Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-05-31
A daring Outlaw.


Few criminals nave passed a more
adventurous life than John Cannon,
alias Davis, who was shot by Detective
Gray several nights ago in Philadelphia
IN attempting to escape, after being ar
rested on the charge Of robbing hotel
rooms at Harrisburg. His real name is
Nc tither Cannon nor Dauis, but he Is 4
Cana lian by birth and man of great
dari and remarkable resources. His
line of operations has always been the
robbery Of hotel rooms. ii was heard
of before the outbreak of the war. when
the Mississippi steamers, which were
patronized by wealthy planters going to
and returning from New Orleans, and
the high toned gamblers who ieeced
them alike became victims for the agile
''room- worker" Cannon, Dave Cum
mings and Billy Forester are SAID to
have begun their life of crime on the
floating palaces of the Mississippi, and
each at times had narrow escapes from
the vengeance of the plundered gam
blers. Cannon was the object of at least
one daring rescue from prison. He had
been operating III the South and had
been arrested at Mobile. Alabama, for a
heavy hotel robbery. The Sheriff and
isilor occupied quorters at the prison
A resolute party of Cannon's confeder-
ates visited the jail, and by the argu-
ment of the revolver compelled the
Sheriff and iailor to iiberate Cannon.
He was afterwards in prison at Rich
mond. Virginia, and then went south
ward again in company with George
Dubois, alas Henry Burton, who was
afterward captured here, four Years ago,
while breaking into a silk store on
South Eleventh street. on a Sunday.
They committed neavy robbery of a
Jewelry salesman at the Planters Hotel
IL st. Louis In 1872, and after another
heavy Job at New Orleans, Cannon be
coming hard pushed by the detectives.
fled to the West, where he became asso-
clated with a band of the most des-
perate train wreckers who harassed the
travelling community. Having amassed
a large fortune he retired from train
robbing and settled at st. Catharine's,
Canada, as a grain merchant, Specu-
lation devoured his ill-gotten wealth,
but he saw an opportunity to recuperate
and came to Philadelphia during the
Centennial. Tillle Miller, alias Mrs.
Robert Howland, a notorious New York
thief, obtained the trunks of lady who
was staying a. the same hotel where
Cannon had his family, and tins circum-
stance and his inexplicable identItica-
ton by a gentleman whom he visited
alarmed him lest he might De suspect
ed of having a hand IN Mrs. Miller 5
work, and he shook the dust OF Phua-
delphia precipitately from his feet, find
ing the sands of Cape May tar more
agreeable footing. A few more years of
criminal adventure andsCannons career
had three years blank introduced into
it, when he went to Trenton for Jew
elry robbery at Newark. After his tenn
expired he returned 20 Philadelphia with
his family and established himself on
South Eighth street as a dealer IN
watches, thin disguise as the detec-
tlves now believe for fence" or a
place for receiving stolen goods. III
partnership with a man who had been
driven from Chicago and Pittsburg by
the authorities because he was one OF
the most notorious receivers of plunder
from the more successful class Of thieves
who rob hotels and iewelry houses, The
expedition from which Cannon was re-
returning when he was oyertaken by the
detectives indicates possibly the deriva,
ton Of much of the plunder which pas
sed over the counter. Billy Forester,
who is fully as desperate and ready q
villain as exists, was an accomplice oi
Cannon in many of his South western
exploits.