Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-12-25
NO. 1G5
IS HE OUR JACK?
JOHN COyNHRS UNDER ARREST IN CINCINNATI
FOR BURGLARY,
Over 5000 Being Secured By Safs-Blowsrs-Toty
Vance Says he Saw Connsrs Tuesday
Night-His Career.

A telegram from Cincinnati, yester-
day, said that John Conners had been
arrested there on suspicion Of being one
OF the men concerned in the Safe-blow-
ing job OF last Saturday night, which
netted the robbers s., 900 in government
bonds, besides other plundcr. and had
been identified by Mr.. Buxham, one Of
the victims, as man who entered his
office during Friday, on the pretense OF
fixing the steam heaters. in order 10
gain information Of the location and
character OF the safe. etc.
The local authorities here have sus-
picion that this John Conners is none
other than Jack Connors, OF tough repu-
tation, who has been in more trouble"
in this vicinity and throughout the Mid
die States than most other men OF Grim
lnal tendencies, aud who Is wanted"
In half-a-dozen cities and towns for
about every serious crime imaginable.
from plain robbery to murder.
Conners has fve-year sentence In
the penitentiary staring him In the face
In this county. he being under conyic-
tion and sentence for burglarizing the
residence OF Mr.. VI. Simpson in 1851.
when last seen here. After he had been
sentenced, and while he was in Jail
under 4 stay of proceedings, obtained
by his counsel, ConnorS, In company with
Frank Stanley, man named Brown.
and one or two others. escaped from
the jail, February ~, lss2. aud
were never recapturcd. Conners was
several times heard Of after his depart
ure from Wheeling, abouta year ago he
being concerned In the killing of p0-
lice officer at 81. Louis. In which scrim-
mage he was himself wounded. lie got
out Of the trouble somehow. with his
customary luck, and little later WA
heard of In Pennsylvania. where be had
something TO do with the burglary Of q
Jewelry store and the shooting Of the
proprletor's wife. About four years ago
Conners was operating extensively la
this part Of the country. In connection
with John Mooney and others. hut the
gang was too slick 10 be- caught nap
ping.
In the Cincinnati ease. COnncrs en-
tered a big business house, directly op-
posite the government building. last
Friday afternoon, invaded several pri-
yate offices, on the preteNt Of examining
the steam heaters. while confederate
worked the fake OF pretending TO sell
gas burners, and the two were thus en-
abed to make complete survey OF the
premises, locate the safes, etc. That
night they returned, blew two or three
safes, and got of with their booty n
safety, although the scene of the opera
tons was in the most public quarter of
the city, with people passing all dur
ing the night, and police station not
far of.
That full fledged character Toby
Vance arrived in town last night. and
said Jack Conners was Ia his shanty.
near Washington, Pa. Tuesday night.
sleeping there all night II that is true.
the ConnerS arrested In Cincinnati must
be another man, but there Is just a
possibility that Vance is mistaken. on
that he is not telling the truth. II Is
known that Conners' chosen field of
operations is Western Pennsylvania.
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, a. far as ST
Louis, he having drfted back and
forth acrosSs the territory several times
since he broke jail here.