Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-05-01
GIBSON MURDER CASE.
Attra cts Attention OF Circuit
Court This Week Jury
Could not Agree

attracted the attention Of the josephine
eircuit court was thtt ol the Safe oi
Oregon W. Thos. Jefferson Gibson,
yhoofing oi B. S-horbarheler, taken mp
by The curt Monday mprniig. a. Is
usual To such oa-rr, standing room MAS
Al q premium IA the court 70 III du TX
the procedure Of the niLi, MANY having
come to the city from Il pars OF the !
county to hear the Gaze tued. o'yt raj
witnesses were summoned from dls-
tance, among them being j. II Me-
Clung, and Dr. W +. Cneshire, OF
Eugene, and Mike and Robt. Crow, OF
Douglas county.
But a short time was occupied Mon
day morning in selecting jury, the
following named persons being selected :
II. s. Woodcock, Geo. P. Furman,
Geo. Walton, q. X. McKimens. II.
Messenger, A. d. Curtis, j. W. 1od,
l. l.. Jennings, G. r. Fielding, " a.
Leonard. W. j. Wallace, Jas Kennedy.
District Attorney Reames took the
prosecution Of the case in hand whlIe
the defence was upheld By R1bt. Il.
smith and II. A. Reed.
The first witness called was Thos.
Hood, coroner. lie testihed " having
acted in the capacity OF his othce as
coroner 10 attending to the remains oil
schonbachleI and getting a iufy'e YER
dict in the case. lie presented IN Ills
testimony, the single bsrrelled muzzle
loading shot gun that was found lying
across the body Of Scbonbacheler and
also the load OF powder and shot that
was extracted from the gun. IL was a
light charge Of powder with a small
quantity of No. 8 bird shot Mr.. Van
Dorm one Of the two eye witnesses to the
shooting gave his testimony, describing
the manner in which the atIray APP
peared to him as he stood across the
river at the corner OF his house. lie
had Just started into the house with an
arm load OF wood when he heard the
shot and looking across saw Gibson
with his smoking rife and also the
PROSTATE form Of schonbacheler.
Elisha Frankhum, the ferryman, who
lives on the Rogue five miles below the
Schonbacheler farm and who was well
acquainted with both parties, testified
To having heard the defendant Gibson
make serious threats against the life oil
Schonbacheler. These threats Frank
hum swore he heard from the mouth oI
Gibson at the famous "corner" in this
city.
Doctors Van Dyke and Moore, were
each called in turn and their testimony
was similar in most all respects, They
performed the autopsy. They found
two bullet wounds in the body Of Schon'
bachelor. The first of these was in the
mead; the bullet having entered the
center OF the forehead, and passed
directly through the brain. The entire
top OF the skull was torn off and tn,
skull cavity nearly entirely emplied o
its contents. The second bullet entered
the leshy part OF the left arm anC
passing through entered the side ant
taking downward course Just missed
the back wall Of the lung and the hear
passing along the spine. The bulle
was extracted from the back where i
had lodged. The last wound might no
have necessarily been fatal, but th'
tirst could not do otherwise than caus'
instant death.
Mrs. Schonbacheer was called, anC
the testimony OF the aged lady was mDs
pltiful as she told the story of tn,
crime. She and her husband had live,
on the farm by the simpkins ranch 70
four years past. Her husband an,
q bison had quarreled several time
plior to the shooting. Three or iou
weeks before, Gibson came over on
early morning before she had arisel
from bed and had a quarrel with Sohon
bscleler just outside lhe house. Tn
qu rrel was about = calf OF Gibson's tina
hal been running in SChonbachler'
Il ild and he had set his dogs on II
Gibson toll him that he did not wan
him to dog his cAttls any more. The
az Iin Just week before the shootin
q lbson and Schonbacheler had quar-
relied in the formers orchard over n
matter OF the division fence. Gibso
Threatened to put SchonbAcheler out d
the orchard, but his wife, who VIA
present. advised him not to do so. o
the morning OF the shooting Mrs Schon
bachelor saw Gibson 90 across his iiel
with a gun on his shoulder, whistlin
about five o'clock that evening. Schon
bachelor came into the house and toll
his wife that he believed he would tax
his gun and 20 out and shoe. squirrel
lie went out with the weapon and
little later she saw Gibson meet hin
and cry out. "Put down that gun" II
raised his rifle and fred and Schon
bachelor fell. She ran across the feel
to where her husband lay and ioun
him dead. There was no one within
half mile and she did not know what t
do. She first started toward the HON
OF MIR. Crow but she had gone but
short distance when che saw Van Dor
across the river, She turned and wen
past the body Of her husband tn
second time toward the river Just a
she passed him, Gibson raised bis ria
and fred the second shot. Assistanc
arrived OF the scene and Mrs. Schon
bachelor was taken to the house.
Following the testimony OF Mrs
Schoubacheler number OF witnesse
were called by the defense for the pur
pose Of ascsr;aiuing the reputation tiib
sun and Schoubacheler bore for peac