Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-16
HURRY TO GET AWAY
BETRAYS GUN-TOTER
TOGREATER TROUBLE
Policeman Wallace, Keen on Scent
of Man Who Shot Negro, Oddly
Bags His Man.
EAGER TO LEAVE TOWN

Ii Carmelo DldOro hadn bccn IN SuCh
a tremendous hurry to shake the dust ct
Wilmington from his feet, and II Polce-
man Bob" Wallace hadn't been the
keen, efficient young officer that he rs
well. there wouldn't have been any story
To tell.
As it is. its mighty interesting Get
comfortable and listen:
During the night of Tuesday last
Joseph Wilmer, Il Colored man, got MN
self shot during trouble with an ltailan
who kicked up rumpuS IN an alley near
Second and Poplar streets, the Italian
drawing a revolver and blazing away III
Wilmer. who received flesh wound IN the
neck, although il was only by the narrow
est chance that he didn I get II where IL
would have Snuffed out his HE
The Italian made a quick getaway
but not before Wilmer and Others who
were on the scene had card-catalogued in
their memory mighty good description
Of him In the first place, he was very
much undcrsized and quite thlck-set, and
bullet headed which in itself was pretty
good done lie also had scar on his
face and had lost finger on ono hand.
Wilmer was sent off TO ono Of the hos
pitals 10 have his dam aged anatomy re-
paired and meantime the police got busy
in an effort 10 pick up the man who had
shot him They promptly circulated
broadcast in the force the description
of the individual wanted and sharp eyes
have been kept open with regard "a under
sized, thick-sct persons Of foreign appear
ancc. and among those sharp eyes have
been the ones Dame Nature put in the
head of Policeman Wallace, who although
not veteran member Of the force by any
means has shown he thinks with hIS head
aud insists that his hands and feet do
their whole constabulary duty
Well Wednesday passed with no sign
OF the person who winged Wilmer N the
neck And then Thursday came along
Still no trane But last night things
happened
Pretty late, an undcrsized. thick set
individual Of very apparent foreign eN-
traction presented himself at the ticket
office of one OF the local railroad stations
and asked for ticket out ot town tie
was told that there were no more trans
until this morning for the particular place
he asked for lie didn't receive The N
formation with eouanimitv ON the other
hand he got excited and showed signs 81
decided nervous apprehension Then be
told the ticket agent 10 sell him trans
portation for anywhere the hrst train
out might go and reached down INTO ms
pocket for money
He already had excited the suspicious
interest Of the ticket-se who was
looking him over carefully This north
and-south inspection resulted in The
glimpse Of something in the stranger
back pocket that could only bc one thing
a gun.
The ticket man stalled the would-bc
traveller who was IN such remarkable
haste to ger away from Wilmington
10 any old place AZ all. long enough e.
get Policeman Wallace into the picture
And as soon as Wallace clapped eyes on
the suspicious individual he only wished
somebody had offered box Of cigars pr
a new hat. or brace Of necktIeS for the
fir>t copper who spotted the man Who
shot Wilmer
That's the guy, said Wallace to
himself They don't make tWlcc llh"
that descript ion
Whercupon Wallace put the man unIer
arrest. had him Forded up 10 The police
station and locked up. At the same time
hIs suspicious were communicated 70 ms
SIpeTiors.
When the prisoner WAS officially N
Spccted. sure enough a muTderou> looking
revolver was found parked where such
artillery Is kept for personal trans
porta7ion And then he MAS marched up
with The description OF Wilmer assaIlant-
Bless YOU il fitted like q glove scar,
missing finger and all
This morning he was stood up IN
Ci1y Court and arralgned on charges OF
carving q concealed deadly weapon and
assault and battery with intent 10 commit
murder He said he dldp understand
hut admitted being IN tins country -
wears. which the court figures Is enough
and 10 spare for learning Amerlcanes"
as well as English He was held IN
$500 bail on the two charges Tor a
further hearing on Tuesday next when
Wilmer Will be able TO appear
And to cinch the matter aptaln
hcllcher had him sent 10 the hospital
where Wilmer promptly said the prisoner
was the man who shot him. which ldentl-
fcation was later nailed down by others.