Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-07-07
Inner Wingen, Believed In
sane, Escapes to East Side
in Auto After Tires Are
Punctured by Policeman's
I Bullets; Declared that He
Would Stay Purcell Be
fore Dark.
..1'll kill you before dark"

TIL kill you before dark"
fth, This was the message alleged to
ave been. received by Police Magis.
s,arate r. j.. Purcell Saturday night
= rom Elmer Wingen, and it led to a
1cishase after Wingen through the
1thtreets of Grand Forks by Motor
Z enycle Policeman Henry Vikin, who
Ss,lsed his revolver freely in a vain eff
{ tleaort to stop the fugitive who escaped
! dib East Grand Forks in his automo-
Tag Vikin put bullets through both of
ioahe rear tires of Wingen's machine.
IImlhe latter. however. continued into
minnesota, n refused to give him
fcnelf up. He is believed to be insane.
What further action will be taken
ley the Grand Forks authorities in the
IaaInsase is still uncertain.
1+nn Judge marked Man,"
tine Wingen's animosity towards the po-
steice magistrate appears to a begun
4 BIN May, 1918, when he was fined $40
send sentenced to spend 80 days in Jail
dior using obscene language to a wom-
.nln who he is alleged. to nave been
lapersecuting with his attentions. He
vas paroled from the county Jail,
l calowever, after serving IS days of the
prail sentence.
Saturday Judge Purcell says Wingen
taRntered his court room and asked
iapver you?"
i vi What do you mean?" asked the
! tdudge.
re I've got you Marked" Wingen is
thatd to have asserted. He repeated
fr:fhfs although ordered out of the room
atooy the judge.
ne Shortly after 1880 o'clock Saturday
! evening Judge Purcell was sitting at
3linis desk in the municipal court room
/ ciThen a boy entered the room and laid
/ da typewriter sheet of paper on the
/, 1andge's desk.
n e. 'Kill You Before Dark"
IN The man who gave me his told me
mo tell You he'd kill you before dark u
asaid the boy.
Yes, and 1 mean it. too" came
.WSVVingen's voice at that moment, and
Hooking out of the window Judge Pur-
Meell saw Wingen sitting in an automo-
Mgbile close to the sidewalk on Fourth
na;treet. just outside Of the window.
: Judge Purcell Immediately ran into
s3olice headquarters n CAV the
alarm: Wingen. however. had already
rstarted his car, and disappeared to-
wards Third street He passed two
policemen 1t Third and DeMers after
q vain attempt on their part to stop
him. went around several blocks and
then r~eappeared at Third and DeMers
HIS attempt to drive across the De-
Mers avenue bridge was foiled by the
two policemen.
Wingen then turned south on Third
street at a speed Of about SO miles
an hour, although the street was
crowded by pedestrians. and other
machines. Patrolman Vikin gave
chase on his motorcycle.
Revolver Used.
AS Wingen neared the Minnesots
Point bridge, Vikin, seeing that he
was about to escape, fired with hi.
revolvef and succeeded in puncturine
Sboth the rear tires of the flying car
switch. however. crossed the bridge
without stopping. The local police,
man then had no power to make al
Farrest.
Whether or not an attempt at extra.
Edition will be made had not been de
scided today.
The letter which wingen sent to tn.
Judge was apparently copied from
some Socia1istic or anarchistic publ
cation. and was a long diatribe
against injustice