The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-07-08
whose lives would have been imperil-
ed had the sheriff opened fire with his

eu Hdu lie SueTllL opened IRE Will HIS
rifle.
At 8 o'clock this evening a delivery
boy went to Fremont from this city
to deliver some groceries at the home
at Mrs. Van Horn, which is q two
story house situated on the Richmond
beach road. He was met at the door
by Mrs. Van Horn, who cautioned him
to keep quiet. She Historically whis-
pered in his a the startling informa-
ton that Tracy was at that moment
eating his dinner in a room adjoining
the kitchen. The boy tore from the
premises post haste, and mounting his
box started his horse on the dead run
for Fremont. He stopped on the main
thoroughfare and disseminated the in
formation which he received.
Sheriff Cudihee had secured a bug
gy AIT Bothel and driven towards the
city, knowing that Tracy was headed
in this direction. The news of the
desperado's proximity to Fremont
struck terror into the hearts of by
ISLANDERS, but a few resolute men
quickly resolved to make a desperate
attempt to- surround the Van Horn
home.
Patrolman Breeze, Neil Rawley, a
coal miner, and J. I. knight, a local
insurance man, quickly armed them
selves and headed toward the spot.
Sheriff Cudihee, without the loss Of
a moments time, also repaired to the
place, and in the gathering gloom the
men distributed themselves around
their unsuspecting quarry. Cudihee
Horn home, and the three other vol
unteer guards took up positions in a
semicircu1ar fashion on the opposite
side of the road.
Neither had to wait long, for hardly
had the men secreted themselves than
Tracy, walking midway between an
aged rancher who he had held up at
the point of his gun and forced to
drive him towards Fremont, and an
other man, who mysteriously disap-
peared after the shooting, left the
house from the front door. What fol-
lowed is best told in the words of Mr..
knight, who participated in the thrill
ing encounter which Immediately fol
lowed.
Kills One, Wounds Another.
"We got the boy to direct us to the
houses said he, H"and stationed our
selves as described. We readily To-
Gated the spot by the fact that the
team was hitched in plain view of
the road and directly in front of the
gate. l was hiding within six feet of
the team. Tracy and two men came
out, the desperate walking between
the two. They approached the
horses from the side opposite where
l was concealed and passed within six
feet of where I was crouching. It
had grown dark, SO that it was only
a matter of conjecture as to the exact
position occupied by the three men.
Breeze arose and called out Drop that
gun, Tracy Just as the middle man
passed around where l lay concealed.
No sooner had the words left his lips
than two shots rang out in quick sue
cession and by the flash of the last
nnn T G q ny prnn0n r0a1 orI Foil Tn Tho
ground. l did not know at
that time that one of the
bullets had also found a target
in Rawler, who I could see by the
flash had stood within a few feet of
Breeze. l am certain that Breeze also
fired before he fell to the ground. Here
| arose from my place of concealment
and fired two shots at the %retreatirg
Sheriff Helpless to Act.
1t appears that Sheriff Cudihee saw
Tracy and his companions from the
moment they left the house until the
duel between Breeze and Tracy oc-
CURED. lie was helpless to act, how
ever, for the desperate was constant
" moving and kept in a position
where to have opened fire from Cudi-
hee's position would have placed the
Of two innocent men in immi-
nent peril. AS Breeze fell to the
ground Cudihee jumped a fence be-
hind which he had been stationed and
two shots in quick succession
at Tracy, who was fleeing with all
speed for, the brush alongside the
road. Sheriff Cudihee vas unable to
state positively whether either Of his
shots went home, but he is strongly
inclined to the belief that the last one
entered Tracy's body.
As soon as the first skirmish was
over and the body OF the dead police