Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-08
HE rRlEp ro klLL Hls WEE.
The Ballet Goes Wide Of 1ts Mark and
Shoots His Brother-ln-IAw.
Baltimore Heraid.)


Joseph Heath. a farmer from Lancaster
county, Va. shot David Gibson. a paper
hanger, residing at 1870 cast Monument
street. last night. The wound Is not ne
cessarily fatal. but may result seriously,
as the bullet entered the chest and could
not be found by probing.
The shooting of Gibson was accidental,
as the bullet which struck him was IN
tended for the wife Of Heath. the man
who did the shooting. II was an attempt
to prevent the would-be murderer from
accomplishing his purpose that caused
Gibson to be shot.
Mrs. Heath Is a sister OF Mrs. Gibson.
Two years ago she married Joseph Heath.
and they went to live In Lancaster coun-
ty, Va. She was formerly Maggie Hea-
ley. and was from Virginia. though she
had lived in Baltimore for several years
They were married two years ago last
August. Heath Is now about I'd, ana MS
wife II. 1t Is said that he was In the
habit Of getting on sprees, and whenever
he did so his wife would leave him and
come to visit her sister In Baltimore.
Three weeks ago she left her home In
Virginia and came to Baltimore on the
Essex. one of the Weems Line steamers.
Nothing had been heard or Heath until
last night. About o'clock he rang the
door-bell OF the house 1922 east Monument
, street. where his wife was staying with
her sister. Mrs. Gibson.
David Gibson. her brother-in-law. went
IN the door. When Heath asked for his
wife Gibson told him to walt and he
would ask her II she would see him. Mrs.
Heath asked II her husband was sober,
and Gibson told her that he appeared so.
She then said that she would see him.
and he came in. Gibson took MN up
stairs to a back sitting-room, where MIS-
Heath and Mrs. Gibson were Sitting:
Heath took n seat, and the four talked
for few minutes
FIRED TWO SHOTS.
At last he arose to go, and without any
WARNING as the conversation had peeh
pleasant, he pulled n revolver from his
pocket and fired two shots at his wire.
His act was so sudden that Gibson. his
| wife and Mrs. Heath were almost stun
| nod Neither OF the shots took effect, and
| Gibson grappled with Heath, throwing
| him to the floor. 1t vas while the struS-
| gle was going on that the revolver was
| discharged the third time, and the bullet
| entered Gibson's chest.
William J. McGann, q nephew OF Glp-
| son. who was in the house. ran upstairs
and. with some others who had been at
| tracted by the shooting. hustled Heath
| out in the street. where he was arrested
! by officer Casey, who had heard the
| shooting and came to the scene. Heath
! was taken to the Northeastern station
| and locked up on the charge of shooting
| David Gibson with intent to XIII. AL the
| station he made the statement that he
| had intended to kill his wife and then
| shoot himself The shooting of Gibson. ne
| declared. was entirely unintentional. He
| acted strangely ut the station-house. az
| II he had been drinking, and offered a
| check of 81, 900 to any one who would XIII
! him.
DR.. Amos L. Gage, OF 500 north Broad
way. was called in to attend Mr.. Gibson.
| He found that the bullet from the revolt
yer. of the 3S-calibre American bulldog
| pattern, had entered the breast-bone,
| glanced sideways, passing between the
| first and second ribs. narrowly avoiding
| the jugular vein and the common carotid
| artery. 1t lodged in n soft spot OF the
| shoulder, and, though the doctor probed
| for Il. IL was not found. The patient was
resting easy, and the doctor said that he
thought he would pull through all right.
| II the bullet had deviated an eighth or
| an inch either one way or the other. the
| doctor stated. death would have been al
! most instantaneous.
Heath Is typical-looking Virginia
| farmer, weighing about 200 pounds.
Mrs. Heath Is a quiet little woman.
| and the couple are said to have gotten on
| well together until Heath got on a spree
| Gibson is n man OF about 81 years OF age.
| and has been delicate for some time.