Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-10-29
ANOTHER coSsprRAros oA GeHr


Encouragement BiEgs Denies Some In
sinuations and Gives tho Facts Com
nected With the Arrest Of the cIarISs--
The Prisoners In New Castle Jail.
Another arrest has been made in the
du Pont barn burning conspiracy. The
prisoner Is William Gibbons, car
'penter, formerly employed by L. l,
du Point de Nemours g. Co., who was
arrested in Philadelphia at the instance
of Detective Wilkinson Monday, and
Is now confined In the Central station.
HE WAS A DISCHARGED EMPLoYE.
William Gibbons, the man now in
custody, is 20 years of age and by occu-
patton carpenter. He learned the trade
Of carpentering at du Points Banks,
where he spent the greater part of his
life. His father, previous to his death,
was head boss at the Hagley yard and
was considered by General Henry
du Pont to be one of the most faithful
and industrious workmen In his employ
Gibbons worked at carpentering for the
du Points until about two years ago,
when he was discharged with large
number of other workmen on account
ef,the scarcity of work, 1t is said.
Since then he has never been regu-
lafly employed by anybody and took
heavily to drinking He was we'll ac-
quainted with the Clark family when
they lived on du Points Banks, and has
Kept up the intimacy ever since.
Several weeks ago Gibbons was en-
gagged in a cock fight at the Columbus
Inn, which subsequently caused war
rant to be sworn out for his arrest on
the charge of stealing one of the birds,
which was afterwards killed. Although
the warrant was given into the hands Of
constable to serve, and Gibbons was
frequently seen in the neighborhood,
for some cause he was never taken into
custody, q fact which has now led
people TO believe that, by the efforts of
the detectives, who were then keeping
Gibbons under surveillance, his arrest
was prevented.
When reporter Of THE GAZETTE
called at the residence Of the Gibbons,
at No. 1929 Lincoln street, on Tues
day, Miss Mary Gibbons, the prisoners
sister, was not aware that her brother
had been arrested. Joseph Gibbons,
William Gibbons brother, came in from
work shortly after the reporter APP
preached the house, and he too was
ignorant Of the arrest.
Miss Gibbons suspicious were aroused
when the reporter asked for informa-
top concerning the whereabouts of
Gibbons, and it was with the greatest
difficulty that she could be persuaded to
talk of her brother at all, so fearful was
she lest her interviewer might be de.
tective ready to worm from the woman
a complete confession of completely
with Guy Fawks in attempting to blow
up the house of parliament or some
other famous conspiracy told of by ira.
dition.
After the assurance that her inter.
viewer was only a reporter Miss Gibbons
said:
"My brother has not been home fol
two weeks, nor have we had any knowl
edge of his whereabouts until to-day
The last we saw of him was two week
ago yesterday, when he came home fol
his oyercoat He was accompanied BY
gentleman who represented him
self as an electrician, but l an
now satisfied from the descrip
ion of Detective Brady that my
brothers. companion was none other thar
the detective. Both came in through
the rear entrance to the house while ",
were at dinner. They only stopped
coal, land neither could be induced to stol
long enough for dinner / nov
recollect about two months ago womal
coming to our house accompanied b,
Edward Clark who is now i'll Jail. CLAIR
and the strange woman tried to Undue
William to 60 south, the woman sayinl
that The could get him employment
there If he desired to 60. persuaded m,
brother not to go south, and he con
cluded to look for work nearer home
The first we heard that the boy wa
suspected was when we read of the prob
ability of his being arrested in tn
EVERY EVENING last Saturday. Sine
then mother has been confined to be
from the shock. We are all Statistic
that William had nothing whatever I
do with the dreadful affair, as he had n
motive whatever in burning the barns.
While talking to the reporter Mis-
gibbons was overcome with grief an
burst into tears. She placed no credenc
In the report that William Gibbons wa
in any way connected with the awfl
charge which precipitated his arrest i
Philadelphia.
IT WAS NOT BLIND.
Encouragement Biggs, on Tuesda,
positively set at rest all rumors to Il
effect that the arrest of Edward, Mai
and Joseph G. Clark on the charge
conspiracy TO burn the du Pont BARI
was a mere "blind," made with the CO..
sent of the prisoners as move in Il
direction of more effectually fastenir
the crime upon the real culprits.
"There is absolutely nothing" sa
the Encouragement to report
of The GAzETTE, sin the rumor til
the Clarks were held of their ov
accord and are really aiding the Sta
to work up this case. They are charg'
with the conspiracies to burn the
barns, and for these conspiracies TIL
will be tried"
THE PROCEEDINGS WERE REGUL AR.
The impression that the arrest was
"bind" was in a large measure due
the hurried hearing before Esqui
Sasse and the refusal of the authorltl
at the time to give any account OF :
testimony there taken. This gave n
to the report that no actual hearing h
taken place. Henry Q. Turner, who b
now under consideration the request
the Clarks to be their counsel, CO
mented upon the feature of the case,
the columns of the Ne,rS, and duri
his remarks said: "They have no RIG
to be arrested; they have no right to
held, they have no right 10 be put
trial, except in regular and ordel
method"
In. the course of an interview witt
reporter of The GAZETTE, on Tuesd
.M A ft1rnav.uaneral Ripps went over