Evening journal., 1913-11-10
COURT HEARS
WICGINS CASE
AFTERMATH
Mother and Sister Of Bandit
Accused Of Receiving
Stolen Money
POLICE OFFICERS TELL
OF FINDING LOOT

robbery of the car barn OF the Will
mington and Philadelphia Traction
Company. presumably by Homer G. /
Virgins. Mrs. Lillian McDermo,t, his /
mother. and Mrs. Mary y. Colt, sister /
OF the dead bandit. being on trial, un- |
der an indictment charging them with !
receiving money stolen from the car
barn Office. Walter J. Willis and Rob- |
ert G. Harman appear for the de-
fence. Deputy Attorney General Ar
mon ID. Chaytor, Jr..is prosecuting the
case. George w. Woodbury. is fore
man of the jury.
On the morning OF September 10
last. Morris Councill. cashier fer the
trolley company was held up In
the office. presumably by Virgins,
and robbed Of $500. Four bags, con-
tanning S655 IN small change we're re-
covered In the yard Of the McDermott
home, and a $40 bill was found in the
home of Virgins mother. under the
carpet At the preliminary hearing,
Councill identified the bags contain
/ ing the change as part Of the money
stolen from the trolley company.
] Deputy Attorney General Chaytor in
opening for the State said the case
charged the women with receiving stolen
goods and that the testimony in main
would consist Of statements made by the
defendants. Mr.. Chaytor reviewed the
finding OF the money in the bags and de-
lclared that Mrs. McDermott had stated
that she had found the bags Of money
in the yard and that Mrs. Colt buried
the same in the chicken coop where the
police found them
Morris Council. the clerk, who was
. L,I . a.. ..sff COLL al III
testified that on the morning Of Septem-
Der 10 he was held mp al the point of
pistol in the car barlf-ollices OF the VIII
mington and Philadelphia Traction Com
pany and robbed Of about 81 500. He
said the money was in wrappers con
tanning % pennies the nickels in ~
packages and these packages as well as
the ones containing the coins Of other
denominations were stamped with the
name of the Traction Company. Coun
ell said the different packages were IN
six canvas bags stamped with the name
of the Wilmington Trust Company. He
said he saw the bags and packages ON
Sentemher 20. at the Office Of Chief OF
rlce Black Council declared that
Homer c. Virgins robbed him.
In cross. examination by MT. Willis,
Council said he has been in the employ
of the traction company for FIVE years.
, He had no private marks on the can
o vass. they all looked alike. After the
: coins were wrapped witness said h'
: could identity the packages as having
I been wrapped by him.
X Councill was cross-examined q
/; length as 10 whether packages re
covered we're the ones that had bee
stolen. He said he never saw th
actual coin after the robbery. but sa'
the packages. These were ne
II broken open, except one or TIVE
i There was s770 done up I'm package
and S1,061 In paper. He had neve
= seen the man who took the none.
n before the night Of the robbery, ant
j although he had been told who Wiz
IS gins was, he did not know him. Coun
I. cill said he used the wrappers bu
1. once.
o He was positive that the bags and
q wrappers recovered were the ones
/. that had been stolen from him. He
: denied that at the preliminary hear
!. ing in the City Court he had said that
he could not identify the packages
= and bags.
= In redirect examinations witness
Is said the packages recovered consisted
q of thirteen packages Of half dollars
J. 25 quarters, 2S dimes and 35 Of
II nickels. They we're similar 10 the
h packages he had wrapped and which
we're stolen from the trolley compan,
car barn.
Police Captain Charles E. Evans
=, said he went to sMrs. McDermottl
n home, No. 217 South Harrison stree
+ on September 29 and had a converse
IN ton with her regarding money tina
D. had been stolen from the trolley com
k pany car barn.
\. Mr.. willis objected TO testimony re
E. sarding the conversation because, a
In he said. no prima facie case Of lar
k canv had been established The oh
is lection was overruled.
xt Captain Evans then testified that h
and a number Of officers went to IN
McDermott house and that Mrs Nc
Dermott denied that her son Hqme
he hac eft anything there. The Captai
ly said he commenced 20 search III
or house and later Oficer Purcell cam
'n back with Mrs. McDermott and III
oficer had $40, which he said Mr.
= McDermott declared Homer had give
to her the night before. The Car
tain said Mrs. McDermott gave hi
the key TO the hen house N the var
and subsequently a can was dug u
NJ containing four bags of money. Car
h tain Evans said Councill came 10 tn
police station later and saw the paci
ages that had been recovered.
s- In cross-cxamination, Captain II
ne ans said that following the Battle
Baxter's Corner, he and other otficei
went to the home of Mrs. McDermo
~ ~ and he told her police had WiggiI
n en and wanted the silver that he hi
oV gtclen from the car barn. Witne
ou said he told Mrs. McDermott tha-
d. Intended 10 search the house from q
10 bottom.
"a officer John F. Ward gave slmil
"a testimony as to the finding OF q
II bags. Ward said he saw the packagi
A. and they looked as II they contain
NJ coin or metal, as they were, AeaN
ty In cross-examination, Ward teS
fled that there were ten officers in I
In party. Ward said he was prese
ne when the drawers we're searched a
'ly saw a piece Of mating turned up
- Captain Evans. Ward said he did \
nd see Captain Evans take hold OF Nj
u McDermoti. place his clenched q
ed under her nose and tell her that
mer had told them about the mon'
'or Wltnoss said Mrs. McDermott said S
rs, knew only what she was told, a
'ee said what Homer had left there W