Fergus County argus., 1902-07-23
Career of Crime,

Career of Crime.
The Butte Inter-Mountain says: ave
ire in receipt of this appeal: Give
us more facts about Tracy. They
viii interest more people than the life
and services of old Balfour who sue.
cceds to the premiership of England.
Deny the truth of this statement
as we may il will no doubt remain
d truth all the same. There is a large
r1rJlar demand for facts about Tracy
while most people seem TO think they
lnDV all about the new premier tina,
il is necessary for them to know.
There has been some inquiry for
Information as TO what Tracy did To
get into the Oregon penitentiary orig
inally. The story is soon told. Sey
eral daring burglaries had been com
mitted in Portland. This was during
the winter of 1899. A posse of police
men and a detective were sent out %
locate the offenders and place them
under arrest. David Merrill, whose
dead body was found in the woods the
other day. was suspected. He was
captured in the house of his mother
where he had secreted himself, at the
approach of the officers, in large bu
reau drawer. He was heavily armed
and showed fight, but was overpower
ed. His mother was greatly incensed
because of his arrest and blamed
Tracy for leading him into the path
of crime. She suggested the plan to
the officers by which Tracy was cap
tured later. A letter was written to
Tracy, purporting to come from Mer
rill, asking him to come TO the house
Tracy was less alert then and fell in
to the trap. The detective was intro
duced as a friend of Merrill and the
two took a walk to talk over a pros
pective job. The stroll had not beer
continued far until Tracy's suspicious
were aroused. A locomotive was slow
ly approaching. Il guess I'll take that
train" remarked Tracy, laconically
as he made dash for the cab. There
was an exchange of shots betweeI
the detective and Tracy, but the latter
leaped into the engine cab and hold
| ing his pistol to the engineers head
compelled him to open the throttle ant
get over the track with all speed. The
telephone was called into service ant
after an exciting chase the fugitiv,
was taken into custody ~ a butcher
and he and Merrill were lodged in tho
Portland Jail. Tracy tried to murde.
his guard but later the two criminals
were taken to the state prison at Sa
lem.
In their escape from prison Jun,
9th, they killed three guards. II ha,
not been explained how they became
in possession of the two rifles will
which they did the bloody work. Tn,
weapons were ready to their hands
when the two men. with other prison
crs, were marched to the stove foun
dry in the morning to perform thei
regular work. The exploits of Trac,
since that time are fresh in the pub
lie mind. He has held up the mel
who were sent in pursuit of him
He has broken through cordons o
militia. He has compelled men an,
women to feed and shelter him in hi
flight, and he has not hesitated to xii
those who have refused his requests
He has made the blood hounds
laughingstockby scatteringre red peppe
in his own tracks and sending then
sneezing TO the rear He compelle
Farmer Anderson TO go to Tacom
and purchase him pistols and amun
tion while he held the farmers famil
as a pledge for the faithful perform
ance Of the service.
zone story in regard to the outla,
is that he is half breed Mexica
named Manuel Albertinez. Ex.Sheri
Rose OF Dillon believes that his righ
name is Harry Carr, whom he arres
ed in 1860 for theft. This is the opir
ion OF others, Be this as II may, tn
exploits Of the man whom the publ
now know as Harry Tracy eclipse
their reckless and criminal daring an
that have hitherto been attributed [
the James boys, the Younger brother
or any other modern desperadoe
The pursuit Of the outlaw has take
on somewhat the character OF oper
bouffe except where the criminal ha
given It a tragic coloring. There hs