Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-06-28
From the N. o. Crescent, of last MondayI
shocking Tragedy In New Orleans

oi
shocking Tragedy In New Orleans.
A LADY MURDERED AND THE MURDERER KILLED,
AND WIFE MURDERED BY HER HUSBAND.
On Saturday night there were two bloody ira
gedies, in two different parts of the Fourth Dis
trot, at nearly the same hour.
The beginning and the ending Of the first ira
gedy was shown before the Coroner, to be as
follows:
About two months ago. an lrshman named
Edward Wisely. blacksmith in the employ of
Patrick Irwin, went to the house of Captain Jo-
scph Gibson, at the corner of Fourth and Apollo
streets and began abusing, in a very outrageous
manner, an Irish servant girl employed there,
with whom he on terms of intimacy; Capt.
Gibson being absent at the time, in the pursuit
of his calling as pilot on the river. Mrs Gibson
interfered in behalf of the girl, requesting Wisely
not to come raising disturbance about the house
while her husband absent. Wisely there
upon abused her as foully as he did the girl. and
left. When Capt. G.. came home, his wife in
formed him of the matter, and he went after
Wisely. The latter, SO far from apologzing for
his offence swore that he would go wherever he
pleased and talk as he pleased to anybody; upon
which the Captain knocked him down. Wisely
never openly resented the puni shment; but soon
showed that he sought revenge in assassination.
The Captain several times, at night. found him
lurking near his premises in suspicious man
after him. through the grass, on his hands aud
knees each time, however. Wisely would van
ish into the darkness, and the Captain was con-
tent to let him go.
On Saturday night, the Captain was on a visit
to a neghbor residing on Appollo street, about a
square below his residence, whenhe encountered
Wisely there. He thought it best to make friends
with him, if possible, and spoke to him in n
friendly manner, and suggested that it woud be
hiatt 10, lot hyn ha n Mt
however, rejected these approaches in surly
and skulking manner Soon afterwards Mrs.
Gibson went to the house for her husband. and
they started home, in company with gentleman
who was going the same way it being about
o'clock. When near the corner of Fourth street,
the gentleman last alluded to turned and beheld
Wisely hurrying up behind them with big bowie
knife on his hand. He stopped and asked him
what re wanted; Wisely told him with an oath it
was none of his business Mrs. Gibson tnrned
also, and exclaimed, Wisely what you fol-
lowing us forl Go away" Wisely Immediately
sprang at the Captain, and gave him desperate
cut in the right arm below the shoulder the
Captain jumped around. and the assassin aimed a
second blow, which cut him on the left elbow;
Mrs. Gibson then jumped in front of her husband
to protect him. when the assassin gave her stab
in the abdomen. BY this time, the Captain had
drawn a little dagger, which with the dtspera-
ton inspired by the circumstance he drove to
the hilt in the assassin's heart. The assassin
fell and died instantly without groan; his
own knife splitting his arm as he fell. The Cap
tain then bore his wife into the house. it all hap
pened on the banqpette in front of his residence.
and coming out, declared that he had killed the
Irishman and surrendered himself to friend
whom he met, requesting him TO take him TO Jail.
This the friend refused to do. seeing that the Cap
tain had acted purely in self defence. The Cap.
tain staid up, waiting on his wife, for some hours
afterwards but finally had TO go TO bed. 1t is
thoughthe will lose the use of bis right arm, the
flesh being cut through to the bone. Mrs Gibson's
wound was pronounced mortal; and at noon yes
terday her physicians expressed the opinion that
she could not survive till this morning.
Wisely fell on his face wnen stabbed. When
he was turned over. he was perfectly still, and
held the bowiekoife firmly grasped in his hand,
sudden had been his death. His weapon was
a buck-horn handle affair. with blade eight or
ten inches long and two inches wide. The Cap
tain's weapon small black handle dagger
the blade hearing these words: Never draw mo
without reason, nor sheath me without honor"
Wisely was twenty-nine years of age. and
married. His wife stated before the Coroner
that he had gone to bed; hut that after lying
there awhile, got up, dressed, and went off, as if
acting under sudden impulse.
The following are the particulars of the other
tragedy: Michael Higgins, a young freshman,
lolIowlng the occupation or a cotton sampler.
went home TO his residence on Eighth street, be.
tween Nayades and Prytania. at about II O'Clock,
drunk, and shot his wife Sarah in the abdomen
with double barrel shot gun, from the effects of
which she died about five hours afterwards.
From the testimony before the Coroner. it ap-
peared that the deceased told those persons who
came to her assistance that her husband had
come home drunk and ordered her out of bed,
TO get him drink of water. She told him the
pitcher was on the table, and that he might wait
upon himself. At that he seized double barrel
shot gun that he always kept in the house; she
sprang from the bed, out of the room. closed
the door after her and stopped behind it. Her
husband fired; and the load passed through the
door and into her, the shot and splinters of the
door tearing great hole in her abdomen. above
the navel mangling her stomach and ntes,ines
and causing her to bleed dreadfulIy. The report
Of the gun and her shreks brought the neigh
bors in; a cry raised for the watch. but no
Waterman came.
AT the Jail, Higgins confessed the deed. but
claimed to have done it accdenty Half an
hour after his arrest. bis poor wife died.