The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-06-19
is BARNEY INSANE?
FIAT QUESTION Is BEING TRIED IN
THE DISTRICT COURT.

Gibbons Death--Drs. Rentz and Hoff-
man Give it as Their Opinion that Bar
ney Gibbons is Insane--Matt Langdon
Gives Some Expert Testimony and Says
where Satan is there is a Crazy Man.
When the district court convened yes
terday morning all the jurors empan-
neled in the Barney Gibbons murder
case answered TO their names and
County Attorney Davis proceeded to
state the case TO the jury on behalf of
the state. He said that the evidence
would show that barney Gibbons had
shot his wife in a fit Of jealousy and
that was all there was of il.
John Adams in outlining his defense
said that he would show that for twen-
ty-five years Barney Gibbons had worn
the badge of citizenship as became a
man. He had met every obligation up
to this time and among all his neigh
bors was considered an upright honest
man. That for two years past his mind
had become deranged and in an in
sane moment he had committed this
act that deprived his wife Of her life.
Coroner McColIister was the first wit
uc5S Sdtitd ny Tie Sldtt dliQ tCotiiiCo sAA
substance as follows:
| knew Mrs. Gibbons and the last
time / saw her was al Gill's undertak-
ing establishment. She was dead.
There Were a number of wounds in her
body. / held an inquest over the body
after which / turned il over to the
friends of the deceased. Death was eau
sed by wounds and other complicau tons.
DIR. Cave testified as follows:
T n a q
of the Kentucky School of medicine.
have been acquainted with Mrs. Kate
Gibbons since 1856. L was called TO
dress Mrs. Gibbons wounds after she
had been shot and | attended her 1t the
St Francis hospital after she was TAX
en- there.
There were eleven wounds in her
body. She had been shot five times.
The ball would make two wounds where
they went in and where they came out.
and one ball had made three wounds.
She lived some three weeks after the
shooting. There was a complication of
causes that resulted in her death. In
addition TO her gunshot wounds Mrs.
Gibbons had malarial fever. 1t was
what we call typhoid malarial fever.
| had more difficulty in controlling her
bowels than with the wounds. The
wounds seemed healthy and doing well.
Mrs. Gibbons told me that the last
shot fired did not hit her / do not be-
lieve that Mrs. Gibbons died from her
wounds. but tho wounds reduced her Vi
taiity and gave the disease a better
hold on her system. / believed her dis
ease would not have proven fatal if she
had not been wounded"
On his cross examination DR.. Cave
said that he treated Mrs. Gibbons for
typhoid malarial fever up TO the time
of her death and he considered that the
disease was the immediate cause of
death. He said malarial poison would
remain for weeks in the system and
any injury such as a broken leg would
cause the fever 10 develop. Mrs. Glib
bons was strong and she would have
probably recovered if her disease had
not been aggravated by the gunshot
wounds.
]. c. Williams testified: .I was dep
uty caonstable on the 18th day of Janu-
ary last and arrested Barney Gibbons
/ was over on the West Side and saw
MIR. Phillips and he pointed out Barney
Gibbons and told me to arrest that
man that he had shot his wife. l arrest
ed Gibbons and he told me to take that
thing out of his pocket. / took re-
volver from his pocket
He was shown the revolver and iden-
titled it as the one he had taken from
Barney Gibbons pocket.
L
Barney Gibbons for six years. I saw
him drive up TO his wife's home on the
14th lay of last January. A short time
after Mrs. Gibbons rushed into my home
and cryed L am shot. Barney has shot
me- There was blood on her dress and
] went out and saw Barney Gibbons
on the outside of the house. There is
one vacant lot between my house and
the one in which Mrs. Gibbons lived.
Barney had a revolver in his hand
when L went out and saw him
James Gibbons. son of the defendant
was the next witness on behalf of the
state. He testified in substance as fol-
lows:
My name is James Gibbins. The
defendant is my father. l am now liv-
ing down at Clearwater / was work
ing at the Sisters academy on the West
Side on the 18th day Of January and was
on the grounds when i saw my father
in the road that morning. He said to
me. this is a terrible way TO be living
mother and he We're not living together
a that time. | told him that il was
his fault. When l told him that he
said you want my line | did not
know what he meant at that time nor
do l now know unless he meant that
wanted to take his place, but | do not
know what he meant.
Il saw mother in ten or fifteen min
utes after she was shot. She told me
tha- she was shot but did not say WIN.
shot her. After the shooting father
came back to the college l was in the
stable when he called me and when
came out he was starting away. He
looked back and said, I have done an
awful deed | got a horse and rode
down TO mothers 10 see what he had
done.
County Attorney Davis pressed James
10 know If he had not testified before
the coroner's jury that his father had
threatened TO Kill him when he came
back 10 the Sisters school He finally
admitted that his father had said. Il
will not take your life but I ought to-
Sister Francis of st. Francis hospitaI
was the last witness by the state before
resting the case. She testified as fol-
lows:
Il live at ST. Francis hospital 7
nurse the sick people and have been
there since last December. knew
Mrs. Gibbons before she came ~ The
hospital and l took care of her after
she was shot. Have been nursing for
six years. Mrs Gibbons could not eat
and she continued 10 vomit from the
time she came there until she died.
am trained nurse and studied in Aus
tria. My training was TO fiji me for
nurse. / have nursed great many pe0-
Pile"
County Attorney Davis asked wheth-
er from experience she believed that
Mrs. Gibbons died from her wounds
but Mr.. Adams objected and the sister
said she could nurse but she was not
4 doctor and the court sustained the
objection. The state then rested.
Eugene Freeman was the first wit
ness introduced by the defense. In ans
wer to questions by Mr.. Adams he
said:
II have known Barney Gibbons Cor
about fourteen years. | worked with
Il: L., II