Show FUGITIVE TRACY HAD BAD RECORD AS BOY FIFTEEN YEARS AGO IN IOWA Able to o Pick Almost Any Kind of Lock and Palice Police Police Po- Po lice Had Trouble Keeping Keep Keep- i ing Him Confined ALDrA ALBIA la Ta Aur Aug 2 When Harry Tracy the thc d desperado who ha has terror terrorized bed the State of or Washington was only only- a boy he established his hs reputation asa as asa a n dangerous criminal In county Iowa Iora Late In the thc fall of or 1881 a fine road team belongIng to R. R O. O Cramer I of ot t this ls cH city was stolen from a stable in the thc heart of or the tho city The theft occurred oc oc- oc- oc at 0 9 o'clock in the evening e and was so 0 bold that thaI persons who sa saw sa samen men drive away from horn Cramers Cramer barn with his blooded bl team supposed that U the e ehor hor verc ere being taken away with Ith the permission of the owner In J Jail U for Theft At After spending ing dollarS dol- dol larS lara ln In recovering his team Mr II Cramer Milt Forest of ot this city con connected i t d Tra raey y with the crime and found him In jail JaU at W Wymore Neb Extradition papers were er secured and ands s Tt Tracy w was brought r ug t ba back lc k to for lor fori i trial Hut toe he ok rk of or the thc officers rs had onI only begun The prisoner n. n r was locked in tho co county Jail only a few hours when gual guards Cf a that he had all air the locks lodes between himself dom lom and was about to make his escape Guarded d by Two Men lf i to trust th the man In a a. cell cen Sheriff SherIN Forest ordered that ho he be ta taken taken ta- ta ken to 1 the tho Cr Cramer mer hotel and kept in a n. room under th the constant watch of or guards George and Frank H Harris two or of the Sheriffs Sheriff's deputies were selected as the mans guards Trac Tracy warned them them that they had undertaken a n. big Job and they exercised great care in making the prisoners prisoner's escape ble hIe Ills HIs clothing was was all alt taken fr from m him and he hc hevOS was given g wearing apparel which was known to be free from froni an any sort Q of w alons or r tools T The e room was cleared of all furniture that was not absolutely necessary for the use uso of ot tho the prisoner and his guards Slip Slipped d Handcuffs 1 Frank Harris Harrin agreed reed that he would be handcuffed with the prisoner and would sleep with him thus making escape impossible The door leading into the third story room in in which the man was imprisoned oried was securely locked and George e Harris stood guard Juard in the hall hail outside In the middle of the first night the prisoner was kept In the hotel hotel ho ho- tel t. t Frank Harris a awoke woke and discovered that Trac Tracy had sprung the handcuff from his wrist and was standing standing- at atthe atthe atthe the door which he had unlocked without with with- out the aid of oC an any tool A afterward rd found Cound on the tho floor was waa supposed sup sup- supposed posed to be the the- means of ot picking the locks Skill With With Locks l On other other- occasions Tracy sprung handcuffs and shackles while walking walking walk walk- ing with his guards His great skill 1 at manipulating manipulating- locks baffled all guards I 1 and finally Sheriff Sherif Forest was com com- t to send the man to the State Stater r f 1 p penitentiary at Fort 1 Madison la f t where he was kept until time tin for his appearance In court During his trial a small army Irm of men watched him con- con A woman who gave save her name as Minnie Allen was arrested in connection connection con con- connection with theft of Cramers Cramer's horses and it was shown that she Joined Trac Tracy Tra Tra- c cy and his partner somewhere in MIs MIs- and traveled with them to St. St Joseph Mo She at the same time Trac Tracy was wae was but was not con- con Model Prisoner Tracy was convicted and sentenced to seven years In the Fort Madison penitentiary Ho lIo made the boast that he would escape from the on the wa way to the prison but a a. lar large e guard ard made his escape Impossible and finally landed him behind the bars where he herem rem remained five years He lIe was wan a a. model prisoner and his sentence was commuted commuted com com- muted on account of his goo beha beha- vior lor He lie was employed In the blacksmithing blacksmithing black- black department during his and proved to be a a. skillful workman |