The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1905-04-17
MUIR E /
MA 4 TT I GA ! ! lN| |
Sheriff Bailey Returns from
Scene Of Tradedy and
Gives Details.
FOUR MEN IN BARROOM AT
TINE OF SHOOTING.
Murderer Stood just Outside Win.
dow and Took Deliberate
Aim No Clues.

Sheriff Thos. Bailey returned
yesterday morning from Bau-
#dette, where he has been investi-
eating the circums stances sur
rounding the death Of Matt Gan
non, the Spooner character who
was shot down on the evening Of
April 8 while standing at the bar
of the Hotel Cathcart at Bau-
dette. Mr.. Bailey has made a
thorough investigation of the
affair but states that as yet moth.
ing definite in the way of clue
which would ultimately result in
the apprehension of the criminal
has developed. Following is an
interview given by Mr.. Bailey to
the Pioneer:
s'The murder of Cannon IS one
OF the most unfortunate as we'll
as foul crimes, in the history Of
northern Minnesota, and I, for
one, will use every effort in my
power to bring the murderer to
justice. There were three men
in the room besides Cannon at
the time the shooting took place.
Thos. Cathcart, proprietor of the.
hotel, and two other men, were
present. Cannon was standing
at the bar talking to Cathcart
and another man was standing at
his elbow, while the fourth man
was sitting down in an obscure
corner Of the room. The window
from which the shots were fred
is located about ten feet from
where Cannon was standing. An
other building is located just be.
hind the hotel about 20 feet dis
tant, and when the fatal shots
were fired the murderer stood
between the two buildings. The
shots were fired after deliberate
aim had been taken, evidently,
for an interval Of perhaps sec
ond occurred between each shot.
The first took effect in Gannon's
back, going nearly through him
and lodging in the muscles just
below the short ribs. The sec.
ond took effect in his knee, the
third went through his coat and
the bullet lodged in the bar wood.
work, while the fourth was fired
after he had fallen and the bullet
penetrated the footboard of the
glass cigar case at the end of the
bar. That the perpetrator of the
crime intended to ssget'' Cannon,
there is no doubt, for the last
shot was evidently fired at his
body after it had sank to the
floor.
cat the coroner's inquest, 81
witnesses were examined, but
not the slightest thing in the way
of evidence duplicating anyone
in the affair was developed. tits
true that Cannon was warned by
citizens Of Spooner to leave the
town, but at the inq uest it devel-
oped, according to the evidence,
that he had not been threatened
with death. One of the witnesses
even went so far as to testify that
that part of Gannon's dying
statement, in which he claimed
that Montague pulled a gun on
him, was false, and that Cannon
was the man who displayed the
firearms.
There will no doubt be some
criticism because did not arrest
the IS or 30 Spooner residents
who warned Cannon to leave
town, but if there is conspiracy
among these it will undoubtedly
come out, as the matter will be
probed to the bottom, and when
the secret is in so many hands it
is bound to leak out. My plan is
to get the man who did the kill.
ing and | expect to be successful
in this. There might have been
evidence enough to warrant the
arrest Of the Spooner men on
suspicion, but when it is taken
into consideration that the county
would be caused an expenditure
OF enormous proportions, it is
evident to fair minded people
that the best course to pursue is
to get at the bottom of the affair
first, and then make the arrests. :"