The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1913-05-23
ALLEGED SLAYER
PUTS UP STRUGGLE
CHRIS VIRGINS OF TRIUMPH,
MIMI, CHARGED WITH
KILLING JOHN STEEN.
HARD HAND TO HAND FIGHT.
Entire Efforts of Three Officers Re,
CURED to OverpoWer and Hand
cuff Their Pris-
oner

Fairmont.-Chris Virgens, a farmer
living about one mile from Triumph,
was arrested early Saturday by Sher-
iff Carver of Martin county, and De-
tective John C. Lawler of st. Paul,
assisted by Court Reporter w. l..
Nicholas, for the murder of John
Steen, after desperate hand to hand
battle with the three officers, whose
entire efforts were required to over
power and handcuff their prisoner. He
was driven twenty miles across coun-
try and is now lodged in the county
Jail, charged with murder in the first
degree.
Arraigned on Monday.
Virgens was arraigned at 10 a. M,
Monday, before Justice of the Peace
w. c. Gamble. County Attorney ]. C.
Dean is prosecuting the case Sun
day posse of $50 men searched Vir-
gems farm for evidence sought by
the officers.
The body of Steen, whose farm was
but one-half mile distant from Vir-
gems farm, was found lying in the
hoghouses Thursday, May 8, with a
bullet wound in the head.
Feeling against Virgens is said to
have run high at Triumph, where it
is reported threats of lynching were
made. 1t is generally believed here
that if Virgens had not been taken
into custody when he was, there would
have been a pitched battle between
him and a mob. Sheriff Carver and
Deputy Sheriff John Ebden, although
fearing no demonstration against Vir-
gems here are nevertheless taking the
utmost precautions to guard their
prisoner. No one is permitted to visit
him in his CELL
X-Ray Used on Body.
Stems body was taken to Mankato
last Saturday and an x-ray examina-
ton made, the bullet being located
and extracted. 1t was a 32-caliber,
steel-jacketed missile, evidently fired
from some high-power weapon. This
was the first tangible clue the officers
had to work with.
During the last few days the Off
GERS learned that Virgens, a few
weeks ago, had purchased from mail
order house a 32-calibe automatic
pistol, together with a large supply
of steel-jacketeG bullets of the same
caliber. Acting upon this evidence,
together with other information they
had CLEANED, Sheriff Carver, Detective
LaWler and Court Reporter Nicholas
drove to Triumph early today to ar
rest Virgens.
The officers discovered Virgens in
the barn. He was unarmed. AS soon
as he saw them he leaped at them
and hand-to-hand conflict followed.
The officers drew their revolvers, but
Virgens did not cease his struggles
even after Detective Lawler thrust his
revolver under his very nose. The
three men finally conquered and sue
ceeded in slipping handouts on their
prisoners wrists.
Convicted Twice Before.
Virgens has been convicted twice
of assault in the second degree, and
each time Steen was a witness against
him. This is said to have aroused
Virgens' hatred of Steen and gives
the prosecution a possible motive for
the crime. 1t is understood that Mrs.
Virgens gave certain information to
the sheriff and detectives which in
fluenced their action in placing him
under arrest. The nature of her dis
closures, however, was not divulged
by the officers.
When Steen was murdered, the the
DRY was first advanced that he had
encountered a poultry thief in his
yard and had been shot This theory,
however, was exploded. 1t later de-
veloped that a few weeks ago, while
Steen was getting his mail from his
mail box on the Triumph rural route,
a bullet, fired from ambush, passed
through the box, barely missing his
head. He said nothing about this to
anyone except the members of his
family. They, however, reported the
occurrence to the officers after his
murder.
Steen was one of the most popular
farmers of Martin county and was not
known to have an enemy. He was
town clerk of Triumph and prominent