The Osceola times., 1882-03-25
WICKED PATTY CANNON.
A Gang OF Outlaws. Led by Female
who Made Things Lively Some sixty
Years Ago.


Years Ago.
Cincinnati Enquirer.
At the close of the war with England
! in 1914, the violent spirits engaged in
priyateering fiom the Chesapeake
where most of the fast sailing privateers
were built, ON this very eastern shore
returned and found the most congenial
employment to be negro stealing.
/ Georgia and Carolina traders or dealers
were regularly visi ing this region, and
among the low families they found to be
4 tempted into the trade oi kidnapping
/ from Delaware was old Patty Cannon
and her connections, the johnson fam
lily.
! This woman was thick-set, large
breasted powerful necked athlete
of woman, with black hair and
daik eyes. She was beautiful in youth,
and had a beautiful daughter by her
husband, who was plain farmer named
James Cannon, tempted to marry into
her low condition by her beauty. lie
soon died perhaps harassed to death or
pst out of the way-and she consorted
with the negro Traders, and set the ex-
ample of raiding this free negroes of Del
I dNdlt, DuttiDE Ol lbhiO dtkiiNi iiNsihS 100
horse astraddie and leading her young
kin folks and familiars on midnight en-
terprises, They made the roads OF Del.
aware terrible to any black man, and
even white people were afraid to go out.
Patty taught her boys not to fear to shed
blood, aud as this band had their imita-
tors, the entire boundary line OF Della
ware became dark and bloody ground,
its low forests and marshy spots abound
ing with man stealers, who went about
like the dog catchers of these days with
cords and nooses, to run down, tie, and
/ take away blacks of all conditions. Any
unscrupulous Delawarian who had ne
groes which would be his only for term
/ of years. made arrangements with these
gangs to steal them and divide the pro
ceeds. Frolicking or disspated appren-
4 lices and white men were encouraged to
| decoy away neyroes, or to steal their
own or their neighbors' property, and to
transfer the prey to Patty Cannon and
( her gang.
The gang soon found a more rapid
way to make money than even negro
/ stealing; this was by numbering the
negro traders who came with large sums
! Vi ulOIt1 W tlit hCiShbplliopi w buN
I kidnapped blacks. 1t is believed that
Patty Cannon was the instigator OF this
system OF murder the extent OF which
will never be fully known. The first one
! happened in 1874, and will be presently
described. At that time Patty Cannon
was perhaps forty years of age. Two
other southern traders disappeared
aboct her premises, and one of these,
whom she killed single-handed in 1920,
was so far from his friends in the cotton
States that his name could never be put
in the indictment, though he died in a
town of 400 people, riding in dead or
dying, as they had shot him on the way.
One day negro trader with an ap-
pearance of being loaded with plentiful
money, came to Patty Cannon's we'll
known resort to buy kidnapped negroes.
lie was q stranger, driving a vehicle in
which was supposed TO be his money,
and he said he wanted a large drove of
negroes, and was ready to pay for them
well. At the time the gang had no hu-
man chattels, but the idea of numbering
this man without further trouble, un-
known as he was in that isolated region,
/ far from his home in Georgia, or Ala.
| bama,or louisiana, Immediately occurred
TO old Patty, and they used many argu-
ments to have him stay over night. He
suspected them for some reason, and re-
solved to drive to the town of Laurel,
about eight miles distant and put up
there for the night. He had to go by
Cannons ferry to cross the Nanticoke
river.
As soon as he started old Patty Can.
non and two brothers named Griffin,
and her son in-law Brewington, with
probably the Johnsons galloped for a
place called Slabtown, a mile above Can
mons ferry, and crossed the river in a
skiif, and reached a point in the road to
Laurel town in advance of the trader,
and hastily obstIucted the road with
brush, or sapliugs, 50 as to force him to a
halt. Patty Cannon was in mans dis
guise and the spirit of assassination, and
urging her son in-aw to the deed and
driving the Griilins on. Others say she
only instigated Brewington, and he alone
knew of her completely. AS the man
came to tae felled brush the gang arose
from conccalment and shot him fatally
and also wounded his horse. As the an.
imal lesped wildly with pain, the man
fell forward, but, with swooning faculties
drew his pistol, and with dying eyes
presented it, while the horse rushed over
the barrier and, running wildly, carried
the stranger into Laurel town.
Run scatter he is not dead" cried
one OF the gang, said to be Brewington
still young in blooG.
The dying man dealer lived till next
day, and his horse, it is said, also died
htat tho hlhn1 nf rhttA chad N
that unlawful business, did finally cry
for vengeance, and the murder was
tracked to the two Grlfiins and 10 Brew
ington and to other masculine parties
unknown. Brewington was Patty Can
mons first son in-law, and that matronly
relation probably saved Patty from ex'
posuie. John Griffin, the more guilty oI
the two brothers, swore the murder
upon his brother Jesse and Brewington
Brewington is said to have related or
the gallows that his first act of crime
was while blacksmiths son, to observe
stranger who ente ed the smiths shop
and dropped piece o! money, ano
Brewington, then boy. Immediately
put his foot on il. When the mar
passed out, the boys father clapped hi,
hand on his shoulder and exclaimed
Smart boy !" John Griffin, who turned
states evidence, confessed when he him
self hanged at Princess Anne, Maryland
some time later for another crime, tina
he had been more prominent in the
Ridgeway murder than Jesse, who, dyinl
at Georgetown, Delaware, said to tn,
spectators: II am innocent of thi'
crime, but | recon | have done enough
other bad things 10 stretch hemp" II,
was proceeding to say further, vheI
Brewington, perhaps TO shield his moth
| ar In law interrt ted him to nxclaim