt.
| ed exchanged II rifle shots. One
bullet from one of the outlaws ri
fes passed under Bleseeker's left
arm, and went through his sleeve,
without njuring him. His horse
as struck four times with bullets,
but the wounds iaficted are slight.
Blesecker and Davidson have been
two of the most-persistent hunters
after the convicts since the chase
began, and worked together, usual
Ily apart from the regular posse.
Sunday night .Blesecker and David.
son patrolled the ground near the
Vancouver poor farm, but saw no
traces of the conviets. During the
greater part Of yesterday they work
ed through the brush along Salmon
creek, betwe the railway track
ard Zelda, as Blesecker had the
| ory that the convicts would IN
doubleday make for the Salmon
Greek country on their way north.
About II o'clock last night Bleseck-
Ter and Davidson were watching the
surrounding country from an open
spet, when they noticed two men
| ak down to the creek and take
drink of water. The guards thought
the occurrence Suspicious, and
walked down road in the direc-
ton of the supposed conyicts, to
make sure that they had met the
right men.
When Blesecker was 80 yards
I,distant he was sure that the men he
espied through the gloom were Ira
cy and Merrill, but found difficulty
in getting enough light to adjust
the sights Of his rifle But guessing
the distance as well as he could, he
sent one bullet whizzing at the con-
victs. His fire was promptly re-
turned, and one bullet cut his left
coat sleeve. Davidson also fred.
Both parties then sought shelter,
leach evidently unaware whether
their shots had taken effect.
After hiding in the darkness for
a little over half an hour, the man.
hunters concluded there was not
light enough to get satisfactory
shot at the convicts and walked to
the spot where they had tied their
Ihorses, a quarter Of a mile away.
/ Here almost by accident, they dis
4 covered fresh tracks. made in the
5Iroad, as if the outlaws had been a
bout to steal the horse, but had
been scared away by approaching
footsteps.
| "They can't be far away. Let's
lie in wait for them again. They
/ may show their hand" whispered
/ 1Blesecker to his friend. But the
lwily Tracy and Merrill were uot to
! IS II ,ls5. any such trick. Not. a
| souod came from the midnightstill-
ness of the wood. Concluding that
they had seen the last of their
much-wanted men for the present