Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-25
HOT WERE THE WIRES
CORRESPONDENTS SIGHT MISSING
HARRY TRACY.
Twas Oaly in Their Minds and Super
intendent Lee Enjoyed the
Pleasure Hugely.

President Roosevelt having taken up his
temporary abode at Oyster Bay, and nearly
all of the members of the cabinet having
hied themselves away for their summer
vacations, the newspaper correspondents
who supply their papers with rich news
have found time dragging YEARLY on their
hands
Nevertheless, they must be on the watch,
lest something big" should turn up and
they should be left" These warm even
ings, with little to do, they get together
in some convenient place on newspaper
row and regale themselves with stories of
the past. Occasionally some particular one
of the number Is the butt of a practical
joke perpetrated by the rest.
There is always something doing, rest as
sured.
An Unusually Quiet Evening.
Last evening was unusually quiet The
newspaper correspondents, some of them.
at least, got into a reminiscent mood. Sam
Blythe of the New York World recalled
story of his early newspaper experience III
Buffalo. Others told experiences Of dull
nights when something big turned up 10
cause them uneasiness when they had ap-
propriated an hour or so to themselves III
anticipation of ''nothin doin.'
Lets be doing something" said one OF
the party, as they sat in a cafe in news
paper row.
What about Harry Tracy. the escaped
convict from the Oregon penitentiary?"
queried one.
''All to the good" said another.
In a jiffy the wires were hot. The tele-
grams were all directed to Superintendent
Lee of the state penitentiary, Salem, Ore.
Ira Z. Bennett wired:
Just saw Tracy at the White House.
He wants the appointment of United States
marshal. Oregon district, and says. III get
Lee yet"
II
Tracy riding up and down Pennsylvania
avenue on bicycle, shooting holes in the
air. Terrible excitement Send policeman
to take him away.
Operators Took Reef in Suspenders.
The operators at the Western Union and
Postal Telegraph offices took a fresh
breath Of air and a reef in their suspenders
and sailed in. kilograms were sent fast
and furious.
H, ellison Gardner sent this touching APP
peal to the superintendent of the Oregon
penitentiary:
AT o'clock Tracy was trying to climb
the Washington monument. Send rescue
party Immediately
Jesse Carmichael. with his rich. romantic
nature, saw it all in different light. He
wired:
.Rumored in Washington that Mary Nc
Lane. now in Boston. is engaged to marry
Tracy at the Capitol. Washington, tomor-
row. Rush Injunction"
Cool and collected, j. P. Hornaday tel
egraphed:
Tracy seen in Pennsylvania avenue to-
day. Rush deputies
The correspondents adjourned to an all
night caravanSary, engaged in another
symposium. and had almost forgotten that
they had wired the custodian of the Oregon
penitentiary. About $50 this morning
messenger boy rushed breathlesSly into the
cafe. He bore telegram addressed to
Bennett.
The latter had visions Of an order of
several thousand words rush that would
necessitate the boiling of the latest cen
sus bulletin. The other correspondents
eyes frightened up, as they wondered
whether their colleague had tip of
story that meant a beat"
The telegram was from Salem Oregon,
and this was the way it read:
Superintendent Lees Reply.
Ira f. Bennett alias Carmichael, alias
Hornaday, alias Little, alias Gardner, alias
dead head Washington, D. c.: Your
serio-comic quadruple installment message
betrays your lack of appreciation of ia
nous visitors Tracy was constant
boarder at my hotel more than three years.
Fame has followed him since.
Board at my hotel and you will be
famous, too. Elegant rooms awaiting YOU
Mary McLane may be his, but for you the
choice would be Belva Lockwood and a
score Of others. They you could scale the
Capitol dome, dance on the apex Of the
Washington monument, sleep in the nostrils
| of Bartholdis statue and drink the Potomac
in two. j. D. LEE
proprietor Diamond Proof HOTEL
| The correspondents had a great deal Of
merriment over the humorous way in which
superintendent Lee took the dispa tches that
| he received. They voted him good fellow
| Other Washington correspondents are said
| to be hot on the trail of Tracy Superin-
tendent Lee may have further and more
| important information as to the where
abouts of the fugitive very soon