The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-03-07
Arrested as a Suspicious
Character N e g + O
Makes a Break for
Liberty and Is Shot
Through the H e a d
With Automatic Shot
gun.

Died from a gunshot wound fired
from the hand of officer Ollie Wig
gins while in the discharge of his
duty. This is the verdict OF the COR
oacr'a jury called to investigate the
death of an unknown negro killed
Sunday afternoon in bayhead not
far from the Swinde! home north of
Lakeland by Officer Virgins.
For several weeks the residents of
that npighborhood have been inter-
Csted in the moyevents of two or
more negro $ who have been living
in the woods there. and always fed
IT the approach of investigators
chief Allen and Officer Virgins made
- trip to that locality two weeks ago
but failed to get sight of the men.
Last Thursday morning Chief Allen
and W. W. Bindeman. captain of the
railroad police, made another trip of
Investigation ard this time caught
sight oil two negroes, one of whom is
believed to Lc the man killed Sunday.
Thh man took to their heels when the
"illcerS were about Il hundred yards
from them, and made their escape into
the dense growth of vegetation that
has been their chosen hiding place
Sunday afternoon. shortly before
four o'clock J A. Thorpe 'elephoned
the pclice department that he had one
Of the llows located. Officers Wig
gins and Williams went to the spot,
accompanied by Mr.. Thorpe. w. w.
Carter and Mr.. Hughes They came
upon the man near his camp fire about
thirty feet cas- of the railroad and
succeeded in keeping him unaware of
tPeir approach Commanded to hold
up his hands, he responded to the ex-
tent of lifting his left hand part way
and letting it drop again. Officer Will
liamS searched him. but found only
q small hOrn-handlcd pocket knife.
The officers started to escort him to
town and the party had proceeded 4
few feet when the prisoner made Il
Wlld-eyed break for liberty. Officer
Virgins called to him to halt. threat
tning to shoot but no attention was
paid by the fugitive to the three COM
mands. The officer then fired with the
automatic shotgun with which he was
armed. The first shot took immediate
effect, striking a little to the left of
the center at the back of the head and
''iAt t0AHto Hl'ht''' " NNtAi lHt7 tll ugly
wound.
The coroner's jury, under Judge AL
ioE, was Immediately empanelled and
visited the spot. The jury was COM
posed of l.. W. Bloom foreman. W.
f. Brooks, W NJ. Riddle, w. O.
Bryant, X A. Blair and W. l.. Aus
ton and the verdict rendered was as
given above
The d ad man is about twenty
wears old. weighs l25 to 1870 pounds
and was wearing blue overalls from
which the bib had been cut, a white
shirt and Il round-hat The man seen
with him on 4 previous occasion ap-
peared 10 be older and larger weigh
ing perhaps $50 pounds or more.
Nothing has been learned as to the
identity of the man. Questioned by the
officers he told conflicting stories,
saving he had been there three weeks,
had been cutting wood for someone
whose name he would not give and
that he had been there but a day.
The theory advanced by Chief AL
len is that the fugitives We're mem
bsrs of the group of four that re-
Gently broke Jail at Live Oak. 1t is
also thought that they are RESPONSE
Bile for at least part of the car-break-
ing and robbing that the railroad po-
lice have been contending with in the
past few weeks. Seals are frequently
found broken, the guilty persons ap-
parently looking only for groceries.
which have been stolen and probably
sold. one lot of twenty-four sacks of
-four having been recovered and the
negro hauling it arrested week or
so ago.