Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-09
HOT ON TRAIL OF TRACY
Oregon 0snviOt Being Pursued BY Over a
Thousand Armed Men,
DESPERATE DISPLAYS WONDERFUL NERVE
While Posse IL Taking Up Position
to Capture Him the Convict Ties
Man TO n Tree and Makes
His. Escape.

SEATTLE, July s.-Harry Tracy, the fu-
gitive Oregon convict. who has killed six
men and wounded several others since
June 9, is being holly pursued BY men and
dogs In the country southeast OF Seattle
and will probably be slain or captured
within a few hours. His pursuers, who
have with them two fine bloodnhounds, are
only a short distance behind him.
Tracy made another Extraordinary es-
cape from one Of the posses after him this
afternoon. Word was received at the
sherin's ONCE that Tracy had been at the
house OF a Mrs. Gerald near Renton for
Ave hours.
Fifty armed men at once hastened to the
scene. When they reached the place they
secreted and took positions so they could
watch the house to the best advantage.
The peculiar actions Of Mrs. Gerald con-
WINGED them that Tracy was still in the
house. On the arrival Of Sheriff Cudihee
the posse closed in on the house, only to
learn from Mrs. Gerald that Tracy had
given them the slip. He had left the
house by e rear door ten minutes pre-
vious while the posse were taking their
positions to watch the place, hid for a
few minutes in some Of the bushes and
then quietly slipped away through the
woods toward Palmer.
The wonderful nerve Of the convict was
never more fully exempiined than in this
instance. In the back yard OF the Gerald
home was found Anderson, the man whom
Tracy had kept a prisoner from the time he
left Port Madison tied to a tree. Tracy
had tied Anderson to the tree while the
posse we're in full view OF the house, be-
fore making his escape.
The bloodhounds we're let loose on his
trail. and are reported to be only a few
minutes behind him. Fully a thousand
armed men are now engaged in the pursuit,
Including a posse which has taken the train
for Palmer to intercept Tracy in his flight
toward Cedar mountain.
Anderson Tells story.
Surrounded by a morbid mob OF men IN
the Benton saloon John Anderson related
his experiences since the night he left Port
Madison in Johnson's white boat until his
rescue at the Gerald house al, 8 o'clock
tonight. From his story it is evident that
Tracy has ~accomplices who are lending
him material assistance in his flight through
the country. Anderson said:
I'VE left Port Madison Saturday night
at 8 O'Clock. We went to West Seattle.
arriving at daylight. / pulled the boat,
he holding a gun over me all the way.
We landed south Of the West Seattle ele-
vator, under a trestle and vent directly
into the woods. We spent Sunday in the
woods at West Seattle. When 1t got dark
we came across the bay in our boat and
landed at the sawmill at South Seattle. We
then started on the railroad track toward
Black river; we turned OF the track to the
left shortly before we reached Black river.
We crossed a large bayfield, and went into
the woods. This was Monday morning
When We got into the timber we cooked
breakfast. We then rested until afternoon.
At 8 o'clock we started through the tim
Der toward Renton. Just before we
reached the railroad bridge over Black
river we met four men, and Tracy said,
Hello, Fred and jumped down the bank
to where the men were standing. Tracy
talked to the men for a few minutes. After
the talk was finished Tracy left one oil
the men to watch me-. He and the three
others, after blind folding me, went of
and stayed about an hour. When they re-
turned they brought me q bottle OF whisky
Then we started out. Tracy forced me
to walk In front. and he followed behind,
accompanied by the four men we met on the
bridge. We arrived at Renton about II
o'clock and walked up the railroad track
through the town, Here Tracy tied me
up. and he, accompanied by the four strange
men. left me. They returned at daylight
this Tuesday, morning. and we went fur
Their back into the brush and cooked break
fast. After breakfast Tracy told me he
would go away for q while. but would come
back In an hour. When he returned he
brought a little boy from Gerald's house
and we walked down to the Gerald place
together. We were in the house about three
hours when Tracy took me out into the
brush. At the river bank he said: Lie
down After looking up and down sthe
river. Tracy tied me up and cautioned me
to keep still. II lay in this position until
called to by Mrs. Gerald when hobblet
out Of the brush into her back yard where
this gentleman Indicating a Post-Iptelli-
gencer representative united the leather
straps which held me-