Evening journal., 1894-04-30
THE BUFFALO MYSTERY
Murderer of Lawyer Gibbs Is as
Yet Unknown.
REVENGE THE PROBABLE MOTIVE.

It Is Suspected That He Was Decoyed TO
the Spot Where the Unknown Assassin
Emptied Revolver at Him-what Two
Boys saw.
BUFFALO. April 90-Montgomery Gibbs,
who left the city editors desk OF the old
Evening Republic, this city, to 20 into
lawyers Office 10 years ago and who be-
came one OF the best known OF the younger
members Of the bar and prominent real
estate dealer, was mysteriously murdered
on Delaware avenue, Buffalo's most fash
ionable street, and the tragedy is still an-
explained
Residents OF Delaware avenue, near the
corner Of Bryant street, heard three re-
yolver shots in rapid succession late Satur-
day night A man named Sloan, who lives
In that vicinity, rushed out Of his house
and saw The body OF man lying on the
roadway leading into the premises Of Mis-
Squire at No. A. A man named Sutton.
who was wheeling a baby carriage ON the
opposite Of the street, ran across the road.
and the two men examined the body fn
the roadway. They saw that blood was
squirting from a bullet hole In his temple,
and Sloan ran Co call doctor. In the
meantime a crowd had gathered. and
| somebody identified the wounded man a.
| Montgomery Gibbs
The patrol wagon came nom station d,
and shortly afterward the ambulance from
the General hospital arrived. Gibbs WAS
taken to the hospital, bnt died just after
he had been lifted on the operating table,
or about three minutes after he had ap-
rived.
Every detective from headquarters and
many from the special precincts were put
70 work on the case. Today the police con-
fess that they hwve not single clew.
They are completely baffled.
Plainly Not a Suicide.
The first theory was suicide. This was
eiiectualiy set nc rest by the autopsy.
This showed that two OF the three bullets
fired at Gibbs had taken effect One en-
tered his elbow. The other entered his
right temple. He could not have fred the
shot into his left elbow. nor could he have
fired the shot into his head for the bullet
took downward course, and he was tall
man. His assailant was out for revenge,
for the last bullet was doubtless fired
while Gibbs was on the ground
The second theory Is footpads This is
tenable. Buffalo Is infested with high
waymen, and holdups are frequent But
Gibbs was not robbed. He had money m
his purse, diamond on his shirt. and hB
valuable gold watch was In his pocket
Then, again, footpads would not wait 70
flreR shot at "A man who was down.
The third and most plausible theory is
that there Is woman at the bottom Of It.
The police think I've wus decoyed 60 The
spot where he was killed No trace Of his
movements on Saturday night between the
time he left HIS home nc 1850 O'Clock and
the time Of the murder can be found. He
did not live on the avenue, and " hflc hia
home on Main street was not far distant
he was not walking toward IL
Boys Furnish Glow.
The only thing that resembles a clew h
the tale told by two small boys who were
delivering shoes for a local shoe stor,-
They say they were out ON the avenue
about 10 O'Clock and heard the shots. Then
they saw two men running duwn the road
way leading into the Squier yard, Rt fhe
street end Of which Gibbs was found.
So far as known nothing has been found
among Mr. Gibbs papers that duplicates
him In any questionable transactions.
Gibbs was 83 years old and had always
lived in Buffalo. When he left the high
school, he became a reporter on The Even
ing Telegraph, now dead. He was city
editor Of The Republic for three years. He
studied law and was admitted TO the bar,
dealt in real estate and had future full
Of bright promise.