Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-03-28
From the Harrisburg Argus. Of the ESD inst
Convict khelI


A convict named John Cibbe. whom il will
be recollecied was convicted last fail Off series
of Bold and daring burgsrIes IN this borough
and sentenced to pine yrsrs Imprisonment ut
hard labor ia ule County jail, wss shot dead by
Mr.. Watson. keeper Of the prison, yer,erday
morning The facts of the cuse are ~ tol0ws
about o'clock Mr.. Watson vent into the pas.
sage, ss usuSl. to serve the prisoners with break.
fast; when Xe came TO the cell occupied by
Gibbs he opened the outer door, and the convict
instantly put his arm through the hoe in the
inner door, drew back the tOlt and rushed in.
TO the passage towards Mr. WstsoD. The lat.
ter drew q revolving pistol. and ordered him to
stand back, or he would eIOot, and finding him
st,!l advancing, he drew the trigger, but it mis-
s~d fire. Gibbs then clinchcd the keeper, aad
threw him on his back, but Mr. Watson turned
himself so that he got his teet sgainst the pri-
soner's breat. by which mcans he pushed him
off and again sttempted to ERE, but without ef
feet Gibbs closed on him . second time, and
threw him, when deadly struggle took place
the convict uei,.g the most desperate efforts to
wrench the pistol from the keepers hsud. In
the course OF the struggle The convict ssid
'Gve me the pistol and will let yuu alone;
il you don't will kill you-or if you make any
noise III kill you" An alarm. however,
would have been of little consequence. Is the
door leading to the passage was locked on the
inside. Watson knowing this, and seeing that
the issue was for life or death, struggled man.
fully for few moments, when he got his arm
around the convict, and discharged one Of the
loads in his back. Gibbs instantly reiuquished
his hold, and both regsinec their feet, when
Watson fired again, and the shot took effect in
Gibbs left side, in the region cf,he heart. He
then retrealed to his cell, followed by the keep
or. When he was insiGe he again turned upon
the keeper, who fired the third time, the ball
passing directly through his breast, when the
convict fell. and in few moments expired.
Gibbs was q light mulatto, aged about 40
years, twelve or fifteen of which he has spent
the Eastern Penitentsry. He was q most
desperate and hardened villsin, and has sever.
al times threatened to take the life OF Mr..
Watson. II is but . few weeks ago that he
made an ingenious but unsuccessful attempt to
escape. II is evident that his intention wac to
take advantage of the Stiffness of the Sabbath
morning, wrest the keys from the keeper
force him into his cell, and thus make his es
npe; but fortunately he was foiled. and Mr.
Watson deserves credit for sending to his ina
,ccount such black hearted and bl0od.thrsty
lillian who constantly placed the lives Of oil il
jeopardy who came in contact with him.
The Coroner held an inquest. and the jury
-eturned a verdict Of .justiisble homicide
Amer the rendition Of the verdict, the body
vas suffered to lay an hour in front Of the jai
"a sickening sigh, to GRITTY morbid curosi
y-aiter which it was removed 10 the aims
iouse for burisl---and thus ends career of Grim,
and infamy. ot ita III
The WESTERN DIVISION OF the PEsxsYLAsIl