The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-01-23

the sad affair, as given BIZ the Johnstown
Sunday Times, are hereto appended
Andy" Malatt, an old coIored man whose skin
Is black as night. aud who was pretty generally be
heved 10 be quiet, inofensve negro was arrested
while engaged at work in Conemaugh borough on
thursday morning charged with the murder Of n
ce-laborer in tire person Of one Joseph Gibbs.
mnlatto; On being taken to the Market House
mains Of Gibbs which were lying at fun length
upon the floor OF one Of the cells covered with cot
ted oISod and stil warm from the lie current that
had ebbed from friyhtful gash in the top Of the
head The body Was afterward removed TO the
Burgess once adjoining and the accused fastened
behind tSe bars.
THE zURDER
The deaih Of Gibbs was the result Of a blowr re
cetved at tie hands OF MsIatt on Wednesday even
ing. Both were employed by Mr. John Rest
TO assist in Sc digging Of a sewer trench extend
ing from Portage street across portion o. the old
oasin To tfau Ser street ana up that thoroughfare
70 almost the eillside. They had worked for about
week in one anotheT's company. getting along
without any isiculty whate yer; hut on Wednes-
day afternoon Ciflbs went several times to oohev-s
saloon. ~ the corner Of Ra.lroad and Ciautier
streets. and drank himself drunk. When under
the influence Of ii stor he was ggsarreIsone and r
ruly and on his reiurn from oDs Of his -IFits 70
the-grcggeTy he approached Msfatt and charged
him with having token his shovel This Nfaiatt
denied and pointed to 4 shovel nc said was his
sticking few yards Of in the earth Gibbs Ipoyv-
ever insisted that tn implement NTalat was nsfnR
belonged TO him and undertook to wrench It from
his grasp. They then. clinched but were quickly
separated by the othe- worlmen pr rssent GIBBS
then applied some ugy epitEets, such son OF
Oh. 10 halatt. who made answer to them
Then, in the course OF I've or ten minutes Gibbs
repeated the attempt t. secure the shovel when
Maatt, gottlng out OF the trench whirled IT in the
air and felled it with deadly effect upon the head
Of his burly antagonist. The scalp was severed by
the blow from ear to and the skull badly frac-
hurts Gibbs was at once picked up and washed
on and the discovery made that he was able 70
WALL Beng left 10 himself he again started for
Toohcy's, where he procured more whisky and af-
tervEurd wandered of not returning to his work.
AsLEEr OK THE PAVEMENT.
At about six O'Clock in the evening Policeman
Brndle, of Conemaugh borough. started ont 70
light the street lamps. and in passing the Office
Freidhofs' planning mill found Gibbs asleep on
-hc sidewalk, saturated with blood. He made
effort 10 arouse him. falling Ia which the services
OF a wagon were brought into requisition and the
injured darkcy hauled to the Johnstowu prison.
and went 70 the cell ig which the prisoner
confined and found him sleeping. This was at
made n second call at the cell when its occupant
was still snoring. At four O'Clock Thursday morn
appeared to be doing well enough At seven o.
clock the same morning the Chief swung back the
to md
THE OLD nARIlEY DEAD.
AS stated in the beginning OF this article the
body was stll warm at tho hour just named, and
lite. therefore could not have been long extinct.
His mouth was hlied and his face covered with
blood The most singular feature Of the sad affair
. Is that a physician was not summoned by the Of,
the unfortunate man were properly attended to
AIaiatt was arrested and locked up shortly after
a representative Of the Slrdry Tine, was nd
mitted 10 Burgess Rogers office at ono O'Clock on
: Thursday afternoon. where
was being held. Coroner Cox had empannelod
the following jury: Burgess Rover. foreman. J. d
Roberts Thomas x. Davis Josiah Waters. Harry
. Wavne and Sfbert NTsr.i1 inside the raIIiua,
and close up fu corner OF it, sat HIalatt. and 70
the left OF him nis counsel. II. II Kuhn, Esq.
Outside the railing. with lis right hand resting
on the table upon which the c0r,sc lay. stood a
. step brother Of the dCceased. and gathered round
was lfttIe Knot Of witnesses and spectators ps-
trict Attorney Rose occupied seat next 70 the Cor
oncr aud conducted the examination for the prose
cution.
Below IS given the testimony Of the principal
John T. Harris. sworn. Am Chief Of Police Of
Johnstown; the last time saw Gibbs alive was az
four o'clock this morning he was dead when J re-
turned 10 the lookup at seven o'clock.
