The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-15


ence of Their Little Chiidren-The
wounded Woman FIees TO Her Neigh
Dor for Protection-Five Balls Enter
Her Body-A Tweive-Year-old Boy Saws
Father Shot Mother-Barney Gibbons
Arrested for the Crime and is Now Con-
fined In jail.
Mrs. Kate Gibbons lay moaning on a
lounge at the residence Of e. E. Phil
lips with five balls from a deadly re-
volver in her body and her husband,
Barney Gibbons sat sullenly on a bench
in the Sedgwick county jail yesterday.
Barney Gibbons and his wife had
lived in separate houses for about eight
weeks out west in the outskirts of the
city. Gibbons took his wife a load OF
coal yesterday. When he saw her he
drew a revolver from his pocket and
fired six shots. five of which lodged in
the breast and arms Of the terrified
woman.
Mrs. Gibbons fed from the house and
rushed into the house Of E. E. Phillips
crying Il am shot. am shot" The
blood was running over her breast. This
so excited Mr.. Phillips that he grasped
his gun and ran out only to meet Bar
ney Gibbons at the door, Gibbons had.
pursued his wife evidently with the in
tent Of completing the work which his
trusty revolver had failed to do.
When Mr.. Phillips got from the house
he found there was no load in his gun.
Gibbons revolver was empty and the
men eyed each other like deadly enemies
though they were before friends. Phil
lips with the thought only Of protect
ing a woman would have killed Barney
Gibbons then and there if his gun had
been loaded and the fact that Gibbons
had fired his last shot probably saved
the life of the man who dared to pro-
tect Mrs. Gibbons against the man who
had registered a solemn VOW to protect
and defend her as long as his life should
last.
Gibbons came down to the city and
was arrested by Deputy Sheriff Will
Jams and Mr.. Phillips summoned Dr.
Cave to attend the wounded woman.
The home of Mr.. Phillips was soon flied
with indignant people and it was per-
haps better for Barney Gibbons that
he was safely behind the bars of the
county jail.
A reporter for the Eagle called at the
jail q few minutes after Barney
Gibbons was brought in. He had not
yet been assigned to a cell but was sit.
ting on a bench in the corridor. His
hat was pulled over his eyes and he ap-
peared suilen and desperate. His left
hand was covered with blood as was
Harrington & Richardson revolver, 3S
calibre, which Sheriff Royse had taken
from the prisoner.
When Gibbons recognized the report
er he extended his hand and said, how
do you do?"
Barney what is the trouble?'
"Oh don't know: 1 don't want to talk
about it,
What is the matter with your
hand?"
81 don't know" he replied, and hold !
ing it up revealed deep cut along the |
upper side of the forefinger. Il can not |
tell how it happened" |
Barney why did you shoot your
wife?"
rs she dead?"
NO; not yet" sd
lis she dangerously wounded?" !
Eyes; what did you do it for?"
here and see how it is I will tell you i
when you came back. / won't talk
1ow."
Then after again asking the reporter !
Ia come back after he had visited the |
scene OF the tragedy, Barney Gibbons
was put into cell and when the big /
ock clicked he lay down on the prison
bed.
A visit to the scene Of the shooting
revealed a sad sight The Phillips
house was crowded with excited people.
In a room lay Mrs. Gibbons moaning
md attended by DR.. Cave. Six of the
children of the unfortunate mother
1uddled in one corner, the very pic
lure Of dispair, and down the cheeks OF
some of them flowed tears of grief.
There was one child in the group who
ooked as if he had not shed a tear
That was little twelve year old Thomas
There was more of indisna-
ion than of grief in his face. The re-
porter for the Eagle asked the deter
mined looking boy his name.
My name is Tommy Gibbons" he
answered promptly.
How old are your"
81 am II years old"
Tommy, who shot your mother"
why. father did it,
What caused him to do that?'
'T cannot tell that. He came here
With a load of coal and asked for moth
r. / was there with the other child
EN- and / told him mother was out
loors. He went out and in little bit
mother came in and father too. Mother
.ame in first. When father got inside
he house he shut the door and drew
big revolver from his pocket and
commenced to shoot at mother. She
and l was scared and 1
aised the window and jumped out to
ret somebody to come and help moth
r. Then mother ran out another door
md ran down here to MIR. Phillips.
When asked if Mrs. Gibbons was IA
ally wounded, DR.. Cave said he
hought she might recover. If only
tut. Dr. Cave said that Mrs. Gibbons
would be brought over to St Francis
hospital and if blood poison did not set
n she would probably recover. There
we're eleven bullet holes, six in the
rms and five in the breast. Some
hots in passing through the arm had
made two holes, as there had been only
tx shots fired and one shot had lodged
q the wall of the room.
Mrs. Gibbons is a daughter OF Mrs.
Fat Mcdonald of De;ano township.
irs Mcdonald was sent for end when
he came she said that Gibbons had
lways abused his family and that her
laughter could stand ii no longer and
ad left him. She said Barney Glib
ons was fairly well thought of because
e behaved himself when among people
generally, but it was different when he
anne home.
A second visit was made to the coun- I
v jail at noon yesterday, two hours
fter Barney had been arrested. He
ras confined in an upstairs cell and
Fhen reporter for the Eagle went 10
be cell door Barney was lying on his :
ack on the bed with his hands clasped
cross his forehead. When spoken to !
e removed his hands and looked up in |
dazed way as if he did not realize
there he was. After a little time he
arx-s>d nm nearer the door gzn6 asked
II the particulars about his wife. / :
low many balls had struck her and |
hat the doctor had said. When told I
nat the most danger was from blood :
olson, he asked: What is blood
oison?" Then he sat down on the !