The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-08-12
MURDER CHARGE ON GRAVE
TOMBSTONE ACCUSES THE WIFE OF THE VICTIM.

Pelham (NIass.) Cor. Buffalo Express | N the little old cemetery in this town.
 which is noted for it's curious cpl taphs. is a headstone which has been a constant source of trouble for nearly fifty years, and which is the cause of a bitter family fued The inscription on the stone 1sA NN
 Va ren Gibbs
 died bS 'senic poison
 Mak 23. 1860.
 Age 36 MS mos.
 23 dA <
 Think my friends M n this you see
 How my wife hath a alt with me.
 She in some oysters did prepare
 Some poison for my lot and share.
 Then of the same I did partake,
 And nature yielded to its fate.
 Before she my wife became
 Mary Felton was her name.
 Erected by his brother.
 Wm. Gibbs.
 Every one who visits the cemetery stops to speculate as to the guilt of Mary Eel ton. What William Gibbs caused to be in- scribed there was only a neighborhood suspicion, and there was not even an au- topsy on Gibbs body, but with strange bitterness he wished all Pelham to know what he thought of Mary Felton.
 Long before easy-going, irresponsible Warren Gibbs died there was bad blood in the family. The Globes did not like the Feltons and there was harsh feeling when Warren Gibbs chose a Felton girl for his bride. The fued was mostly manifested by petty acts until the sudden death of Warren Gibbs gave rise to a suspicion of foul play. In the spring of 1860 Warren Gibbs was seized with severe fever. Tortured by a burning thirst he mplored some sort of relief. A kind neghbor brought jug of hard cider which was almost at the vinegar stage. and the suf- ferer gulped down a large quantity of liquid. The acid relieved the mans dis tress and he began to recover. Then his wife prepared a meal of oysters, of which he ate greedily, and soon the wretched thirst returned and the man rapidly grew worse. A doctor from En- field was sent by the relatives of the dy- ing man, but he shook his head hopeless ly.
 In day or two Warren Gibbs died and, as there was little or no money, charity buried him as quickly as decency would allow The grave-digger. who had the true grim humor which tradition says IS an attribute or grdNeu1ggerS, made a grave seven feet deep. remarking that 1t would not be well to have the dead man reappear to the embarrassment of the liv- ing. The shaft was well aimed, for War ren Gibbss widow immediately found a new husband.
 With like promptness the brother of the dead man, resident of Hardwick, brought a pure white stone and ordered the unusual inscription. The brother was a man of means, and he defied the woman and her relatives to do anything. They threatened. but he was obdurate. vowing that if the law did not punish guilty peo- pie he would.
 Then at dusk shadowy forms began to creep into the graveyards. armed with hammers and sharp tools. and the brother appointed agents to watch the stone to see that 1t was not molested. But the agents could not be there all the time, and again and again the stone was broken down. only to be promptly restored and the inscription made as plain as ever. Then the brother assumed the offensive, and said he would prosecute any one who touched the tombstone. and he intimated that wicked tales would be told in such prosecution. Then the stone remained unmolested for years until four or five years ago, when relatives of the guilty or grossly maligned woman. who is now dead. took up the matter. with the idea of prosecuting Will liam Gibbs. The physician who had at tended Gibbs declared that there was no convincing evidence to support the accu-