Bad Man Harry Tracy - Washington State in 1902

[airedaleman]

Anyone ever read anything about Harry? According to a story in the premiere issue of "The American Gun" (Winter 1961, Volume I, Number One), Tracy used an 1894 Winchester in .30-30 and a .45 Colt SAA during a chase across Washington after shooting his way out of prison in Portland, Oregon. Killed eight men during this last rampage, and wound up shooting himself when finally surrounded. Pretty good story.

Hobie, do you have him on your list of .30-30 users?

[bogus bill]

I belive Richard Farnsworth starred in a movie named "The silver Fox", playing tracy. If I recall the first big colt Double Action Army in .45 colt was used.
Probley the reason I remember the movie is I owned a identical gun. Wait a minuet, maybe that was where he played bill miner in the movie, was very similar. I went to the work of posting this picture so will leave it up till we solve this.

[Otto]

There is a movie, made in 1982, starring Bruce Dern. I have never seen it, so I can't comment on its accuracy or entertainment value. It was on TV (Encore Westerns?) recently.

[OD*]

The Real Harry Tracy;

[JimT]

He was committed suicide not too far north of my Grandpa's ranch in eastern Washington. Get the book "HARRY TRACY: THE LAST DESPERADO" by Jim Dullenty.

He chronicles the life of this outlaw from his birth in Pittsville, Wisconsin - his real name was Harry Severns - to his death southest of Creston, WA on the Eddy Ranch. He includes lots of photos and plenty of footnotes and backup material.

[OD*]

There are two other good books on Tracy, Jim.

Manhunt: The Pursuit of Harry Tracy, by Bill Gulick and
The Life Of Harry Tracy (The Convict Outlaw) by F. D. Wismer.

[airedaleman]

The Real Harry Tracy;

That's him. I've seen the lower photograph, but I can't remember where. The American Gun article relates that Tracy shot himself in the left eye after missing one of his pursuers with the Winchester. (Note the 1894 rifle lying by the body.) Reputedly a crack shot with a rifle, Tracy apparently despaired of escaping after missing his intended target and killed himself. The article reports that It was later found that the front sight of his rifle was bent, the result of a fall he took during the chase.

[JimT]

Thanks OD .. I read the one by Guilick .. was the first I had read about him though I had heard stories from my Dad.

airedaleman - Tracy killed himself likely because he knew escape was impossible. He had been hit twice. One shot severed an artery in his leg. He had fashioned a tourniquet but was still bleeding heavily and would have bled out in a few more hours.

[marlinman93]

I belive Richard Farnsworth starred in a movie named "The silver Fox", playing tracy. If I recall the first big colt Double Action Army in .45 colt was used.
Probley the reason I remember the movie is I owned a identical gun. Wait a minuet, maybe that was where he played bill miner in the movie, was very similar. I went to the work of posting this picture so will leave it up till we solve this.

That would be "The Grey Fox", and it was not the Harry Tracy story.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085622/

[jd45]

Farnsworth used a Colt Bisley revolver in the Silver Fox, IIRC, not that '78 DA "fingerbuster". jd45