The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1902-06-18
POSSE GIVES Up
ALL TRACE OF TRACY AND
MERRILL IS LOST.
Their Pursuers Go Home-officers
Hope Hunger Will Drive
Them Out-State Increag-
es the Reward.

Merrill were not captured today,
nor are they likely to be, unless, e.
J, lated by their success in eluding
!; their multitudinous pursuers they
] become too bold and present tar
get for some reward-hunting pot
shooter. Where they are, no man
can say. Since noon Thursday
they have gone their way unseen
and unheard, save in the magma
ton of rumor-mongers. Their pur-
suers have given up the search.
The militia retired earliest, and this
afternoon, at the end of wild-geose
chase that led from the rendezvous
4 at Graves ranch to Barlow, 10
& miles away. Sheriffs Durbin and
Cooke decided that nothing more
could be accomplished by pursuing
rumors around the country, and
drove back to their homes, Durbin
taking the bloodhounds, the rolling
batteries of eight Wineheste.s and
two vehicle loads ,ot deputies back
to Salem, while Cooke drove into
Oregon City with a look of deep
disgust craven on his sun-browned
features.
There was woman in the case,
as was to- be expected, and her
name was dame rumor. She has
been lighting the will-o'-the. wisps
to serve as lanterns for the feet of
the strenuous man-chasers, ever
since the quarry has been afeld,
| but only to day did any one take
her seriously. All day straying re-
ports had been reaching the head
quarters of the allied sheriffs and
their posse at Graves ranch, the
place where the convicts last
put in an appeaance. AS they were
unofficial, however, and as reports
Of the same kind have annoyed the
searchers from the beginning, no
heed was paid to them until just af-
ter dinner, when SheriHs Cooke re-
eeiyed by wearied courier mes
sage that the two murderers had
taken breakfast at hat near Bar
low at 4 o'clock in the morning,
and that the posse must proceed inn
mediately to that point if it was
desirous of taking the prisoners in
to camp.
The dispatch came from a friend
of Cookies at Oregon City, and it
looked busines-like. Furthermore,
it confined the rumors that had
been drifting out to the ranch by |
every horseman and farmer, and it
was deemed prudent to act upon it |
at once. Sheriff Durbin, who, after
a nights rest at Aurora, had rejoin-
ed the searching party, with E. M.
Carson and the Walla Wa1la blood
hounds, had just taken the dogs in
to creek bottom near the ranch,
and the brutes were striving to get
fresh scent. A man was sent to the
edge of the wood to shout for him
to return, and he. and Carson were
the next minute hurrying for the
ranch, while the dogs, seeming news
in the air, ran joyously on ahead.
There was brief conference, and
it was decided to move on, to Bar
low without delay. The cavalcade,
consisting of at least 10 vehicles,
was ready to proceed in 10 minutes
and, amid the farewells of the peo-
pie at the ranch, who, for the past
two days have experienced the
most exciting times Of their lives,
the procession drove off.
There was no hesitation this time.
Along the road for miles clouds of
dust showed where buggies and car
ryalls were flying along, and in less
than an hour the telephone station
at Needy was fairly surrounded with
rigs, while heavily armed men
swarmed out and banked thicklyl
around the telephone, awaiting fur
ther news. Cooke emerged from
the telephone booth with q look of
satisfaction on his face. Two men,
he said, had come into store at
New Era in the morning and had
been last seen west of the railroad,
making for the river.
It began to look as if a fight was
in prospect. The members Of the
posse clutched their rifles firmly,
and thought how about to use them.
The bloodhounds pricked up their
dropping ears as far as possible and /
looked interested. Everybody
climbed into conveyances, and the
procession was again about to move
when Durbin, who had been little
suspicious Of the report from the
first, suggested that part Of the par.
ty remain behind until he and
Cooke with the bloodhounds and
about six men went to the front toI
see what could 5s done. Cooke was
also the opinion that a few picked
men were better than an morgan
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