Evening journal., 1913-10-04

Startling revelations regarding lhe
Wilmington police department devel-
oped last night from the testimony
given at the inquest in the case Of
Homer G. Virgins. the young bandit
who ended his life i'm a bed room of
the boarding house at the southeast
corner of Fourth and Shipley streets,
last Sunday night after an hours J.
hattie with an army of policemen, The 4
Inquest was held In the office Of /
Coroner John Il. Spring. No verdict I
was returned and the jury will meet /
az the call of the coroner. As an out
come OF the inquest an investigator OF
the Virgins shooting in all probabil
lity will be made by tho Police Com
lmssioncrs Such an investigation, II
made, may be sweeping.
Her head bowed low with the
weight of the recent tragedy and
dressed i'm the deepest mourning. Mrs
LILLIAN McDermott mother OF Homer
\ Cleveland Virgins. the murderer
lwho killed himself on Sunday night,
when besieged by policemen; Harry
Virgins. brother of the dead young
/, man: Joseph Taylor. and George Colt
were arraigned In City Court TINS
morning charged with receiving stolen
goods. The stolen property they
were accused OF receiving was the
money Il is alleged that Virgins stole
from the Wilmington and Philadel-
lphia Traction Company earn barn
land threw over the back fence OF his
mothers home. Mrs McDermott
seemed to be dazed. and when ar
raigned she breathod a deep sigh and
seemed 10 resign herself TO any tate
that could befall her. Aaron Finger,
lhcr attorney. asked that her case be
lcontinued until next Wednesday, and
lJudsc Churchman granted his re-
, luucst Tho mother of the dead out
law did not even change her expires
lsion and with her head bowed low
walked from the court room.
Harry Virgins. brother OF Homer
r Joseph Taylor and George Colt an
nounced through their attorney Rober
lG. Harman. that they were ready 20
trial. Assistant City Solicitor Lyn
announced that he had been unahi
10 secure any evidence that they ha
ANYTHING 10 Do With the receiving
;fhc money aud Judge Churchma
iordered them discharged from GU
= tody.
l. some Points Brought Out.
Chief OF Police George Black. on
or the principal witnesses In the cas'
created n stir in the little back roor
, lof the coroner's Office in which th
y Wiggins inquest was held last night
= when he admitted, In reply TO ques
& tions put 10 him by the foreman o
the Jury, that ne had been ignored b,
lhis subordinates when they begai
10 close I'm on the young outlaw be
ginning on the Saturday prior TO th'
r Battle of Baxter's Corner. The chief
l. IN reply 10 the questions, stated tha
be had followed Virgins from the
l. night OF the carbarn robbery, follow
G ing up every clue that was afforded
him. working day and night 10 cap
n ture the young fugitiyeand also hat
i. given strict orders at the police sta
ton 10 be notified Immediately whel
r any new development occurred In thu
g case Yet. when several of the polio
x officials learned that a stranger hat
been stopping at the Fourth and Ship
, ley streets house and an investigates
of the room revealed that the suit
o case OF the stranger contained sew
o eral wigs the chief said he was ker
O. In complete ignorance of any develop
u ment whatever. and had no idea hi
Ie men were closing in on the suspeC
c until Sunday at midnight. when
m was informed of the trouble goin
= on at Fourth and Shipley streets
r. Another queer feature of the cas-
5. was that even on Sunday night whe
10 the trouble began Chief Black wa
- not Immediately notified from polio
headquarters. but received his II
formation in a roundabout mann,
some time after the trouble had bl
- gun. After that ne was NOTED fro
the police station. In his Statement
last night the chief declared that Il
{ tragedy would have been avertcd Ia
s he been informed of the presence
the stranger at the lodging house,
he had a photograph of Wiggins
his possession, which was an exec
lent likeness of the young OUTLAY
and he would have Immediately take
this to Miss Lucy Healing. who not
hed the police station of ti
strangers presence, and after h,
Identification Of the photograph
would have laid plans to capture III
young man without unnecessaT
shooting such as did occur. Thi
there would have been no trouble
having the young woman identify Oh
( photograph was shown by the chief
statement that he had shown her th
photograph after the affair had OF
CURED and she told him that sh
would have recognized It immediate
lilly. as il looked exactly like the youn
man when he came to the house,
having worn no disguise.
Another astounding feature that
veIoped at the hearing was the ia
that Virgins was given no show for
life. The policemen did not dema
him TO surrender but endeavored ii
mediately TO kill him. This fact W
brought out by George Carter, forem
of the Jury. who asked every officer W
testified if he had requested the trapr
outlaw TO surrender. or had heard an
one else do so. The answer in eve
case was an ldmittance that no 81
request had been made, although Ch
Black testified that it was customs
whenever they went after a suspect
demand him TO surrender. Capt
Evans. however. in his statement s
that he never asked man 10 surr
der until he had his hands on him.
any rate the evidence showed that
demand had been made upon the yor
I. a.