The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1913-12-29
BOY ROBBER MAY
!. Be WOMAN BANDIT
AND JAIL BREAKER
Tramps Who Robbed Negro Near
Mounds Answer Description
Of Couple. t.
HOUNDS TRAIL PAIR TO YARDS
AT MOUNDS AND LOSE SCENT
Suspected of Blowing Up 0lmsted
Postoffice and Holding Up
Brewery Employees.

Is woman operating in this
vicinity as desperate road agent
and robbcr? This is the mystery
which the officers of Alexander and
Pulaski counties are trying to
solve.
A man and boy" Chrismast eve
went TO the home of John Virgins.
an aged negro farmer two and a
half miles west of Mounds. and beg
ged for shelter The man and his
wife felt sorry for the pair and Of
fered them such accommodations as
they could afford. 80 they were
taken in and remained until Satui-
day. They then left the house aud
went in the direction OF Beech
Ridge.
About 5;45 o'clock Saturday
evening the man and hoy" kicked
in the hack door of the negro's cot
tage and with leyeled revolyers de-
manded his money. When he rernon-
strated with them, they shot at him
four times, none of the bullets TAX
ing effect. and began to beat him
with their revolvers and with
club. They told his wife to hike
out before we kill You and she ran
out of the door and down the road
toward Mounds. One OF the robbers
shot at her as she fed and she be-
lieyed her husband had been MUIR
dered.
Says Husband is Killed.
From Mounds she telcphoned 10
Sheriff Charles E. Wehrenberg at
Mound that Virgins had been shot
and killed by two tramps and was
lying dead at the rear Of the house.
Sheriff Wehrenberg called for the
Alexander county blood hounds and
they were taken to the scene BY
Deputy Sheriff Ralph Childress.
=" Wv iHVahtiuic elHt EDDueFS 0au
severely beaten Virgins. breaking
his arm and infiicting many bruises
IN his head and body. They took
s52 in money which the negro had
saved by hard labor and frugal iiv.
ing, and started in the direction of
Mounds on the railroad track, leav-
ing Virgins wounded and bleeding
and unable to follow them.
The dogs arrived about midnight
and readily picked up the trail. but
went in the direction OF Beech
Ridge, There it was learned that
the couple had been seen there but
had left early in the evening, and
It was realized that the dogs had
taken the back track. Returning TO
the house they again were given the
scent aud ran along the railroad
track in the direction OF Mounds.
As they were leaving the house
discarded jumper was found and
This gave the dogs stronger scent.
As the sheriff and deputy proceed
ID down the track they noticed the
logs were trailing tracks in the
;now apparently made by q man
and woman The smaller footprint
was of the size of number 3 shoe.
BY this time II was showing fast
ind the tracks were being rapidly
covered, but the dogs kept on the
cent until they reached the yards
It Mounds, when it was lost.
Couple Had Been There.
inquiry among the switchmcn in
he yards at Mounds brought ont
he fact that the two had been seen
here several hours before. A mum.
yer of trains had passed in the in.
erin and as they could not be
ound In the yards. it was believed
hey boarded one of the trains.
were placed throughout
he yards but up to the present
ime no one has been captured.
About two months ago man
In1 woman broke out of the Jail a.
4itchiield, Ill. They were charged
With many robberies. the woman in
'ach case having heen disguised as
! boy The woman reached through
he bars OF her cell and secured a
iroom handle With which she rakei
n the keys Of the lailer and re-
eased herself and her companion.
Four hundred dollares reward has
been offered for the pair and the
police here have their descriptions