The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-09-16
MOST NOTORIOUS BURGLAR
''SNAKES" WILSON HAS HAD 4
WONDERFUL CAREER.
Octogenarian Burglar, Followed by
Detectives, Is Now Trying to
Locate Buried Treasure.

FolloWed by several detectives
Snakes Wilson, the most notorious
octogenarian burglar in the country,
is now travelling the hills and valleys
of Lawrence county, PENNSYLVANIA.
trying to recall and locate the spot
where he seven years ago secreted
jewels and diamonds to the amount
of $4,000. Snakes" who is SO
years of age, and who was released
from Riverside (Pa) penitentiary
only last week, has forgotten the
spot and is travelling over his old
stamping ground in hope that
through sight he may recall the To-
cation where he cached the loot be-
fore ne was last arrested and before
his mind failed. He says he cannot
now recollect to whom the Jewels
ana money belonged but thinking
they should be his now if he finds
them again has promised to divide
Ilberally with any one who guides
him to the spot.
The real name of 'Sankes" is
James Anderson. His alias was John
Wilson. Almost 60 of his 50 years
OF life have been spent behind prison
walls.
Inc old man now lettering over
the hills in search of his lost or mis-
laid treasure is considered to have
been the most daring and most sue
ceSstul house burglar in the history
OF the country, as well as one of the
most dangerous, for Snakes" always
began shooting as soon as addressed
by any one who looked like an Off
Ger. In his time he has shot II
ofhcers, but likely killed no one.
His record of robbing 80 dwellings
IN three nights, cleaning them all
out completely and rounding out the
excitement by dropping a town 20
llceman and a township constable
IN running gun fight when they
tried to capture him, stands perhans
as the record for a burglar of rs
years, yet this is what Snakes" Will
son ala seven years ago in New Cas-
tie, Pa. Part of the loot from these
80 houses is what Wilson buried
and the location of the treasure spot
is what has escaped his memory now.
Wilson had just finished a 49,
year term at Riverside penitentiarv
his sixth term-and he was hur-
r1ed back to begin another term of
ten years. He would have been
given 20 years but for his age, the
Judge and jury evidently thinking
mat the murderous old burglar of
70 years, who had already spent half
his life behind bars, would not sur
vive long sentence. This time
Snakes" was given three years off
Tor good behavior-rather the pris-
on officers let him go because they
could stand him no longer.
1t is a matter of prison record
that Wilson spent 81 days and nights
in succession in the dungeon during
TINS term, and this is said to be
the record for any prisoner in any
prison, yet at the end of this long
siege the old rascal of 80 years came
out of the hole" still full of fight
and within 72 hours had made three
more attempts to burn down the
penitentiary
In dismissing Wilson Warden
Johnston said: Now, Snakes
good-by, and for PHYS sake don't
come back here again. If you must
burglarize go into some other state
and let some other penitentiary take
care of you. You've got this prison
dlppy. Snakes" grinned and took
the money which the warden gave
him because he said he was going
more than SO miles from Pittsburg
and was entitled to car fare. He de-
clared he would go at once to Law
renee county and try to locate the
money and jewels which he had hid
den and make a dicker with his vic
Tins; then with the money he would
go to New York and spend the rest
of his days honestly.
I want to give the Great White
way play, anyway, before | die"
SAID Snakes" as he started to hunt
up Detective Ted Johnston. with
whom he had a thrilling gun play on
the streets of Allegheny 20 years
ago.
Wilson at that time was known
as the best dressed burglar in the
world" He always wore a high silk
nat, with his revolver ever ready
hanging from holster under his
Prince Albert coat. One night John
ston saw a fashionably dressed man
passing along a crowded street with
what seemed dinner pail in his
mana. The dinner pail and high hat
ala not seem to agree and Johnston
shouted at the man, who turned, and
as he did he shifted the dinner pail
to his left hand and his right came
up with gun. 1t was a pretty gun
play for the time, the man of fash
ion and dinner pail being winged.
The bucket was found to contain one
OF the finest kits of burglar tools
ever seen by the Pittsburg police.
Five residences had been robbed and
for this Snakes" got 13 years.
How to Get Strong.