Evening journal., 1913-09-29
MONDAY SEPT. %. 1913.
WIccTNs AND THE POLICE.


TNMER CLEVELAND wIGGINs. nan-killer rob
4 Dor and fugitive from justice. is dead. After
desperate gua battle with many Wilmington police
men. who seemingly we're afraid to engage him at
close quarters. Virgins who had despaired of escap-
ing. ceased firing long enough TO write pathetic note
Of love and farewell TO his mother Then sending
few more shots at those who after him. .e fired
a bullet into his own brain. When. several minutes
afterward. the police became courageous enough to
enter the in which the murderous-minded young
man had made such a determined stand for life and
liberty, they found him dead the bed with the
farewell note to his mother casped in his hand An
exceedingly unfortunate Of the Dramatic bat
tie is that sewell ID. Scott of the Oldest and
most popular members Of the police force suffered
bullet wound of a serious although not necessarily
mortal nature.
So FAR as Virgins is concerned the world is well
rid Of him. He a young Of such dissoutc
character and murderous instinct that he a
ious menace to society It must be said Of him how
that he possessed of nerve that would have
disting shed him in a lawful career. had he chosen
one and that to the last the dominating element Of
good in him love for his mother. Il that
love that prompted him to return the home of his
youth following his sensational escape from the East
rrn penitcntiary II that love that prompted
him to linger in this city where. at any moment
he might he recognized and the police put upon his
track
That the police afraid Of wiggnr is Indicated
by the ethods they employed in attacking him in the
third-story at Fourth and shipey streets in
which he found There was a summoning OF
man. policemen the surrounding OF the horse, the
of building Fourth street as a police
fortress and the bombardment Of the lodging house
with discharge litter discharge from shoguns. In the
hope that Virgins would be driven from his retreat
Into the hallway, five policemen entered the building
and crouched outside the door Of the Virgins room.
They seemingly did not attempt to batter down the
door and assist those outside by making an attack
from the rear Il may be they were fearful that II
Wggins missed them their colleagues across the
street would hit them. rhey crouched and listened
and walt y Finally they heard within the room
munaed shot and a stined groan." From that instant
no sound was heard in the ROOM save the patter OF
the shot fred from the street Finally when
saushef that Virgins dead. cr dangerously
wounded they burst open the door and found his
body on tho he'd. Il clear, from the bullet wound
in the head and the the hand that Virgins had
killed hmself and that he had not been killed by the
police He fought until ne realized he had lost Then
he led out his purpose never to be taken alive
There arc those who criticizing the police for
not lighting their way into the and engaging
Virgins at close quarters. Such critics should hear
in mind that life is sweet to Chief Black and his
men as It is TO the average citizen and that while
they, no doubt would have succeeded in oyerpowernr
the desperado, several OF them might have been killed
or ounded when engaged in the attack The real
opportunity for capturing Virgins was when he was
30 much of his guard that he opened the door That
opportunity was lost It did not return
The important thing about It all Is that the des-
perate criminal of Virgins has ended and that
the carbarh robbery and perhaps other robberies in
our city have been traced to him and part Of the loot
recovered. Whether the police handle the matter
ceverly or clumsily is OF secondary Importance II
is better that Wigens killed himself without killing
anyone else than it would have been had he been
killed by the policemen after he had killed several Of
them.
ne developments in the case show that Virgins
nao been IN our city time and that he moved
aoout the streets That fact has led to further crit
ic'sm Of the police Wonder is expressed that he was
no' ca 'ured in the street and the gun and pistol bat
w. "i,n us destructive aceompaniments avoided Tn
ou, miha emphasizes the necessity for the estah.
lspment Of capable detective bureau for our c,t,
me cry Councilmen areedy have decided 70 Give 70
Sp'7i Diack ten extra patromen II thew ana The %
nee commissioners be wise, thsy will make = -
p'e'e Job Of the matter by providing such ds,so,,.
bureau ana placing it in position To establ,sh s
euate lines Of communication with the u,deruor,d
through other oursaux and the use Of stool pigeons