Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-04-16
BRUTAL MURDER
'..." e OF WATCHMAN
Robl'er Surprised at Work in Houston
Club OF Pennsylvania University.
NEGRO CoNFEssEs THE CRIME

Philadelphia, April IL. - John
Thomas, the night Waterman at the
Houston Club of the University of
pennsylvania. which is situated on the
campus in the heart of the university's
group Of buildings, was brutality muir
dered on the bowling alleys in the
basement OF the club house. The mo-
1--WE is believed to have been robbery.
and Lawrence Gibson, alias John
oakley, a negro, was arrested on sus-
plclon. Gibson was employed for a
number of years as a utility man at
Houston Hall.
Houston Hall is closed at Z O'Clock
on Sunday evening. Shortly after
that hour a student in passing the hall
noticed that 1t had not been closed.
and entered the building. AS he did
SO he heard groans in the basement.
He summoned assistance from the
University Hospital, nearby, and the
Waterman, who was about 90 years of
age, was found lying across one of
the bowling alleys. The right side of
his head was crushed in, one ear was
partly cut off and one finger was sew
cred from his left hand. The man was
dead. One of the watchman's pockets
was turned inside out Near the body
was found two chisels and an andiron.
Blood was spattered over the alley and
on several of the bowling balls. A
stand where books and stationery are
sold, just outside the bowling alleys,
showed evidences of a struggle, part
OF the iron grill work surrounding the
stand having been torn down.
A thorough search of the building
was made. Under a cushion in a cozy
corner on the main floor a blood
stained Ratchet was found Trails of
blood led from the alleys to this spot
and also 20 the bath room on the sec
ond floor, where blood-stained towels
were also found.
Gibson was arrested at his home
early in the day. and denied all knowl-
edge OF the crime until late In the af-
ternoon, when he broke down and con-
tessed to the murder Self-defense is
his plea. Gibson s2ys he went to
Houston Hall to call on Thomas. The
Waterman. Gibson says, evidently mis-
took him for a thief and attacked him.
In the struggle he Internationally
Killed the old man. He says there was
scudie. in which Thomas attacked
him with pair of tongs, cutting his
finger. The men struggled. and Glib
son broke away, wrenching the tongs
from Thomas. He hit the Waterman
with them. Thomas fell at the first
blow, but got up and renewed the
fight Gibson struck him again and
ran away. On going home he tore out
! ahd partly burned the bloody sleeve
OF his shirt. 2'he detectives have the
charred fragments.
The police do not believe this story
Superintendent of Police Quirk is OF
the opinion that revenge for being dis
missed from Houston Hall was the
motive for the murder. although he
mas not entirely discarded the theory
or robbery. Gibson, whose complexion
is so light that he easily passed as n
white man, misrepresented himself as
a student at the university and mar.
ried a young white woman three
weeks ago. When the deception was
discovered he was discharged from
Houston Hall. How he expected to
get revenge and his reason for attack
Ing the Waterman, the police decline
to say
The authorities say that Gibson Is
wanted in Jamaica for some offense.