On July 6, 1902, escaped convict Harry Tracy (1877-1902) returns to King County with John Anderson, a hired hand kidnapped on Bainbridge Island the night before. Tracy requires Anderson to row a boat across Puget Sound, and also to carry Tracy's stolen provisions. Over the next two days, they make their way towards Renton, where Tracy meets up with men he appears to know. Tracy has escaped from the Oregon State Penitentiary one month earlier, and has made his way to King County without being captured.
Back Across the Sound
Tracy left Bainbridge Island aboard a boat stolen from the Johnson family. The Johnson's hired hand, the kidnapped John Anderson, rowed the boat.
Before leaving the island, Tracy made Anderson row to the spot where a hijacked fishing boat had dropped him off the night before. The escaped convict entered the brush and returned with two oars and a set of better oarlocks, most likely stolen from the fishing boat.
They set off in darkness towards Seattle. Tracy manned the rudder, while Anderson rowed. As they approached Elliott Bay, the lights of the city were visible on the water. Tracy hoped to find the mouth of the Duwamish River, but low tide made it almost inaccessible, so they landed the boat at West Seattle instead.
A Slow Day
Entering the brush, Tracy hid some of their bundles and continued inland. Deep inside the woods, he tied up Anderson, and told him to get some sleep. Tracy went off and slept also. After noon, Tracy returned to cook up a meal.
After starting a small campfire, Tracy made coffee, then fried some bacon. He took Anderson's hat, crushed in the top to make a bowl, mixed bread batter in the hat, then fried the batter in the bacon grease. They spent the rest of the day in the brush, watching out for people who walked by on the beach.
After dark, they returned to the boat and continued to look for the mouth of the river. After a few failed attempts, Tracy became frustrated and abandoned the boat. Walking inland, they found railroad tracks and began following them south. Tracy told Anderson that he wished to get to the Black River, near Renton.
Is That Tracy?
In the morning, they came upon a tank, and retrieved some water with which to make breakfast. Again they slept, with Tracy taking precautions by tying up Anderson. They woke in mid-afternoon and continued their march.
Just before arriving in Renton, they came upon four men whom Tracy appeared to know. Tracy greeted one of the men by name, but Anderson was kept back, not privy to their conversation. The group of men followed the tracks into town.
By this time, Tracy's picture had been seen for the past week in all the local papers. When people passed them by, some were heard to whisper, "Is that Tracy?" Oddly enough, the comments were directed at Anderson, a strong, strapping man who bore some resemblance. Tracy was amused by this.
The Search Continues
Just outside of town, Tracy tied up Anderson once again and left to spend the night elsewhere, presumably with his acquaintances. Anderson thought it might be the last he would see of Tracy, but the next morning Tracy returned, and once again made breakfast. They followed the railroad tracks back out of town, to a home they had passed the day before.
Meanwhile, hundreds of possemen had been searching all points along Puget Sound and Hood Canal, and had come up empty. Tracy's trail had run dry, and most of the Sheriff's men had returned to Seattle, hoping to hear some word of Tracy's whereabouts. That they did, on July 8, 1902.
