The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-05-23

Virgens again resisted the officer,
hut, being handcuffed, the sheriff
easily controlled him and placed him
in a CELL
Detective Lawler and Mr.. Nicho-
las, acting as stenographic reporter,
remained at the Virgens place to
make search of the premises and
interview Mrs. Virgens as to her nus
bands movements on the night OF
the murder and other matters Dear
| ing on the case.
| Feeling Has Been Running High.
Feeling has been running pretty
high against Virgens at Triumph and
vicinity for several days and the Of
! ficers deemed it discreet to make
the arrest, which has been contem-
plated for some lime, without offering
any chances for hasty action on the
part of those who might be disposed
to take the law into their own
hands.
Virgens has been under suspicion
ever since the murder, was discoV-
|
him is all circumstantial the Officers
claim to have established the crime
thoroughly enough to convict. A
great many clews have been follow
ed up and dovetailed together, max
ing a strong chain of evidence. me
details are reserved for the preliml-
nary examination and trial, should
Virgens be held to the grand jury
and indicted.
A continuous stream of curiosity
seekers called at the Jail Saturday
afternoon desiring to see the prison
err, but all were denied admittance
by Sheriff Carver.
Is Prosperous Farmer.
Virgens is a prosperous farmer
thirty-six years of age and has lived
in Martin county about all his life.
He was married in April 1911, to
Florence Hultren, daughter of a
nearby neighbor. They have one
child about year old. He has two
brothers residing north of Welcome
Virgens was searched at the coun
, ty Jail Saturday afternoon by Sher
if Carver, Officer Ebben and Will
liam Roepke The only articles found
on him were a bunch of keys and q
jackknife Virgens asked that, the
| keys be sent to his home as they
t belonged to his house and barn anc
he wanted the buildings kept locked
r While being searched Virgens was
: very nervous and repeated over ant
over again, in an excited manner
I'm not the man, Pm not the man.
/ After being searched the prisone
r was released from his handouts. HI
= is kept in the tier of cells on the
: second floor of the, county jail ava!
t from the other prisoners e
S Steen Fired Upon Before.
J. Virgens has been convicted twic,
y of assault in, the second, degree, ant
:, each time Steen was witness
/ against him.. This is said to hav
e aroused virgens' hatred of Steen ant
t gives the prosecution possible me
t tive for the. crimen 1t is understood
d that Mrs. Virgeps bgave certain info1
e nation to the sheriff and detective
e which influenced their action in plat
G ing him under arrest The nature O
e her disclosures, however was not d
l. vulged by the officers. 01a
e When Steen was murdered, tn
# theory was first advanced that h
e had encountered d poultry thief i
is his yard and had been shot. Thi
if theory, however, was exploded.
N later developed that few week
h ago, while Steen was getting hi
ar mail from his mail box on the TT
% umph rural route a bullet. fired fror
)r ambush, passed through the boz
barely missing his head He sal
m nothing about this to anyone exceI
At the members of his family. The.
m however, reported the occurrence
20 the officers after his murder
10 Steen was one of the most populs
farmers of Martin county and We
ic not known to have ain enemy. H
IS was town clerk of Triumph and
IT. prominent member of the Mason
order. His funeral, which was he
early in the week, was one of til
if largest ever held in the county.