Gillis cleaned up with 21 points, the nearest competitor winning 9 points. The Toronto Daily Star of August 18, page 13, had a three-column montage of Gillis in action. Another athlete and competitor in Jack's career was Martin Sheridan, who came from County Mayo to the United States in 1897, became a New York policeman, won nine Olympic medals and won three U.S all-round competitions, forerunners of the decathlon. In the first all-round between Gillis and Sheridan, Gillis won four events and Sheridan won six. In their second all-round, certified by Thomas Flanagan of the M.A.A.U, Sheridan won only two and Gillis won eight. Health issues On September 17, 1910, Jack Gillis suddenly resigned his position as first-class constable with a salary of $1,200. He was feeling vaguely unwell, losing weight, and was frequently tired. Announcing the all-round championship The Daily World of August 5, 1911, sports page, mentioned "Vancouver's star athlete" and added, "Jack had intended to train early for this year's championship but later abandoned the intention." He went to work for Customs but had no longer the energy to go out socially. Gradually he grew worse: coughing, low fever, cold sweat at night, poor appetite, wasted appearance. On December 9, 1911 Dr, Kennedy admitted him to the sanitarium at Tranquille, near Kamloops. Recognition The Sydney Record of July 5, front page, remembered that he had walked across the continent. The Sydney Daily Post of the same date, page 5, remarked, "He was looked on as the most likely aspirant for the honors so long held by Martin Sheridan, but the disease which ultimately brought about his death fastened upon him and cut short his athletic career." The Daily News-Advertiser of Vancouver July 7, 1913 on its sports page carried the headline "Jack Gillis Passes Away in Nova Scotia" and the sub-head "Former Vancouver Athlete Succumbs to Tuberculosis After Long Illness—Won Many Trophies on Athletic Field". The Inland Sentinel of Kamloops July 5, 1913 had a long item about him on its front page: British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame John Gillis was inducted in the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame in May, 2006, as a great pioneer athlete. References 1884 births 1913 deaths Canadian decathletes Canadian male long-distance runners 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in Canada