New-York tribune., 1922-12-20
UrbanO Miranda, Artist,
Wounds Lola TOrO, IL,
Probably Fatally, When
She Refuses to Marry
Menaces Officers,
Then Falls Dead
Held Up in His Home,
Detectives Rush Youth,
but Death Wins Race

Urbano Miranda, a young water color
artist who lived with his family At
2s2 East Tooth Street, waited outside
the door az 76 East 1Oeth Street late
Yesterday for seventeen -yeHr-old Lola
Toro 20 arrive home from work AZ
o'clock. When she started up the steps
he took his place at her side. told her
once again that he loved her and that
be would kill himself II she did not
marry him. The girl smiled kindly, but
went into the house and rot out the
key 70 the ground floor apartment in
which she has lived with her brothers
fam ~ since she came from Porto Rico
a year ago.
As she fitted II into the lock Miranda
pulled a revolver from his pocket and
fred two bullets, both Of which took
effect in her neck. The girl staggered.
made an attempt 10 get the door open
| and fell 10 the hoor. Her ndmirer
slipped away down tho street as the
nefghbors rushed into the hall and be
gan pounding on the Toro door 20 tell
| Lola's sister-in-law, who knows no Eng
| lish, who Il was that had been shot
The woman inside had taken her babies
into the back yard and was hiding there
in terror
~ Know Am Dying
Before che opened the door an am
bulance call had been sent 20 Knick-
erbocker Hospital, the East i04th
Street police station had been notified
and Detectives Enright and Lynch had
been sent In an automobile 10 investi-
gate. The plainclothes men found the
girl stretched out on the floor Of the
apartment, almost unconscious.
Enright placed bis hand under her
head.
"Do you think you are DYING" he
asked, sensing the tragedy and hesi-
tating a second before he plunged into
his work.
Il know I am she answered family.
"Do you know who shot your
my sister-in-law knows my sweet
hearts name and where you can find
him. lie kilf inf.'
With that sse girl lost conseious-
ness, and DR.. Remington, who arrived
a moment later, said that she might
never speak sgain.
Leaving the physician with his pa-
tient, the detectives rushed Mrs. Ioro
and two interpreters into their auto
mobile and started after Miranda,
obeying her directions when she told
them shc knew his house but did not
know the number. Ten minutes after
the shooting they had stopped In front
Of 232 East Tooth Street and were fol-
lowing her TO an apartment on the top
floor.
Miranda's mother opened the door
for them, surprised at her dinner. His
! father pushed back his chair and rose
70 see what was the matter. His
brother and sister and friend stopped
eating, but kept their places at the
table, too astonished 10 move, BY the
announcement that the police were az
the door. The detectives stepped, into
the room, leading Mrs. T0ro and the
interpreters IN after them.
Enright was Just about TO tell them
what he and his partner had come for
when he saw the curtain Of the rear
room move. A revolver came through
the portieres, and then Miranda
stepped in, covering the detectives with
the automatic with which he had shot
his sweetheart.
With Enright and Lynch shouting TO
him 10 throw up his hands and his sis
ter screaming, Miranda advanced calm
ly, still covering the detectives. They
rushed him.
Moment Of Triumph-Dies
As they did 50 Miranda threw up his
arms, seized the portieres with his left
hand, placed the automatic TO his
temple and fired. He s'c1r o
triumph as Lynch and Enright halted
five feet away, his mother collapsed In
the doorway and the others shrank
back aghast. Then the light foded
from his long, aseet G ace a a ne I .
dragging the portieres down over his
body. DR.. Kearny, Of Harlem Hospital,
found him dead ten minutes later.
Miranda had reached bis home, his
mother told the detectives as she
sobbed beside her dead son, perhaps
three minutes before they did. He
said mo" ncryously when she asked
him II he wanted any dinner and
walked in excited silence 70 the back
room. He did not join them a. they
went on wondcringly with their din
ner and the first intimat'on they had
Of his crime came after he had died.
Mrs. Toro had little 10 say.
lola did not love him. That Is All"
she said. "Why should he not love
her? Look al he'll"