The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-09


complete and exclusive story in The
Tribune of Yesterday OF the attempt
of burglars to loot the Peckvile station
of the Delaware and Hudson railroad
early yesterday morning, which resulted
so disastrously to one of the gang.
John shannon, the wounded man.
man. who was captured, IL at
the Lackawanna hospital in
precarious condition and SO far
none of the others in the gang have
been caught, though it seems almost
certain that one or two of them were
wounded.
Shannon's wound is q dangerous one.
| A full charge of bird shot struck him
| Just beneath and to the left of the
left shoulder blade. penetrating at least
an inch and a half. The shot did not
scatter and carried piece of the cloth
! ing into the wound, like a wad. If
blood poisoning docs not follow, this
piece of cloth may be his salvation,
as it prevented the shot going deeper.
However, it is feared that some of
the fine PARTICLES of shot went through
into the lung cavity, perhaps penetrat-
| ing the left lung itself. The wounded
man has great difficulty in breathing
and says he feels like hiccoughing when
drawing q breath. The pieces of cloth
irg and fine shot were picked out of
the wound at the hospital yesterday
morning and his condition seemed to
grow better as the day advanced.
SHANNON's STORY.
Shannon's story to a Tribune report
er bore some marks Of truth, as II he
waVered between a full confession and
| a fear of the results of such an act He
stated that his home was in Shamokin,
| where he resided with a married sister
| This sisters name he refuses to tell
| saying: Il do not want her to know
until really have to go, if get worse"
| He made this statement apparently in
disregard of the fact that the name he
gave as his right one will be published
broadcast When his attention was
called to this he just looked Indifferent
ly at the reporter.
It was later discovered that her rame
is Mrs. John Brennan and that she re-
sides on Shamokin street.
Continuing, he said: Il am a tin
smith by trade and was out of work
at home. i left there to knock around
| about two weeks ago and got as far
as Waverly, n. Y. l came to this town
a few days ago and Put up at q lodging
house on Lackawanna avenue. Last
night (Tuesday night, Benninger, a
fellow i met here says: Let's take
o trip up towards Carbordale.'
He paid the fare and we went. We
got off at Peclville, getting there, l
guess, about 1880 or II o'clock. There
was no one around but two young fell
lows and we got talking to them. They
said they We're from Waverly, " Y,
but I did not know them" At this
point Shannon stopned to think it over,
though he had a ready answer for the
questions which brought out the story.
When asked what they went into the
station for when it was locked up, he
said simply 'to sleep"
PLACE SURROUNDED.
"Then the trouble followed" he went
on, for those other fellows started
to ransack the place and pretty soon
the place was surrounded. We all
made q dash for the outside and l got
shot"
"Who shot YOU" was asked.
1.-THE fellow with the gun and l was
only about twenty feet from Kim. The
other fellows scattered" he answered
what did you fellows shoot for?"
was the next query.
Il didn't shoot. Didn't have any
thing to shoot with l was trying to
get away from the shooting as fast as
/ could" he answered, quickly.
Shannon is about five feet, six or
seven inches tall, weighs about 155
pounds and is a we'll built young man.
He gives his age as twenty years. On
the back of his right wrist is a deep
scar about the size of a silver dollar,
as if burned into the flesh. On his left
forearm near the elbow is a shield
Snapped tattoo mark, in the center Of
which "In Memory of My Mother" On
the right forearm is tattooed
star. He is smooth shaven and
boyish looking, with an open
and not vicious appearing face,
lie has n peculiar cast in both eyes
and his hair is of that shade between
sandy and auburn, He says an un-
married sister Miss Margaret Shan
non, lives in Philadelphia on Spring
Garden street.
Benninger, his pal Of a few days, is
about four years older He is
heavier built fellow and rath-
dark looking. He wore a dark
suit and sweater and SLOUGH
hat. He told Shannon that he belong
ed to Sunbury. Shannon also SAID that
neither of them had ever been up this
way before and were never in Wilkes
Barre. at least he wasn't
, FOUND AN ACQUAINTANCE.