The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-06-18
BL00DH0UNDS
TAKE UP TRAIL
COnvicts and Guards Exchange
Shots-None Took Effect.
POSSE IN HOT PURSUIT
FUGITIVES STEAL HORSES AND
START TOWARD LACENTER.

conYicts who have been chased
for eight days are still at large to-
night but a posse in charge of Sheriff
Marsh of Clark county is close on
their heels near Lacenter, a village
twenty miles from Vancouver. The
fugitives were seen several times dur
ing the day and at 1870 tonight a tele-
phone message from Sheriff Marsh at
Lacenter states that they passed Pho
neer Church. six miles southeast of
Lacenter and fourteen miles from here,
late this afternoon. They were on
horseback, having stolen two horses
[ from the farm of John RathbUrn, after
holding up Rathburns father-in-la W,
Mr.. Kauzler. After securing the horses
the outlaws rode rapidly to Pioneer
Church two miles west, then turned
! north in the direction Of Lacenter and
Lewisville. on Lewis river.
The posse came UP scarcely an hour
after the convicts secured the horses
and upon learning of the occurrence
started I'm hot pursuit Several miles
beyond Pioneer the track of the fugi-
tives was lost. but il is believed they
passed the main road leading off the
/ Pioneer road 10 Lacenter and cOntin-
ued north along a trail through the
woods which follows the Lewis river
towards LeWisville.
Sheriff Marsh says trusty men have
been stationed near Lewisville and
other points of vantage along the river
while he himself and Sheriff Totten Of
/ Skamania county will stand guard at
the Lanenter bridge. William Morris
who with L. d. Seal was mistaken
yesterday for the convicts by several
members of the posse and was shot in
I the leg. is resting easily at ST. JOseph's
hospital and the doctors say the leg
may be saved.
Early Morning Battle.
A battle occurred about . a. m. be-
tween Bert Biesecker and Lon Davis
two members of Sheriff Marsh's posse
and two armed men answering the de-
| scriptiOn of Tracy and Merrill. the es-
capped cOnvicts, in which eleven rifle
shots were exchanged. One of the men
at least. Biesecker, had a narrow es-
cape. his clothing having been pierced
by a bullet.
Biesecker and Davis were two of
fifteen or more picked men posted
along Salmon creek at points where
the convicts were likely TO cross
4 bout j o'clock they noticed two men
come down to the creek and set a
drink a a point about six miles north
of Vancouver between what is known
as Tenny and Belts bridges. At the
time the men approached the creek the
watchers were not sure of their iden-
tity and halted until they again ap-
preached the road. The guards then
went down the road in the direction
Of the supposed cOnvicts and when
about thirty yards distant Biesecker
sent rifle shot i'm their direction. The
FIRE was promptly returned and six
shots were exchanged. four by Bic
seeker and Davis. and two by the con-
victs, none of which took effect so far
as known. Both parties then took to
cover and after waiting in their hid
ing place more than an hour the
guards moved up a quarter of a mile
where their horses were tied. They
again lay in wait another half hour in
the hope Of seeing the fugitives. but
nothing occurring, got in the buggy
and started toward town.
Fail in Attempt to Kill Guards.
They had gone but a short distance
when bang, bang, bang, went a rifle
from the brush near the roadside, and
the guards. now realizing they were
in clsOe and dangerous quarters, with
odds against them and in favor of their
foes, whipped and drove for their lives.
Five shots were sent after them, all of
which took effect, but fortunately
causing no serious result. The first
shot struck a horse and passed under
Biesecker's right arm. cutting a clean
hole through the side of his coat: one
struck a horse in the head causing
scalp wound: another grazed the
horses side. and the fifth cut through
the harness. The men reached town
about ? o'clock and reported to Sheriff
Marsh. George Goddard. a farmer liv-
ing in the vicinity Of the occurrence.
reported here this morning of having
heard firing three different times dur
ing the night He and a companion
with guns spent the night in the brush
near his house, expecting a visit from
the desperadoes.
Bloodhounds on Trail.
At o'clock this morning the deputy
warden arrived from Walla Walla with
bloodhounds. The dogs appeared to be
in excellent form, and Warden Carson
thinks with the aid of the cast-off
clothing Of the cOnvicts secured from
the house Of the old man, Teede, they
may be able TO pick up the trail at
the point where last nights skirmish
took place. Carson, with the dogs, left
here at o'clock with Sheriff Marsh,
Sheriff Cook of Clackamas county, De-
tectives Kerrigan, Day, Snow and sew
eral others from Portland. and forty
or fifty armed men, including Captain
Sparks and twenty volunteers from
Company @, n. g. w.
The cOnvicts have the advantage Of
being perfectly familiar with the COun-
try, Merrill having been raised here.
The country is also admiTa bly, adapted
to their purpose. being thickly covered
with brush and fallen logs. At the
same time. the roads and crossings
along the creek are so well guarded
that the officers regard the chances
excellent of capturing the desperadoes
within the next twelve hours.
a report was brought in by Police
man Bateman at ! o'clock that the
hounds when taken TO the scene of
last nights shooting ARRAY took up the
scent at once, but after following it
through the brush a short distance lost
it and had not been able to follow it
further up to the time Bateman left.
dIlOuS tepOIto " Hltu reached mere
from different sources during the fore
noon seem to indicate that the con-
victs have changed their course from
that which they appeared TO be trav-
cling last night and yesterday.
Fugitives Taking Back Track.
A telephone message was received by
Mayor Eastman about noon from
Fourth Plain saying young man re-
p0rted having seen the convicts carry
irla gins ON the rad near Nm Illni,,