The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1902-06-18
the road amid cloud of dust that

was binding.
The dash was continued until
within two miles of Barlow, where
it came to an abrupt termination.
Two men on ther road encountered by
Durbin and Cooke, who were lead
ing the van, were asked about the
rumer, and pronouced it a "fake,"
pure and simple. It bad original
cd in saloon, they said, and had
been set afoot by speculation as TO-
how two hobos, who had been seen
in the neighborhood of Barlow and
New Era this morning, could terror
ize the country if they choose to
tell people that they were Tracy
and Merrill. The posse was halted
and Durbin and Cooke proceeded
into Barlow to investigate the RED
port, followed by couple of wagon
loads of newspaper men. 1t was as
the nen.on the read had said, a fab
rication. The people of Barlow had
been bothered all day by telephone
and telegraph messages asking for
its verifcation, but knew nothing of
it further than that some one had
said that the two men with rifles
had eaten meal in the cabin of
Roy DUNCAN and his brother, two
woodcutters. DUNCAN denied the
story, so did every one else having
authority, and Durbin seeing
the uselessness of driving 10 miles
back to Gravesranch to find two men
who had been unguarded for four
hours and unseen for 36, ordered
the posse back to Salem, and he
and Cooke, parting company, went
their respective ways.
Both will hold themselves in
rerd.ness to proceed in the direction
of any authentic report Of the where
abouts of the two outlaws, but until
such information comes, it is be-
lieved that it will be just as we'll
to wait at home, and allow the
fagged-out men and dogs to take
rest which has been denied them for
SO many days.
WHERE ARE THE CoNvIcTs?
Where the convicts are now no
one knows. They may be walking
calmly along some mountain road
in Eastern Clackamas county, head
ed for the mountains; they may be
their way toward Portland
with such information as to the
country as they can obtain from
the people they meet, or they can
be sleeping peacefully IN the tang
led wilderness that covers Rock
Creek bottom, near Graves ranch.
They have five pounds of bacon,
sufficient to enable them to travel
several days without disclosing
their whereabouts by applying for
food to any more ranches, and they
are undoubtedly rested by this time
from the strain of the first fight a.
head of the hounds. It is more
than likely that they will come to
Portland, for men of their charac-
ter are unsuited to outdoor life, and
Is soon as they get ready to 60 to
work at their trade, that of holding
people up, they will want a city as
! field of operation
GoNvIcTs MAY GET TOO BOLD. &
There is another thing, however,
% be taken into consideration, and
hat is the recklesness the men
nave shown since first they began
o enjoy their unaccustomed liberty.
Whenever they have been in need
# food they have walked boldly in
o the nearest farm house for it, and
% free have these sorties been from
disastrous consequences that the
nen have undoubtedly gained an
.bnormal confidence in themselves.
This can be carried so far that the
actor of safety i'll snap, and it is
,ossible that the gentry may meet
I'D with man some fine morning
Who will bear in mind that the re-
ward reads "dead or alive" and do
. little target practicing on them,
'here are just as "bad" men in Or
gon as Tracy and Merrill, and
ONE of them are not far from
raves ranch, SO if the bandits try
T.
o become. too confdentit is not inn
that they will be rewarded
Unexpectedly for their misdeeds.
Both have been acting in a manner
which proves that they know very
title about the country, and if they
AVE had any accomplices to assist
hem, or tc start blind trail in a.
lother direction, these have long
ince been frightened by the size of
he force that is looking for the
rstwhile prisoners, and held them
elves out of range Of the scores OF
ifles that are being carried about
he country.
MILITIA GO HOME.
Following the report of the arrlv-
of 4bo cuo~rx Of Croync, this af.