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Rufus Cannon

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Rufus Cannon

Birth
Arkansas, USA
Death
25 Oct 1950 (aged 103)
Jackson County, Missouri, USA
Burial
Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source

Resident of Jackson County Home

Missouri Death Certificate can be found at:
http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates/advanced.asp

Rufus Cannon was an African American deputy United States marshal in the Oklahoma Territory. Born in Arkansas, Cannon also had Cherokee Indian ancestry. He worked out of the U.S. District Court at Fort Smith, Arkansas, and the federal court in Guthrie, O.T. He captured the Creek Indian desperado Captain Willie in October, 1892, one of his first notable arrests. Willie had killed Deputy U.S. Marshal George Thornton and several other men during his criminal career. In a gunfight with the Henry Starr gang in January, 1893, Cannon wounded and captured train robber Jesse Jackson. In July, 1895, brothers Bob and Bill Christian broke out of the Oklahoma City jail and, in the course of the jail break, murdered Oklahoma City Chief of Police Milt Jones. After the jail break, Deputy Cannon arrested William Christian, father of the Christian boys, and his accomplice Bill Carr, for complicity in the jailbreak. The most famous incident in which Cannon was involved was the killing of notorious O.T. outlaw Bill Doolin. In August, 1896, Deputy U.S. Marshal Heck Thomas assembled a posse to capture Doolin. Thomas recruited Rufus Cannon to be a member of the posse. In late August, the posse caught up with and killed Doolin near Lawson, O.T. One local newspaper stated that Cannon fired the fatal shot, but later retracted the story and gave the credit to Thomas. Thomas was said to have shared the reward money with Cannon. Unlike many of his contemporaries, who died violent deaths in the line of duty, Cannon lived to a ripe old age of 103.

Bio Information / FAG Member #46523227


Resident of Jackson County Home

Missouri Death Certificate can be found at:
http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates/advanced.asp

Rufus Cannon was an African American deputy United States marshal in the Oklahoma Territory. Born in Arkansas, Cannon also had Cherokee Indian ancestry. He worked out of the U.S. District Court at Fort Smith, Arkansas, and the federal court in Guthrie, O.T. He captured the Creek Indian desperado Captain Willie in October, 1892, one of his first notable arrests. Willie had killed Deputy U.S. Marshal George Thornton and several other men during his criminal career. In a gunfight with the Henry Starr gang in January, 1893, Cannon wounded and captured train robber Jesse Jackson. In July, 1895, brothers Bob and Bill Christian broke out of the Oklahoma City jail and, in the course of the jail break, murdered Oklahoma City Chief of Police Milt Jones. After the jail break, Deputy Cannon arrested William Christian, father of the Christian boys, and his accomplice Bill Carr, for complicity in the jailbreak. The most famous incident in which Cannon was involved was the killing of notorious O.T. outlaw Bill Doolin. In August, 1896, Deputy U.S. Marshal Heck Thomas assembled a posse to capture Doolin. Thomas recruited Rufus Cannon to be a member of the posse. In late August, the posse caught up with and killed Doolin near Lawson, O.T. One local newspaper stated that Cannon fired the fatal shot, but later retracted the story and gave the credit to Thomas. Thomas was said to have shared the reward money with Cannon. Unlike many of his contemporaries, who died violent deaths in the line of duty, Cannon lived to a ripe old age of 103.

Bio Information / FAG Member #46523227


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  • Created by: paerwin
  • Added: Mar 2, 2014
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/125811138/rufus-cannon: accessed ), memorial page for Rufus Cannon (22 Jan 1847–25 Oct 1950), Find a Grave Memorial ID 125811138, citing Highland Cemetery, Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri, USA; Maintained by paerwin (contributor 46993770).