Dr. John Lowman. sworn. Am physician and
surgeon by profession; held post mortcln exam
ination or autopsy over the remains Of Joseph
Gibbs about o'clock this forenoon. took the in
tegument OF skin OF the top OF the victims head
and discovered the Lett side o: the skull TO be frac
tured then tuuk oil the top OF skull and found
that q conIniuuted fracture had been inflicted
the frontal. temporal and side bones of lis head
being broken in pieces, and q large ciot OF blood
that would weigh at least tour ounces was discov
cred lying on the brain. The front portion OF tho
brain was lacersted we'll. this injury and the
cot OF blood in The brain being sufficient to produce
death such Injuries could be produced by q blow
The instrument used was probably broad one and
John Best sworn. Was yesterday employed a,
digging sewer for the Cambria Iron Company ir
ConcrJuSh borough: had seen Gibbs few times
nc having worked at tie sainc Job for seECn days
The body here lying is that gt Joseph GIBBS; aid
not see the blow struck; Gibbs was quaTrelins
with Andrew EaIatt: / parted them Andy said
the shovel was his own: he told Andy he was 8
came ont told Andy to 70 about BIS work ane
tod tIipos 70 % away t1gn went INTO iiie ell'.
q few minutes aiterward Mt. cIorlnlch came q
ard ssid should 20 out and do something 70
tIgHc- As andy haiatt mac MT nun Win "a Slio'el
ana JiLt ne was wing on lIe ground Nleu tstiH
out found Charles Slick holding him i'm q sittini
position got some water and washed his lace am
hathcd his head, and IN a few minutes ne came 10
I got him on his feet. took him over 10 Hauher'
Q meat market and wanted him 20 sit down. hut b
insisted on leaning up a-sai'lsj tEe mouse ne "ou
not 20 home and finally started up the street "a
naLd t!it " oo -S oIi,--e NL-e-l ~ I'm
: II was IN this building and he W. dead se iigh
occurred between four ana five o'clock ia the even
William Mccormick sworn. Was empoyc
: yesterday NJ thg sewer IN Concmaugh borough
+ Gibbs over the head with q shoyei- 1tehs lei I
= the ground; ! went in and notified NT- Best
Gibbs was standing the bank Of the ditch whe
struck lac was hit on the lett side OF the hcai-
Charles Slick. sworn There q quarrel b
: tween Gibbs ard Nalatt about shovel Gibbs 81
= cused Aalatt OF having ms shovel; ANDY stlI Z
+, had been working all afternoon with tie shove!
T 'r!2os Ss'ld nc va gong ~ .
d said u he took the shovel he'd nave 70 iaAe hii
- with Ct Gibbs invited him out Of the ditch, m
- Andy came out and laid down the shovel Gibl
went to yet &c. but halatt would not let him hay
It.; Gibbs went away grumh!ing, after having cal
de up aud think ne called hilh "a thlei' tnfe
: then began to jaw, and NtaIatt ran up ont Of Il
ditch and struck Gibbs with the shovel on the lc
q side of the head. knocking him down Pickc
him up: the blood was running from his nose in
F stream and continued to run for three or fol
mlnutcS he rcEained cohSci ionsheeS oeie.- ~
. . long and was taken away; ATaIatt walked sruuu
little while and ttscn
i . be would take no black son Q. a b-t. on Glpbs-
' George H8rbaugh. James Kelly. Alex Horn
and George Ntclirew. al Of whom were WORK NJ
The sewer when MalaJt stTj'ch 'Tioii-; Mele ~
in sworn. hut their evidence merely coTrohc
ated That has already been given. IoticcInt
d, Brindle and SStrOusc subsequently cNa mi ne
r. after which the case was submitted 20 the JuF
In two OF three minutes = verdict W'is rendered
the effect that Joseph Gibbs came 10 his dea
by blow from a shovel in the hands Of Andre
L Nalatt.'
h. athaIs-aast ten O'Clock Friday morning nIaIa
n, was taken before Squire Cox tor preliminary e
=. sa1inatioH. BUT hc waived hearing ana was cor
- mtted TO jail for trial at the next term OF ouri
5 IHE .TUHDEREE,
ld Andrew NTaIatt was born IN NIartiusburg. We
IN irginia August, 1927. and until 1854 q sl'tV
IN He came to JOhnstOwn ten years ago ana has d'
nj ing nli that time been principally in the employ
r. Mr. Cf. ". NIctiary. II would seem that he Is
IN dustrious. from tC fact that he was seldom out
Ia work. He has a very bad temper and when eN'
in pcratcd is considered quite dangerous il may
n said him. however. that nc has been known
n have been engaged in but few quaTrcls and IN
ne this Is the first time ne has been arrested ioF ~
or offenge in this city Recently his health has be
nc falling nd all last SUMMER he was confined g
IN sick bod He has wife and seven children resi-
oi THE MURDERED NAN.
is Joseph Gibbs. born in CleavsprinG. Mary lar
I'd and was sixty-three years Of axe. He was fully
1g feet in height hroad-shouidcrcd. iron-hsted- a
in strength a modern Samson. He was uumarrit
having lived with his mother and Step-fatheF, @
Cook, in the hollow not far from hoSts brewe
NJ had lived there four years. and though cis7
ted in his habits was not thought to be at al VI
~ Gus: he WAS. however. rather quarrelscmc and
sultng when drunk He was also n slave ana 2
TG many stories to tell Of the hardshlps OF MS YOU
nd His advanced age did not appear to be any thi
OF a. burden TO him, and he looked as IL he mll
with ease have attained his hUndrcdth year.
* Malatt was taken before Esquire Cox,
Conemaugh borough, on Friday afternc
for preliminary examination. lie waIV
90 n hearing, however, and was committed
rio 80 March pT