The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-21
HOW TRACY LEFT
A TRAIL OF DEAD

Night Of whitney's famous prototyp, p
Harry Tracy. who killed himself afte
leaving a trail of dead and wounded pun
suers:
After serving numerous short SEN
Tracy was captured in March. 1895
with several members OF the famous
Robbers Roost gang, then operat-
ing In Colorado. He escaped, was re-
Aspen. Colo. jail This time he made
good his getaway and joined Dave
Merrill, his former partner in crime.
In December 1898, the pair returned
10 Portland Ore. where they COM
mitted a series OF depredatons.
Merrill was arrested on February S,
1899 and after a stubborn resistance
Tracy was captured on the following
day month later both men were
sentenced TO long terms in the Salem
rison. On the morning of June 0.
having waited for nearly three months
TO carry out a desperate plan Of es-
cape, the two prisoners, each armed.
made break for liberty. They killed
or fatally wounded all the guards In
sight. FIVE In number. also a life prls-
oner who attempted to aid the guards.
They scaled the prison wall with a
ladder and disappeared in nearby
growth OF timber.
Bloodhounds on Trail,
Possess of peace officers and citi-
Zens were at once organized and re-
wards offered for the convicts, dead
or alive. Tracy and Merrill made
their first appearance after their es-
cape the following morning, in Salem.
They held up man. took his clothes,
stole two horses and headed north
ward. Subsequently they turned up
al a small town twenty miles north
OF Salem. held UP two deputy sheriffs
and took their clothes. Learning that
a posse and bloodhounds were close
on their trail, they doubled on their
tracks. breaking through a Gordon OF
militia and deputy sherlffs between
Salem and Gervais.
They next appeared at farm house
near Monitor, on June l3 when they
and cooking utensils. On June Is
they stole a team from a rancher near
Oregon City and ate forced dinner
on the following day at a farm house
on the Columbia river. On June IT
they again came from under cover
about four miles from Vancouver,
where they held up another rancher
and took his clothes.
Lost for Two Weeks.
For two weeks little was heard of
the bandits. On July . Tracy made
his presence known In a small res
taurant at South Bay near Seattle.
by commanding the occupants of the
place to line up against the wall. with
their hands up. He then made known
his identity and ordered something TO
eat. The owner Of gasoline launch
was one of the "wall flowers" and
when Tracy had satisfied his appe-
tite he compelled all the occupants
OF the place to accompany him to the
river; then he ordered them TO get
In the launch and stepped aboard
himself. At Meadows Point, near
Seattle, he ordered one of the group
to bind the others. He then COM
PEELED his unwilling accomplice to ac-
company him to a place called Bal
lard, six miles from Seattle Here
Tracy told his prisoner to proceed
along an isolated path and say moth
ing.
Tracy related to his group OF pris-
oners how he became suspicious OF
his pal Merrill and how he had come =,
out victor In A duel, leaving Merrill
dead or dying in his path.
Tracys marvellous luck and cum
nIng remained with him and, as usual.
he escaped unharmed on the follow
ing day (July 81. after having had a
fierce battle with posse near Bothell
He fired only five shots, killing a
deputy sheriff and wounding several
others. Later In the day he met an
old man, made him prisoner, seized
his team and drove up to a residence
near Woodland Park, Seattle He
ordered the lady OF the house to cook
a meal for him.
While she was doing this the
butcher boy called. unnoticed by
Tracy. and was told of Tracys pres
ence A small posse was immediate
ly armed. the members OF which Sc