Evening star., 1922-06-24
TRAPPED BANDIT
TAKES own LIFE
Man Who Escaped Arrest
Here by Impressing Aid Of
School Superintendent.

SOlSOVt 0uHCI IIlCltuClIls
Surrounded by a posse of Maryland
farmers, who had chased him for sew
eral miles after he attempted to rob
Mrs George H. Shannon. wife of the
proprietor of general merchandise
store at Fort Foote. Prince Georges
county. Malcolm Miller. twenty-eight
years old. of Washington. commit
ted suicide yesterday afternoon by
firing -,3s-caltber bullet into his
brain. Miller was positively identified
the bandit who robbed the Elite
Iheater last Sunday afternoon and
at the point of a gun made DR.. Frank
w. Ballou, superintendent of schools,
aid him in making his escape In the
school officials automobile.
IL Trailed to Fox Ferry.
Soon after Miller was frustrated in
his attempt to rob the store, a posse
was organized and trailed him to Fox
Va. on the Maryland side of the Po
tomac rivor Here he boarded a sand
dredger in charge of Capt. George
Courtney and ordered that he be
taken across the river without delay.
Before getting underway. the posse
ing his escape impossible. the bandit
fired the bullet into his brain and
died almost instantly.
Miller's body was later removed to
the District morgue. where it was
identified by DR.. Ballou and three
others.
Womnn's Pluck Saves Cash.
Mrs. Shannon, a small woman,
Weighing not more than 100 pounds.
llnn sR, -
bandit entered, and it was due to
her pluck that the proceeds of the
days sales, about 5000, remained in
tact after the bandit was routed.
Passing by the barn in rear of the
store, where he made a casual In
vestigation evidently to learn if any
men were about, the young man, we'll
dressed, appeared at the Store.
His appearance. Mrs. Shannon
thought, Indicated he was a travelling
salesman. Following an inquiry
about canned goods, the caller asked
Mrs. Shannon If she could change
$40 bill for him, although it devel-
in his pocket.
Yes" was the response Of Mrs.
Shannon, Il can change $50 bill all
right
Suddenly the visitor grabbed the
little woman by the arm, pointed
an alarm. adding that four men were
outside waiting for him.
knocks Pistol From His Hand.
You must be crazy" said the lit
tie woman, not the least bit alarmed.
quickly knocking the pistol from his
hand and calling Mrs. Dora Mcdonald.
housekeeper, to her assistance.
Miller. fearing capture. picked up
his revolver and fed, Mrs. Shannon.
P1l1 y cH TO-
tanec down the road and seeing the
direction he took through a clump of
bushes. Mr.. Shannon soon appeared
and got busy on the telephone. He
said he was unable to get assistance
from a deputy sheriff, the latter say
ing he would come for the man II he
were captured. Then Mr.. Shannon got
in touch with Detective Frederick NJ
Cornwell. in charge OF the detective
force. who gave him assistance.
Pursued across several farms to the
river front, Miller appeared at the
ferry. He was much excited, it is
said. and the ferrymar told him he
could not make the trip to Alexan-
dria until $50 o'clock, the scheduled
time for starting.
For Gods sake, take me across"
was the plea of the hunted man. who
followed his plea with request that
his pursuers not be told of his where
abouts.
Said He Owned a Still.
Questioned as to what he had done
that he should be pursued, Miller told
the ferryman he was blamed for hav
ing a still In the woods. Coming
over the hill to the east of the ferry,
the ferryman saw the posse. Miller
also saw the men and realized there
was no chance to escape unless he
could reach the Virginia side of the
river. He was on a point of land that
was guarded on all sides by the posse.
AS last resort he crossed the
gangplank to the dredge, asked that
he be permitted to hide aboard the
weapon on himself. Sergt. c. NJ.
Mundie of the harbor precinct and
Lieut.. NJ. r. Ready Of the eleventh
precinct went to the ferry and con-
Quoted an investigation.
When the body reached the morgue
the police found the name of the dead
man initiated on his clothing, and in
a coat pocket they found a card
showing him to have been a member
Of the Sherwood Club, the home of the
organization being not far from Fort
Foote. in Prince Georges county.
Mrs. shannon Ranked Heroine.
Last night and this morning neigh
bors of the Shannons Showered Mrs.
Shannon with congratulations be-
cause Of the plucky fight she made in
the successful attempt to Illustrate
the armed mans efforts to get her
husbands cash.
Miller, it is stated, has relatives In
Charles county, Md. He formerly was
employed at local hotel, where his
wife is employed as telephone op-
orator. Yesterday morning he tele-
phoned his wife to meet him in
Franklin Park, but failed to keep the
engagement, and only recently he re-
turned a key to former landlady and
said he was going to Cincinnati.
The dredge was anchored in Dis
trict waters, necessitating an investi-
cation by Coroner hewitt, who gave
a certificate of suicide. Today the
body was turned over to a local un-
dertaker.
MnncE ApnIINn ulc MErK