Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-06-24
BANDIT KILLS
SELF v Hen
SURROUNDED
Shooting Takes Place on
Dredge at Fox Ferry
Opposite Here
HOLDS UP WOMAN
Mrs. Shannon of Fort toote, Mary
land. Knocks Weapon From Hands
of Bandit.

Washington. D. c., June 24.-The
body of a man, said to be that OF
the bandit who robbed the box OIL
flee of the Elite Theater, Washing
ton. and then commandeered the
antomobile operated by DR.. Frank
w Ballou, superintendent OF DIS
trict Schools, to make a successful
escape. last Sunday, lies in the Dis
trict morgue, dead, from a self
inflicted bullet wound. He shot
himself when a posse from Fort
Foote. Md, was about to capture
him for an attempted hold-up last
night.
A card of membership in the
Sherwood Club, bearing the name,
an. Miller" led to the Identification
of the suicide. Malcolm Miller, ~
years old, 1926 Twelfth street north
west, formerly employed at down
town hotel.
The body was identified at the
morgue last night by DR.. Ballou
his forced chauffeur; Lieut.. Comdr
Cobey. U. S. N, and NJ. l.. Wright,
the latter two being among those
who made futile attempt to cap
ture the bandit.
The body was also identified BY
M. ID. Price. 1924 Thirteenth street
northwest. one of the men who APP
rroaehed the Elite box office as the
thief dashed through the theatre.
Frustrated in his attempt to hold
10 a woman at Fort Foote. Md,
last night. Miller. chased by a
group on the tOwnsmen, ran seven
miles to Fox Ferry, just across
from Alexandria, and there, with
his capture imminent, boarded a
dredge and ended his life.
Dramatically holding members OF
the dredge crew at bay he shouted,
as his pursuers appeared at the
crest of q nearby hill. IF any OF
those people want me, tell them
they can have me, but never alive.
A report followed and the man
hunt ended,
The captain of the dredge came
10 Alexandria and phoned the
Washington authorities, the case
being in their jurisdiction.
With his cap drawn close over his
ewes, Miller entered the grocery
j store conducted by George II. Shan
non. Fort Foote, Md, confronting
j Mrs. Shannon with revolver and
! demanding that she "hand over all
1 of the money in the cash register.
Frightened to the point of des-
i peration, Mrs. Shannon struck
4 wildly in the direction of the bandit,
4 striking the threatening revolver
d. and knocking it to the floor. As
4 her husband, who had been in the
81 rear of the house. rushed into the
NJ storeroom, attracted by his wife
4 screams, the frustrated bandit
81 picked up the revolver and ran into
3 the street.
An alarm was bounded and Con
stable Giles L. Cox, Deputy James
Grimes and more than dozen resi-
s. dents of the town took up the chase
with the bandit a quarter of a mile
o in the lead.
Over the country road leading
- Through OxOn Hill to Fox Ferry
4 the pursued and purSuers raced
some endeavoring to head off the
"lone wolf" by racing over a con
X0eCtluR lodu III All dutOitVpAiS'
Racing TO A. T. Cortney, in charge
= of small ferry then az dock Al
Fox Ferry. Miller pleaded with hin
to carry him to the Virginia side
of the Potomac River, but the ferry
man, sensing trouble, refused MS
.Ifrantic Overtures.
Then the bandit ran along the
8river front, his every action be
speaking frenzy. jumped uD the
- gangplank Of the dredge. deapitC
shouts of members of the crew.
Around the deck ne raced, as
though searching for 4 small boat
IL which to make his escape across
the river, finding none and will
the members of the crew approach
ing from all sides, as we'll as the
purSuerS appearing at the crest o.
the hill. Miller drew the rc<olve
with which he threater1d Mrs
Shannon and, with the muzzL
against his temple, pulled the trig
ger.
DetectiyS Sergeant Fred Corn
we'll Sf the Washington police de
partment, dispatched q police boa
trSGm the Harbor precinct To thu
Scene of the suicide and ordered IN,
body removed to the Distric
morgue. Coroner J. Ramsay Newt
has been notified.