The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1902-06-18
Tracy and Merrill Are Last Seen
Riding Toward La Cen.
ter, Washington.
THE TRAIL Is AGAIN LOST
Shcrifls Have Well Organized
Posse and Are Confident
of Oyertaking Their
Men Soon.

NNNiohNGi, WMNHF June lf~~A
telephone message from Sheriff
Marsh at La Center. at 1880 tonight,
states that Tracey and Merrill are
known TO have passed Pioneer church.
six miles southeast OF La Center. and
| II miles from here. late this after
noon. They were on horseback, hav-
ing stolen Two horses from the farm
of John Rathburn. after holding up
Rathburn. after holding rapidly TO the
| Pioneer church, two miles west, then
turned north in the direction Of La
Center and Lewisville. on Lewis Riv.
cr, The posse came up scarcely an
hour after the convicts had secured
| the horses. and upon learning OF the
occurrence. started In hot pursuit.
| Several miles beyond Pioneer trace
Of the fugitiveg was lost. but II Is be-
lleved that they passed the main road
leading on the Pioneer road TO La
Center and then continued nor,n along
the trail through The woods which
follows Lewis River toward Lewis
vile.
Sheriff Marsh says that trusty men
have been stationed at Lewisvilie and
lother points Of vantage along the riv-
er, while he himself and Sheriff Tot
ten, of skamania County. will stand
guard at La Center bridge. News Of
the engagement between the convlcts
and pursuers is momeniarily expected
! William Morris. who, with L. D.
Seal. Was mistaken yesterday for a
convict by several members OF the
posse and shot through the leg, Is
resting easily today The doctors
think the leg may be saved.
A hot skirmish. which occurred
about midnight last night between
Bert Blesecker and Lon Davis. two
members OF Sheriff Marsh's posse, and
two armed men answering the de-
scriptlon Of Tracey and Merrill. in
which II rifle shots were exchanged
and one Of the men at least (Bleseck-
err had narrow escape, FURNISHED
convincing proof IL any further proof
were needed, that the three-score or
more Of officers and armed men are on
the right track and that the men who
crossed the Columbia River Sunday
and held up and robbed old man Tiede
near Fourth Plain, yesterday morning.
are beyond question the desperate out
laws, The encounter also demonstrates
another significant fact. that the same
men now searching for the convlcts
can and will use their firearms when
opportunity offers,
Riesecker and Davis were two of Is
or more picked men posted along SAL
mon River at points where the con-
victs wsre liable to cross. About II
o'clock they noticed two men come
down to the creek to bet drink This
was at a point about six miles north
Of Vance ver between what is known
as Tenny and Betts bridges.
Al the time the men approached the
creek the watchers were not sure of
their Identity, and halted until they
again approached the road. The
guards then went down the road In
the direction OF the supposed convIcts
and when about 30 yards distant Bic
seeker sent rife shot In their di-
rectlon,
The fire was promptly returned and
six shots We're exchanged by Biesecker
and Davies and the two convic.s, none
Of which took effect so far as known.
Both parties then took to cover. Aft
err waiting in their hiding places more
than an hour, the guards concluded
there was to he no further chance
to get shot at the convicts and
went up the read. A quarter of
mile or so, where their horses
were tied on the way they discov-
cred fresh tracks in the road not far
distant from the point where their
horses were hitched. They again lay
in walt another half hour in the hope
of seeing the fugltlves. but nothing
occurring, got in the buggy and started
toward town, They had gone but a
short distance when "bang, bang,
bang" went a rifle from the brush at
the roadside, and the guards now real
izlng that they were in close and dan
gerous quarters with the odds all in