Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-12-17


noon week, VIM. Morris, colorcd, who
pleaded guilty to keeping gambling
house, was sentenced to pay fine of
800 or in default thereof be imprisoned
for three months.
WHAT PHILIP DoUGHERTY KNEW.
Then Philip Dougherty, the second
witness for William Gibbons defence.
was called, and Attorncy-gencral Biggs
resumed his crcss-cxamination. PHILLIPS
memory with respect to the details of
his journey the night of the fire, when
he claimed to have met Gibbons on
the road, was MS treacherous as ever,
but he remained positive about the
meeting. He said he had not thought
about this meeting from the time il oc-
Cured until Gibbons was arrested. The
first man he told was George Sykes, a
relative OF Gibbons. He said he also
met Gibbons the night the Fleming
barn was burned.
"Might it not have been the night tho
Fleming barn was burned that you met
Gibbons on the road, and not the night
the new barn was burnedsn asked MIR.
Biggs.
81 can't say" was Philips stolid re-
"You saw the flame in the sky, did
you not?" inquired Mr. Hilles.
"Yes."
"What direction was il ~
Towards Mr.. Francis du Points
house."
"lt was not in the direction of the
Fleming barn, was it?'
"No, sir"
SAW GIBBONS GOING TO THE FIRE.
Thomas Sweeney worked at the
Harlan g. Hollingsworth Company's on
December 26th, 1889, the date Of the
new barn" fire, and lived at Riddles
Banks. He said he walked home, that
evening, and taking plot Of the premi-
ses showed the route he took when he
reached the vicinity of Squirrel Run.
lie had reached point near the "new
barn" when he noticed the flames break
ing through the roof, and as he stood in
the road watching ii Gibbons passed
by him, coming from the direction of
Sterling's store. Gibbons went through
the side gate of Francis duPont's house
and on to the burning barn. AS he
passed he called out to the witness to
come on to the fire." Sweeney said
that he followed and saw Gibbons work
ing hard to suppress the flames and pre-
vent the spread of the ire.
Mr.. Sweeney proved an intelligent wit
ness. He was thoroughly familiar with
the lay OF the land in the neighborh0od,
and was able to tell how he went, where
he Went, and to designate on the plot
Just where he was standing when he
noticed the fire at the barn and when
GIBBONS passed him. Sweeney said he
once worked for the du Points, but was
laid of II few months before the fire.
GIBBONS IN 4 DANGEROUS PLACE.
John o. Dougherty is a du Pont EN-
ploye and lives en- Charles Banks. He
was Mt home when the fire broke out at
the "new barn." and at once started for
the scene. When he got there Gibbons
was on the corDicc of the main barn,
near the corner of the hay-shed. He
thought it was q very dangerous place
for man to be.
Edward Babby reached the fire ut the
"new barn" between and o o'clock.
lie also saw William Gibbons on the
northwest corner of the barn, with an
axe In his hands, trying to cut away the
WOODWORK and keep the fire from
spreading to the adjoining hay-shed
The flames were close to him and the
witness considered Gibbons POSITION II
dangerous one.
John S. Miller, grocer at Rising Sun,
said the night the ''new barn" was
burned he reached there about G.45
o'clock, by which time it was pretty
well burned. llo described the con
struction OF the barn, and said he saw
Gibbons during the fire up on the north
west corner of the back wall, striving to
keep the cow-shed from catching fire.
The cow-shed was saved. lie did not
consider Gibbons position very safe
one, his perch being from Is to 20 feet
above the ground. He did not see Glib.
bons after the fire.
HALE A MILE DISTANT.
Mr.. Hilles next produced plot of the
premises around the barn, prepared by
William b. Carswcll, and after Mr.
Carswell had explained it the plot was
put in evidence. 1t is the same as the
plots offered by the State, except that in
addition it has the distances marked on
it. 1t shows that the distance from
William j. Gibbons house to the burned
barn is between 2,700 and $500 feet, OF
a little over half a mile, much Of the
distance up grade.
Some of Mr.. IIilles' witnesses were
absent, and as he especially desired TO
have them heard before going on with
other points Of his defence the court,
at AIS o'clock, adjourned until III
O'Clock Thursday morning.
a CRANK IN THE COURT.
During the afternoon, when Mr..
Hilles called the name of one Of his
witnesses, n young man in the audience
responded and walked briskly towards
the witness stand. just as he was about
to step up Detective AlcYey saw him
MI l.,r !, l., al