Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-05-04
ANOTHER CHAPTER
IN THE RECENT AWFUL CRIME AT BEN
WOOD.
Mrs. Rsbecca Tibss, an Accessory or Participant in
the Murder Of Samuel NcClOud, hung Herself
in the MoundsVills Jail, Yesterday.

Mrs. Rebecca Tlbbs, an accessory in
the murder of her son-in-law, Samuel
McCloud, at Benwood, last Saturday
night, committed suicide by hanging
herself to one of the iron bars in her
cell at the Moundsville jail some time
during Tuesday night.
When Mrs. McCombs, wife of Jailer
McCombs, went to furnish breakfast to
the female prisoners, about seven o'clock
yesterday morning she was horri-
fed to discover the lifeless form
of Mrs. Tibbs hanging limp from the
iron frame of the door OF her cell, Mrs.
Tibbs was confined In the second story
of the building, in cell made OF bar
iron, while inside this cell is another, or
smaller cage, used for combining luna
tics. The outside door and the door OF
her cell were securely lokced, but this
cage door was left ajar, and it was from
the top of this the act of self destrnc-
ton was committed. The woman had
taken her apron and torn 1t into
strips which she had fasten-
ed to the top OF the door
and standing on chair made q moose
of the other end which was securely
fastened about her neck. The door
was swung open and when all was
ready the chair was pushed from under
her and her body left dangling in the
air. The fall was so great that the wo-
mans neck was broken by the forco.
The knot which had been tied
under the chin, had slipped
to the back part of the neck
and the body presented CHASTITY ap-
pearance when discovered. AS soon as
the discovery was made, Mrs.
McCombs at once gave the
alarm and Justice Criswell was
summoned, as we'll as medical aid.
From the appearance OF the body life
had evidently been extinct for some
time, and it is thought the act had been
committed during the early hours OF
the night.
The body was at once cut down and
an inquest held over it, The coroner's
Jury was composed Of Robert Blankin-
sop, H. II. Keller, VIM. McGill, Calvin
Austen, Abram Bryson, and Geo. w.
Morris, who, after viewing the body,
returned verdict in accordance with
the facts above stated. A telegram was
at once sent to her daughter. Mrs. Nc
Cloud, at Clarksburg, whittier she
had Como with the body OF
her dead husband, asking what
should be done with the body.
In the meantime the Sheriff has 1t
closely guarded, and il an answer is not
received from her daughter by to-day
will have it buried at the county's ex-
pense.
Daring the day Napoleon b. TIbbs,
the dead woman's husband, came down
to view the remains and was taken up
stairs by the Sheriff. Napoleon was
greatly under the influence OF whisky,
and was sent back home In the evening,
the Sheriff purchasing him ticket and
having him placed on the train.
Charles l.. Tibbs, son OF the dead
woman, who is confined for the same
crime as his mother, still persists in his
innocence, and says that his mother
choked HIS brother-in-law; but IL Is
thought by many that any man who
would try TO tighten the moose around
his own mother and screen himself
would not hesitate to lie about it. DR..
Bruce, the penitentiary physician,
where young Tibbs was confined
for several years, only being
liberated few months
ago, says he does not consider him re-
sponsible for his acts, and that he is no
doubt an idiot. 1t is said that Tibbs
made confession to his father,in which
he admitted striking McCloud two or
three times with the pin and saying
the first time he saw his mother, she was
down on her knees washing the blood
from his head This latter is probably
true, as the woman's underclothing was
clotted with blood at the knees. and
from all appearances she had evidently
been washing In water. A telegram is
anxiously awaited from her daughter,
Mrs. McCloud, and the dead body will
be inferred to-day.