The Wilmington daily Republican., 1891-12-10
IN THE TorIs.
Gibbons stin on Trial fer burning
the DUPONT Barns-Tho Defence
Trvtnc IN Pravs an AtIhi


the DUPONT Barns-Tho Defence
I Trying 70 Prove an Abb.
|, The courtroom was crowded again
yesterday afternoon long before time
for the session to open, and 1t Is pro-
liable that no. case has attracted as
much attention for years.
The prisoner Gibbons was brought
In court and placed in the dock, and
nt $50 O'clock Crler Smith proclaimed
he session open.
i William Morris, colored. was ar
lraigned and pleaded guilty to an in
l.dlctment charging him with gambling.
He was sentenced to pay the costs and
a fine of Sl00, or be imprisoned three
mt uths.
u The Gibbons case was then resumed,
iIund Philip Dougherty, the witness
who was on the stand for the defense
tlwhen the noon recess was taken,
was recalled Tor further cross.exami-
nation.
In answer to Mr.. Biggs' pointed
;lquestion the witness would answer,
Il don't know" or II can't say" and
leither showed that he is very igno-
rsnt, or else that he carefully studied
THE part he was to play on the witness
stand. He admitted to Mr.. Biggs that
{ lie has no education, and did not
| know one month from another, Or
, even whore he was born.
Thomas Sweeney testified that he is
Ia ]aborer ard resides at Riddles
hanks. At the time the new barn was
burned, the witness was employed by
he Harlan and Hollingsworth Com
lpany.
!, He walked home in the evenings
land generally went out West street to
Delaware avenue, thence to Rising
Sun, and then TO the banks. On the
way he passed Frank DuPont's house,
land on the night the barn waS burned,
! WIS going along when he saw the
Iflames coming out OF the barn. At the
Same time he saw Gibbons running to-
ward the fire, and heard him say some
thing about getting water.
On cross examination he said that
lon the day of the fire he quit work
about 5 O'Clock, and saw tine Iiames
about $40 o'clock. His attention was
! directed to the fire by some one at a
! lIgarrett window in Frank DuPont's
Ibid not know who 1t was.
i Gibbons ran toward the fire and call
led to the witness to come after him.
; HE followed for a short distance and
then lost sight of him, but afterwards
: saw him on ladder. The witness
had worked for Henry DUPONT, and
latter his death was employed by Will
liam DUPONT, but witha number OF 9TH
IerS was laid OIL Bbout three months
, before the fire.
, John O'Dongherty testified that he
:. has lived at Charles Banks for the last
eighteen years. He remembered the
-Inight the new barIi was uurued; he Was
at home when 1t broke out and ran
IL lnEnr I'm thu nlapa Whnp lao upI tlarp
the fire was well under way and there
! was number OF people there.
Gibbons was on the roof about
thirty eight feet above the ground in
a very dangerous place, doing what
he could to eXtinguish the liames.
i The witness afterward saw him on the
, ground, looking the same as any one
lelse.
y Edward Babby testified that he was
fat the fire. but did not get there until
latter O'Clock. At that time the ROOF
, and all the floors had fell In. He saw
J. .titbbons on wall with an axe In his
]. hand, cutting away some wood work
:, to keep the fire from spreading to the
HAY shed. He was in a very danger.
lous place, and seemed to be doing all
iu his power to keep the flames from
spreading.
John S. Miller was sworn, and stated
that he keeps grocery store at Rising
-, sun. He was present when tho new
. barn WIS burned, but when he reached
the place about Z o'clock the building
was pretty we'll gone. The barn was
!, composed of stone and wood, the stone
part being about twenty feet high. He
G,saw Gibbons ON top of the northwest
Z, wall, and he was apparently trying To
D keep the fire from spreading to the
, Jlhay shed. This shed was not burned.
, Frank Hawkins testified that at the
time the new barn was burned he
I lived at No. 16 East Front street, but
l now resides at No. Front street, and
c keeps boarding house.
Mr.. Hilles WAS about to ask ques
L tion to contradict James Moore but
ms reference to the stenographer'
r!notes showed that Moore had not all
rr swered the question, the matter wa,
> dropped, and the witnesss lett the
@ stand.
William b. Carswell testified that ht
is civil engineer and at the request
of Mr.. Htlles made n plot OF thu
grounds, which he identified.
This plot was drawn from survey
made by the witness, and gives TIM
distances.
On cross examination the witness
: said that it is about 2, 700 feet or littl,
over half a mile from Gibbons housi
to the burned barn.
: As some of Mr.. sHilles' witnesses
= were not present, court took recess
until 10 O'Clock this morning,