Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-12-10

WE'RE THEY OArH-bOuND.
Lynch said that while standing under
the public buildings in Philadelphia, with
Gibbons, on October 2lst, he told Gibbons
that the Clarks had been talking about
him. Gibbons replied that he would not
care to say anything about the Clarks
unless he was face to face with them.
That night, in room 30 of the Keystone
House, Philadelphia, Detective Lynch
told Gibbons that Eugene Burns had con-
fessed to him about the fires.
Gibbons replied, "well, if Eugene Burns
confessed about the fires he has gone back
on his oath"
.'What oath ~ asked the detective.
Gibbons made no answer.
Detective Lych said that Burns had not
made any confession to him. and he
simply made the statement to Gibbons for
effect.
MORE CONFESSIONS.
On October I'D, in room is of SCOTS
hotel. Philadelphia, Detective Lynch said,
Gibbons told him that he and another man
started to burn the "old barn" one night,
but the watchman was there, and so they
got drink of water as an excuse and went
away.
Mr.. HIlles cross-exaamined the witness
at length, but his testimony was not shaken
or altered in the least.
"Gibbons told me dozen times" said
Lynch. that he had done more than Ed
Clark ever done, and that Clark needn't be
So scared and nervous"
SAW THEM AT THE BARN.
Mr.. Biggs then recalled the Waterman,
Joseph Knox. He said he remembered
seeing Gibbons at the "old barn. in COM
pany with another man one night in June,
1880 The other man, he said, was Eugene
Burns.
Mrs. Francis G. du Pont was recalled,
and in answer to Mr. Biggs questions said
that the night the new barn. was burned,
when she met Gibbons coming along the
path towards her house, she saw no other
man around.
The State here rested.
OUTLINING THE DEFENCE.
In his opening address to the jury in
behalf of the prisoner, Mr.. Hilles said the
crime charged against the prisoner is one
of the gravest known, and II he is guilty
there is no punishment too severe to be
visited upon him. He said that the State
had produced no evidence that the prisoner
was guilty further than the alleged confess
sions, but the defence wonld be able to
show that the prisoner did not commit
this crime. They would show that the
night of the fire he went to his home
about o'clock and stayed there until 6,
leaving only about five minutes before the
glare of the fire was seen. That he
the fire, called the boys attention to it.
when they heard the alarm sounded That
Gibbons went to the fire, where his actions
were absolutely incompatible with those
of a man who had fired the barn. That
he risked his life in striving to save
property, and worked manfully to subdue
the flames. Further, that during all his
life, up to this time, the prisoner has
borne good character in this commu-
nifty. On these grounds he would ask the
jury to say by their verdict that the
prisoner is not guilty of the crime with
which he stands charged.
HIS SISTER BEARS TESTIMONY.
The prisoners sister Miss Maggie Glib
bons, was first called. She said that at the
time of the burning of the NEW barn."
she lived at Charles Banks with her
mother and two brothers, William j. (the
prisoner) and Charles. She remembered
well the night the ''new barn" was burned.
She heard the alarm, and going out of the
house saw the flames. William ]. Glib
bons came home that evening about
o'clock and sat down until supper was
ready. He had been drinking the day be-
fore and was still somewhat under the in
fiuence of liquor. He ate his supper and
went out, and had not been gone more than
five minutes when the alarm of fire was
given. The witness said she and her
mother were worried about him going to
the fire, on account of his condition, as
they knew he would help extinguish the
flames and were afraid he would get hurt.
He always went to the du Point fires"
she said, earnestly, he always worked to
put out the fires; he never started any"
Miss Gibbons said that her brother re-
turned after the fire about o'clock i'll the
morning, drunk and very wet. He went
to bed and did not get up again until s
o'clock in the evening.
SHE KNEW, BUT COULDN'T TELL HOW.
During her cross-examination the wit
ness was very positive that it was about 5
o'clock in the evening, when her brother
came home. She could not say how she
knew what time it was, but Just knew it
was about 5 o'clock" Mr.. Biggs gues-
toned very closely about the time between
Gibbons arrival at home and his departure
after supper, but the witness was unable
to divide the period into the time he
waited before supper was ready, the time
consumed by the meal, and the time he re-
manned after supper before going out.
She only knew that he came home about
o'clock and had been gone only about five
minutes when the fire alarm was given.
On these points she expressed herself with
great positiyeness. She was positive her
brother could not have gone from the
house to the fire in the time between his
departure and when she heard the alarm.
THE DoYn TELLS MS STORY.
Philip Dougherty is THE boy" alluded
to by Miss Gibbons as having met William
Gibbons when the latter was on the way
to the fire. He is now past % years old,
works at Barlow's MILL and has a slight
impediment In his speech. The evening
the barn WIS burned, he said he left his
work at OF clock and started Nome. He
passed by Francis G. du Points house, but
saw no smoke or fire. Proceeding on his
way he met William ]. Gibbons on the
road, between Mr.. du Points house and
Sterling's store. They saluted each other
and began to talk, but In about minute
Gibbons saw the reflection of the fire and
ran towards it. Philip said he followed,
until he saw where the fire was, when he
turned around and went home to his sup
per. i knew l could not do any goodn
he said. Philip further testified that he
went back to the fire, after supper, and
saw Gibbons working to subdue tile flames.
On his cross-examination Philip said he
knew he was past % years of age, but
didn't know when his next birthday
would be. He did not know how far it Il
from Barlow's mill to the iron bridge, but
he did know that he crossed the bridge.
He knew it was o'clock when he quit
work, because the wheel shut down and
the wheel is always stopped at o'clock.
He got sadly mixed in giving the time 1t
took him to go from the mill to his home,
but he was very positive about meeting
Gibbons on the road just as the fire was
discovered.
Court took recess until go o'clock,
p. m.
Some of the checks given by the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company to its Will
mington employees are made payable at
I 1T..s Nata