Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-02-09
OUTLAW WTRACY'SCAREER
MOST REMARKABLE MAN HUNT IN
THE ANNALS OF CRIME.

The death of outlaw Tracy by his
own hands ends perhaps the most re-
markable man hunt in the annals of
chase which lasted without cessation
for 5S days and extended over the
greater part of two states.
Since June last Tracy, hunted by
Indian trackers, bloodhounds, hun
dreds of authorized officers of the law,
the state troops of Washington, and
unnumbered volunteer bands of vigi-
lantes, with price on his head that
amounted to a fortune, travelled over
about fifteen hundred miles Of wild
country, and defied capture to the
last.
From the moment of his daring es-
cape from the Oregon state peniten-
tiary to his last stand in the swamps
of Lincoln county, near the eastern
border of Washington, he killed
six officers of the law, slew his
fellow fugitive, David Merrill, in
duel fought while men and hounds
were on his heels, wounded nearly
ties, and terrorized the people of two
states.
Living on the country he passed
through, Tracy rode down stolen
horses without number, robbed farm
ers of food, clothing, and money need
sed for his flight; crossed and re-
crossed rivers, hiding when he could
and fighting when too hard pressed.
Six times he shot his way through
pursuing parties which surrounded
him, and struggled on in his desperate
race against death for liberty.
The criminal exploits of Frank and
Jesse James, the Younger Bros, Muir
rell, and all the horde Of desperate
outlaws of the west pale beside the
determined daring and reckless cour-
age of the Oregon convict.
On the morning of June 8 Tracy,
then serving sentence of 20 years
Imprisonment for robbery and shoot
ing a sheriff's officer who had attempt
ed to arrest him, made his successful
dash for freedom from the Salem pris-
on, aided by his fellow-criminal, David
Merrill, who was serving a term of
13 years for completely in the robbery
of which Tracy was convicted.
That there was aid for the two des-
perate men from the outside is GER
tain, for on the morning of the day of
their escape, two repeating rifles were
left in the Jail corridors, where Tracy
and Merrill easily could reach them
as they marched with the other pris-
oners from their cells to their days
work.
Tracy believed all along that Mer-
rill, who first was arrested for the rob-
berries they both committed at Port
land in February 1899, had betrayed
him to the officers of the law, but new
ertheless he consented to plot with
Merrill to break prison, and their plans
We're carefully made.
AS they passed the guns left for
them each seized a weapon and made
a rush for the walls around the peni-
tentiary. The guards attempted to
stop them, and Tracy, dead shot,
killed Guard F. B. Farrell and wound
ed Frank Ingraham, life convict who
attempted to aid the guards.
Then, in the face of heavy fire
from other guards, Tracy and Merrill
raised ladder and escaped sover the
wall, stopping long enough to return
the fire directed at them, a third shot
from Tracy's rife killing Guard S. B.
T. Jones. Then the escaping des-
peradoes made a rush for the prison
outer gate, where they encountered
two other guards, whom they made
prisoners, meaning to keep them as
hostages should the other guards not
cease firing.
The latter, however, kept up the
hail Of bullets, and Tracy. who had
compelled his captives to walk before
him, shot dead B. F. Tiffany, while
Merrill fired at the second captive
who dropped, and, pretending to have
been hit, escaped. Then both escaped.
Twenty guards from the prison were
sent in pursuit, and from that begin.
ming grew the famous chase which
closed with so dramatic setting.
Eluding their pursuers, the two out
laws captured an involuntary host,
j. w. Stewart, whom they made ex-
change clothes with them, and also
pressed into service an expressman
whose attire they likewise appropriat-
ed.
Both Stewart and the expressman
were held captive until the next day,
when after having spent comfortable
night and been well fed, the fugitives
stole two horses from another Salem
resident and started for the north.
On the second day of the pursuit
bloodhounds were pressed into service
and the chase grew hot Within day
there was set on the heads of the fugi-
tive pair price of $4,000. Neither of
the bandits was heard of for some
days, till, at place called Gervals
they further altered their attire by
robbing man named Roberts of his
clothing.
A Gordon of several hundred men
Wera thrown around Cpryoic hut