Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-06-17
LOCAL AFFAIRS.


Fatal Shooting.
A YOUNG LADY ALMOST INsTANTLY KILLED ny A
BULLET FROM THE PISTOL OF poLIcR orFIc-
RR.
About ton o'clock, on Thursday, sad and "a
tal accident occurred in Church street By which
. young lady WAS suddenly ushered into tho
presence Of her Maker The circumstances are
these:
On Friday night last, an effort was made by
policeman Sculley to arrest disorierly person.
when he was interfered with by Albert WingAte
who threatened to shoot him. Wingate's arrest
was orderod but until this morning II seems
that no enort was made to take him
into custody because, a. we under
stand, he was in hiding. His whereabouts
and some others went down in the neighborc-
hood Of Church street, about 10 O'Clock, this
morning. 10 make the arrest, when Wingate
nndng the officers were close upon him fled.
Sargent O'Nsill gave chase, and as he followed
- he ran along Church street, and the other as
he turned into the yard Of Hillea 4 Jones, n 9th
and Church, neither Of which took effect upon
the object q which they were directed.
At this time young lady named Salllie
Doyle the daughter Of widow who resides at
8S7 Church Street, Was emptying ashes in an
area back Of tho yard Of their residence.
Neither Of the shots, 1t seems, were fired in the
precise direction In which Miss Doyle Was
standing, but she fell immediately after the re-
port OF the pistol, with 4 bullet hole
In her head. The missile had entered the head,
back Of the ear, and passsd entirely through.
Death resulted In abort time. Ono Of the
shots. 1t 10 supposed, glanced aud struck the
lady, but which one is not known.
INVESTIGATION BY THE coRoNER-rHE JURY FIND
THAT DEATH WAS CAusKD ny SERGEANT o'NKrLL's
BuLLkr, nut ExoNEaArE HIN FROM ANY cRInr-
NAL INTENT.
Coroner Groves, Thursday afternoon, inquired
into the manner Of the death Of Miss Salle Doyle,
whowas found mortally wounded in an area back
Of her residence, s37 Church street, during the
The Jury assembled at O'Clock and
proceeded with the investigation At the resi-
dence Of the deceased. The facts in tho case
were more fully brought out in the testimony Of
the Witnesses, which is hero subjoined:
The first witness called was Frank Stewart,
who testified that while standing at Taylor and
Bennett streets. he saw Sergeant O'Neill pureu-
ing Wingate also saw the officer fire his pistol
when the SHOT was fred O'Nsill and Wingate
we're both on Church street. above Epworth
Chapel.
Mrs. Annie Doyle, mother OF the deceased,
testified that she left her daughter standing near
the back gate, sweeping out the yard she went
to the store. and ON her return, few minutes
ASgoIb Hor ukUSutcT lying OT ueT DICK,
inst outside the gate she carried the girl into
the house, where slie died ih 3 few minutes.
Il. II. Cook testified that while sitting Oh a
fence, on Eleventh street, near Church, he saw
Sergeant O'Nelll pursuing Wingate Wingate
was north Of the chapel, aud was running across
to the est side OF tho street when the officer
first fired at him witness thought this shot
would not reach the girl, ~ it would be likely to
strike the chapel fence
Miss Fannie Hickman testified to looking out
of her window and seeing sale Doyle lying on
the ground. She thought the girl was in a fit,
and alarmed the neighbors.
VIM. X. Galloway testified to seeing the Off
cora in pursuit Of WingAte and to seeing the
Sergeant shoot; he thought the place where tho
girl was shot was in line with the officer s:pisto at
the time he fired the first shot; he must have
been 150 or $50 yards away from her at tho time.
Geo. II. Holmes testified to assisting to carry
the girl into the house after she WAS shot; she
was not then dead, but expired in few minutes.
Lewis Mason testified to seeing the pursuit
and the shooting.
saml J. Bradford testified to witnessing tho
shooting; O'Neill was on the east side Of Church
street north OF tho chapel when he first fired,
eRa hs df:saH Psse %Sas IL ,fs tfs s4 h stoSd
The jury hero adjourned, and examined the
spot from which tile officer fired tho first shot.
They found it to be on the east side Of Church
street, near Eleventh, and from 225 to $50 yards
from the spot where tho girl WAS killed. 1t ::is
victim, ~ in its course it passed houses, trees
and fences, and must have closely grazed some
Of these intervening objects, but not, however,
with sufficient force to divert it from its direct
course.
Upon reassembling, two other witnesses were
examined, but their testimony was not Of impor
lance. The testimony Of Drs. Wales and Grim
shaw, who examined tho body OF the deceased,
WAS then received, as follows
"We examined the body OF Sallie Doyle and
r,t,L WI In tko haa k,r/, ataa
behind the lower part OF the right ear. The
wound Was circular and admitted the tip OF the
little finger. The skin around the wound wss
tumified. We took OF tho skull cap, and took
out the brain. Followed up the wound, from
(the table Of tho skulD broken up to the ex-
tent OF several inches. Traced the
wound in the brain, and while doing
so bullet and piece Of bone fell out. (The
bullet and the bone were then produced and ex-
was directly horizontal, tearing through the
lower brain, called the cerebellum, carrying with
it two pieces Of bone, and lodging exactly in the
centre Of the brain Immediately above the me-
dulla oblongata.. In our opinion death was in.
Tho Jury then adjourned until o'clock p.
NJ, to tie Delaware House, At which time and
place. they again assembled.
John O'Byne, ESQ, appeared for Sergeant
O'Neill, and Deputy Attorney General Hodgson
some members Of the jury they withdrew.
Officers Bernhardt, Legg and Sculley were
examined, and testified TO the circumstances Of
the pursuit Of Wingate, and to his general bad
character.
The Jury then deliberated, AND after a long
discussion, agreed upon. by vote Of II to 2,
the following verdict
''That the shooting and death OF Miss Ssllio
Doyle was oocaaoned by the shot fired from the
pistol Of Sergeant O'Neili. in attempting to ar
rest notorious character by the name Of Albert
Wingate and while we do denounce the use Of
6re arms in the arrest Of any but criminals OF
great crime, we exonerste the said Sergeant
O'Neill from any intention Of the death OF the
person above named"