The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-04

SEEKS TO CONVICT
slayer Of IRWIN
Prosecution to Leave No Stone
unturned in Efforts Against
Accused.
WORK GAMBLING THEORY
Deceased Made Statements Dur
ink Delirium Indicating He
.-And Coles Had Been Gaming.
WORK GAMBLING THEORY

~alsd Coles Had Been Gaming.
Especial to The Richmond virginian.)
DANv1ILE. VA. April 4.--An au-
1Opgy hes been made on the body Of
Ivan l. Irwin, the Manchester man.
March Is At Coles' place at Fall
Creek. on the suburbs Of city, and
who died It the General Hospital 1T
~ A. -. March IL from the effect Of
wounds received at Coles hands. The
autopsy was ordered by Common
Nea1thss Attorney Thomas Hamiin.
though the law makes no provision
Tor the payment Of the expenses there
q end Il was made by DR.. James
8. Irwin, the leading surgeon OF this
city. assisted by others.
Neither the surgeon conducting the
exantnation nor the Commemorative
Attorney VIII discuss the matter in
advance Of tho trial and the testi-
mouy to be given In court by DR..
Irwin. The autopsy was thorough and
VIZ d0stgned especially to ascertain
TN cAuaA Of death daanltsly and e.
peOialiy to trace the course Of the
bullet which entered the left temple.
ana which was generally regarded a.
having caused the fatal termination.
while no one officially connected
with the case will talk. Ii In reliably
underStood that the bullet. which en-
tered the left temple at an angle Of
~ degrees. took q horizontal course
until It encountered q bone, which
aplit the bullet into two pieces and
dedocted these fragments into differ
1nt directions. One Of them was de-
6ee4sd upward and into the brain.
while the other took a downward and
inward course and lodged tn the
mouth or against one OF tho teeth.
Tho relative positions OF the two men
q the time have not yet been clearly
developed.
This bullet in the temple was fol-
bowed and traced infinitely. the sur
geon expressing confidence that It
caused death or was sufficient alone
10 have caused II. The bullet, which
entered the shoulder about two inches
from the junction OF the neck with
the trunk. was traced sufficiently to
develop that its course was DOWN
ward and that II probably lodged In
the body. some distance from the point
OF entrance. 1t was not deemed nee
eeeary TO mutilate the body further,
~ would have been necemttated had
the c0urSe OF this bullet been follow
ID and Il extracted.
Charged with Murder.
The report current In Richmond
th4t Coles was arrested and lodged
J IN al and released on $4,000 bail
immedlatefy after the shooting Is err
yonoou& He was arrested at his own
instance or on information telephoned
by him to police headquarters, he max
tn no reststAnce or effort to escape.
Mtttsd charged felonious assault,
which was all that then could have
been alleged. It n distinctly not true
that this In the charge now against
him. As soon AZ Irwin died. the war
rant was changed % one for murder.
The only surviving eyewitness to
the fatal encounter OF the two men
y Coles. who tells . plausible story
o& eeif-defenBe. He alleges that tr-
win was advancing upon him and try
1ng 10 strike him with q water bot
sla Of about one Qnart capacity when
~ hred. The room showed signs of
desperate struggle. The testimony
has not been fully gone into, further
: oxamInation being waived and the
coea certified to tbs grand Jury. A.
eofuneTa inquest WAS not deemed nec-
sssary. there being no mystery a. to
Tho identity OF the victim or OF the
player. nor as to the weapon with
which the wounds were indicted. Fur
thermore. this city has not among its
otictAls coroner; whenever any mys-
teRious death occurs . justice Of the
peace acts In that capacity.
Commonwealth's Attorney Hamiin
waa busy In court ut the time OF the
shooting. and II was not anticipated
that Irwin would die until the night
OF the fatality. On the day before
reports from the hospital indicated
that he was conscious. or partially
UonsCioua. and IL was thought that he
had chance of recovery.
DeltFium Gives Clue.
II n reported that In his semi
cpencious condition or In delirium,
Irwin used language which indicated
that the two men might have been
Engaged In game Of some kind In
which Irwin was insisting upon his
rights and square deal. but this In
merely hearsay Possibly members Of
Irwtnss family know a. much about
M statements In delirium or partial
&onscs Ousness ~ any one else. v not
moro.
Irwin conducted . store at the Fall
Creek suburb. and II b said by the
police that he ran q gaming joint up
stairs over the store. As to whether
Z ~ sold liquor or not. no evidence has
bean adduced.