Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-27
MRS. WHEELER STILL NUN
Wife of Murdered Fireman Yields No
Information Under Police Pump.
INQUEST IS EQUALLY IMPROBABLE
All Parties Thought to BE Concerned
Either Old in Crime or Criminal
Associations and Cannot
He Reached Es silly.

The efforts Of the police during the last
twenty-four hours have failed to bring out
anything new in the Wheeler murder case,
but there has been no elimination in ac-
tivity and at any moment the whole story
OF the crime may be laid bare. The ferret
ing out of this mystery is made doubly
hard for the police because of the charac-
ter Of the people who are believed to know
something about it. Frank f. Wheeler, it
is positively believed. served as the dupe
of a low criminal class through his own
wife. and his unsuspecting conhding nature
made him easy prey. When he married
Mrs. Jonas Reynolds he Immediately was
thrown among former convicts and lawless
men who almost made Il headquarters of
his own house. These fellows have been
In the hands of the police before. They
are hardened, experienced law breakers.
who are not to be led into a betrayal of
tho killing of Wheeler by any ordinary
method employed by the authorities in this
or any other city to induce unwilling lips
to tell what they might The undertaking
is delicate one and may at any moment
be undonc by some ill-spoSen word
question. The greatest hope lies in Mrs.
Wheeler. who, with the negro, James Diggs,
is still in Jail Women will break sooner
than mon, but in this instance the police
have person who is as acquainted with
crime and difficult to work upon as a
woman can be-
Mes. wheeler Sti1 Mum.
Mrs. Wheeler was again taken before
Captain Dunn yesterday morning for a
short time. but at the termination of the
interview matters were about as before.
Again at o'clock last night the woman
was Id from the matron's department into
her original declaration of utter ignorance
as to the death of hor husband. She showed
unmstskablc signs of breaking after the
interview with Captains Mostyn and Dunn
Saturday afternoon and evening. and it is
believed II she has withheld anything
which might throw light on the identity
of her husbands murderer it will not he
long before tho truth will force its way
out
The time has net been considered ripe
for tho close examination of Digs. Evil
depcc 90 n more discriminating character
than now possessed must be secured before
any ssIon can he Iradc on this man.
His has been ii'c Gf Grime and disregard
for moral ~ civu law, and oven direct evil
dencc may fail to bring the slightest ad-
mission c-onl him
When netting Chief Mosiyn and Captain
Dunn we're asked last evening regarding
the alleged confession or Mrs Wheeler
and her Implication of Dlggs both those
police officials stoutly denied that she had
made any to them. Then Captain Dunn
asked Mrs Wheeler what she had told
the reporter who had seen her in the morn
ing and she replied by saving the reporter
told her Digs had confessed and asked
her what she thought of 1t, to which ques-
thought he must have been the man il he
had confessed Up to early last evening
Diggs had not only not made any con-
fession TO any one, but had not even been
through what is known the sweating
process"
.tn COrOncr's Inquest.
Coroner Bradley held an inquest yester-
day afternoon. The inquest was neither
lengthy nor sensational Tho jury re-
turned n verdict that Wheeler came to his
death from blows struck by person or
by persons unknown t. the jury, which
recommended that the parties now in
custody OF the police a.id being held on
suspicion of having been implicated in the
crime he held for furth,r investigation.
Only a few witnesses were introduced at
the inquest. DR.. Mack told of the result
OI inc autopsy ana ltttCtlNt DTulnny
answered number OF questions asked by
the jurors who were DESTROYS of learning
something Of the records of Mrs. Wheeler
and James Diggs. Detective Drummy's
replies were in line with what has been
published.
George Deal of 622 South Thirteenth
street. where Wheeler lived from February
to October of last year. told OF overhear-
ing numerous conversations and quarrels
between the woman and the man who was
killed. Deal said Mrs. Wheeler called there
nearly every pay day to Wheeler, sh,
then being Mrs. Reynolds, Deal overheard
conversations regarding .hc woman saving
money for Wheeler.
Neither Mrs. Wheeler nor Diggs wer,
present at the inquest
Tho body OF Wheeler was prepared To b,
taken to the old family home at Greenleaf
Kan. and left on the i;lO O'Clock Missouri
Pacific train in charge Of TIE two brothers
who came here for that purpose. The wifi
expressed regret at being unable to b,
present at tho funeral. nor did she seem I,
mind that the arrangements would be il
other hands than hers. Frank r. Wheele
has passed out OF her life as though h.
had never been her husband and apparent,
with as little thought.
senator French Is Acquitted.