The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-10
TRACY'S RECORD. FOR
FIFTY-E|GHT DAYS:
Soldiers, Police, and BIoodhounds
on His Trail.
DEFlED CAPTURE TO LAST.
On June 9th He Escaped From the
Oregon State Penitentiary at Salem,
Killing Three Guards-After Two
Months He Kills Himself
.DEFIED CAPTURE TO LAST.
On June 9th He Escaped From the

Killing Three Guards-After Two
Months He Kills Himself.
The death of Outlaw Tracy by his. own
hand cnus perhaps the most remarkap bic
man nunr IN the annals of crime, ana
closes life and death chase which last
ed without cessation for fifty-elght days
and extended over the greater part OF
two States.
Since June eth last Tracy, hunted BY
Indian crackers. bloodhounds, hundreds
of authorized officers of the law, the
State troops of Washington, and unnum-
bered volunteer bands OF vig!lanteS, with
a price on his head that amounted to
fortune, travelled over about fifteen hum
dred miles of wild country and detied
capture to the last
From the moment of his daring escape
from the oregon State penitentiary to
his last stand in the swamps of Lincoln
county. near the eastern border of Wash
ington, he killed six officers of the
Merrill. in a duel fought while men and
hounds were on his heels. wounded near
iy a, dozen other officers OF pursuing par
ties, and terrorized the people OF two
States.
Living on the country he passed. Tracy
rode down stolen horses without num-
Der; robbed farmers Of food, clothing,
and recrossed rivers. hiding when he
could and lighting when too hard press
ed. Six times he shot his way through
pursuing parties which surrounded him
and struggled on in his desperate race
against 5A SlfSs 1 ESP 5oel'f PALE:
The criminal exploits Of Frank hr6tb ana
Murrel and all the horde of desperate out
laws of the West pale besides tha deter
mined daring and reckless courage OF the
Oregon convict
then serving a sentence Of twenty. years
imprisonment for robbery and shooting
a sherifT's officer who had attempted
to arrest him made his , successful sitoI d sd
ed by his fellow-criminal, David Merrill.
who was serving a term Of thirteen years
for completely in the robbery OF which
Tracy was convicted.
That there was aid for the two despe-
rate men from the outside is certain, for
on the morning OF the day OF their es-
cape. two repeating rifles were left ~, IN
rill easily could reach them as they
marched with the other prisoners from,
their cells to their. days work
who first was arrested for the robbie
1 Februa nary 1883 isss. had betrayed him to the
officers of the law, but nevertheless he
consented to plot with Merrill to break
prison, and their plans were carefully
made
AS they passed the guns lelt ior thelii
ca Oh seized a weapon and made a rush
for the walls around the penlteniary;
The guards attempted to stop them ana
Tracy, g. dead shot, killed Guard F. s.
Farrell and wounded Frank lngra ham
a life convict who attempted to aid the
guards
Then. in the face Of q heavy fire re from r.
ladder and escaped over the wall. stop
ping long enough to return the fire di-
rected at them, third shot from Tracy 5
rife killing Guard S, B. L. Jones. men
for the prison outer gate. where they
encountered two other guards, whom
they made prisoners. meaning to keep
them hostages should the other guards
~ $500 BOTH ESCAPED.
The latter Kept a up tine hai
his 'e captives to walk before him. shot
dead IS. F. Tiffany. while Merrill fred at
the second captive, who dropped. and
pretending to have been hit, escaped
Then both escaped.
Twenty guards from the. prison were
sent in pursuit anG from that ~ beginning
grew the. famous chase which closed
with so dramatic setting.
Eluding their pursuers the two out
laws captured an involuntary host. J. W.
Stewart. whom they made exchange
clothes with them. and also pressed into
service an expressman, whose attire they
likewise appropriated.
Both Stewart and the eSpressman were
held captive until the next day. when
after having spent a comfortable, night
and been well fed. the fugitives stole two
horses from another Salem resident ana
started for the north.
On the second day of the pursuit blood
hounds We're pressed into service and the
set on the heads of the fugitive pair. a
price of 5000. Neither of the bandits
was heard Of for, some days; till at a
MACE called Gervais they further altered
their attire by robbing man named
Roberts of his clothing.
A Gordon of several hundred men were
thrown around Ge.vais. but Tracy and
his his companion easily broke through al
lives tSr an next XIV were Reard Of six days after
the escape on June 18th. when they held
| them across the Columbia river. The
| Impressed boatman landed the runaway
in hoe If MeTr whafe they
| undoubtedly expected to find friends and
shelter.
| Again bloodhounds were put on the
| trail. but. as before. the outlaws threw
! water of the swamps and doubling ba OK
on the trail. 1t was at this point in the
man hunt that another victim tell TINS
| shot by his own friends In mistake for
one of the outlaws.
While the pursuit still was making
| dragnet search through the swamps. the
fugitives. travelling with incredible swift
ness made their way one hundred miles
north 10 the line of the Northern Pa
cific Railroad. which connects Portland
with Puget Sound.
At this point IN the flight Tracy and
Merrill were known to have been to-
sether. but when Tracy next was heard
of he was alone and in the close neigh
borhood of Olympia. a few days later
the dead body of Merrill was found fur
Their back on the trail with a bullet
wound In his back.
After this discovery, the facts Of the
| ing OF Tracy. who said he had killed him
| as he had suspected Merrill Of having
betrayed him at Portland. They had
agreed. he said. to duel. the strange
| conditions of which showed in a striking
manner the nature of the outlaw:
| According to Tracy the quarrel arose
over the fact that Merrill was rated as
his equal in newspaper report Of the es-