Harry Tracy: The Bloody Oregon Prison Break | Ep. 4

<p>For nearly three years, Harry Tracy and David Merrill lived behind the walls of the Oregon State Penitentiary, where they worked in the foundry, studied the prison’s routines, and quietly prepared for the moment when they would make their escape.On the morning of June 9, 1902, the two convicts uncovered a pair of Winchester rifles hidden inside the prison and put their plan into motion. Within minutes, gunfire erupted across the grounds. Three guards were killed, another prisoner was seriously wounded, and Tracy and Merrill fought their way beyond the walls carrying rifles, ammunition, and little intention of ever being taken alive.As Salem sounded the alarm, posses spread across the surrounding countryside and the search quickly grew into one of the largest manhunts Oregon had ever seen. Yet the fugitives remained ahead of their pursuers, moving through farms and timber before forcing three men to carry them across the Columbia River and into Washington.Episode 4 follows Tracy and Merrill through their years inside the penitentiary, the mystery surrounding the weapons smuggled into the prison, the violent breakout, and the opening stages of the pursuit that would soon capture the attention of the entire Pacific Northwest.This is Episode 4 of the complete Harry Tracy Deep Dive.#HarryTracy #DavidMerrill #OregonStatePenitentiary #PrisonBreak #OregonHistory #WashingtonHistory #WildWest #OldWest #OutlawHistory #WesternHistory #TrueCrimeHistory #WildWestDeepDives</p>