The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1895-01-22
WHO is THE MURDERER'

The Oregonian yesterday bad an ac-
count of the attempt of Judge Gibbs of
Little Rock, Arkansas, to have his son
pardoned out of the penitentiary. 1t
will be remembered by many that
Gibbs was a Pullman porter, and that
he shot and killed James McDevitt,
and also shot and severely wounded
Tom McDevitt, the depot master,
whom every traveller knew and liked.
As the Oregonian states the matter, the
entire Jury that tried Gibbs had signed
q petition for his pardon, and that Gov
ernor Pennoyer was disposed to grant it
until he had conversation with M. @.
Pennington, the cashier of the Pullman
Company at Portland. What that con-
Versation was the governor and Mr..
Pennipg gton know, but the latter gentle
man has not vouchsafed to say publicly
what he said to the governor.
We are not believer in promiscuous
pardoning, nor do we believe that Gibbs
should be pardoned, though we thought
at the time, and still think that Gibbs
crime was the legitimate outcome of the
Pullman Co.'s system of carrying on its
business, by which that company hired
its conductors and porters, but COM
PEELED the public to pay their salaries in
the shape of tips. 1t appeared in the
trial of the case, as we remember the
testimony, that one of the rules of the
Pullman Co. was that the porter should
not allow passengers to put packages or
baggage in the Pullman car until it was
time for the train to start. On the 11th
day of October, 1889, Gibbs was at the
depot in Portland attending to his
duties about the car, it being an hour or
two before the time for the train to
leave. A lady came to the depot and
requested Gibbs to put some packages
in the car. Although it was against the
rules, Gibbs acceded to the lady's re-
quest, being superinduced thereto by
tip. Pennington came through the car
shortly alter, and seeing the package,
like many another petty official, took
advantage of his discovery to abuse
Gibbs. The latter retorted to the petty
tyrant's abuse by saying that the COM
pany compelled him to exc out his SAL
ary of SIS per month (the munifceut
reward that Pullman paid for months
service) by taking tips. The result of
Pennington's verbal attack on Gibbs,
who showed all through the transaction
the more manly spirit of the two, was
that the latter threw down his keys and
left the car. Pennington followed him,
and in order to vent his spite, called
upon McDevitt, the depot master to ar
rest Gibbs for abusing him. AS Mr..
McDevitt started to arrest Gibbs, the
latter pulled pistol and fred, the shot
striking McDevitt, and James, McDev-
tits son, seeing his fathers danger
rushed to his rescue, receiving bullet
from Gibbs pistol in his breast. Gibbs
escaped and was caught in California
five weeks after.
On the trial Gibbs made a statement
on his own behalf. He said that PEN
nington had abused him that when he
left the car and McDevitt and Penning-
ton came at him he was frightened !;
that he had been mobbed and beaten by
q gang of white men sometime before,
and that he, in his fright, imagined the
offense was going to be repeated.
Such, in brief, was the crime for
which Gibbs was sent up for life. 1t
would seem that Pennington, being
(however unwittingly) the indirect cause
of the whole affair, might have found in
his heart some trace of pity for the VIC
tim of his own petty oficiousness, and
yet he is the man according to the Ore
gonian) who alone prevented by ''a con-
versation with the governor" Gibbs
pardon. 1t may be best that Gibbs
should suffer the full penalty of his
offense; it probably is so, but he should
not pay that penalty alone. George M.
Pullman, whose grasping penuriousness
inaugurated the system OF compelling
his employees to beg their salary from
his Pullman's patron, should be in the
same cell with him, for he is as much
the murderer as Gibbs.
Miss Edna R. Brown of Kaneviile. ILL.,.