New-York tribune., 1906-07-18
GIBSON I'm TIE T0NBS.
HELD ron GRAND JURY.
LaSryer a Hard Nat to Cracb at
hinHaH Inquest.

After an al day session. the coroneFs jury n
the inquest over the death OF Mrs. Alice c. 70.
Kinnan, who killed on the porch OF her
home in The Bronx on the night OF June S last
returned a verdict yesterday finding that Mrs
Kinnan met death at the hands Of some person
or persons unknown to the jury The jury Eec-
commended that Burton w Gibson. FORMERLY
counsel for Mrs. StentOn. the mother Of the dead
woman be held for further examination BY the
grand jury. Coroner Mcdonald Immediately
ordered that Gibson be arrested. and. despite
the latter's protests. he was held IN $4,000 hall
Gibson asked 20 be paroled for the night IN
the custody OF his counsel. Luke Stapletou.
Coroner Mcdonald would not agree to this as
his counsel was not present. Although Gibson
said that he would soon obtain BAH. he was
still in the TOmbs at late hour last night.
When Gibson was taken to his cell he asked
that he be allowed 20 speak privately to tha
warden. Then he asked Mr.. Flynn for an "out-.
side cell" I'VE have no outside cells" replied
the warden. "An our cells are on the inside
Gibson made an objection to the commitment
papers on the ground that they contained no
specific charge.
ScOfins az hts inquisitors and bafiing an at
tempts to bring out his dealings with Mrs stem
ton and her daughter Gibson underwent a long
examination yesterday at the hands OF Coroner
Mcdonald. The witness showed an aversion 70
Coroner SchwannecEe. and. whenever the latter
asked him a question Gibson would give a sar-
castle reply ask counter question. At times
the examination dragged wofuIly, and the IN
quisitOrs seemed % elicit little Information from,
the witness. Gibson denied nearly an the tes-
timOny OF Robert J. Flaherty, the real estate
assessor who was on the stand the previous day.
Gibson was called to the stand az the be-
ginning OF the examination. Asked Il he knew
Flaherty. the witness said that he had met him
FTa Saf4 ~a% EaFEa
Mrs. Stanton authorized Flaherty TO try 20 have
her taxes reduced
"Eaow did. Flaherty so about the tax resuo-
tion7" asked Coroner Mcdonald.
About the same way you go about buying
horse" replied Gibson
GIBSON SARCASTIC ON STAND.
Gibson was then interrogated about the uartf-
tion suit. He explained at great length. The
property was sold at the partition sale TO Arehi-
bald j. Mcfarland. who was acting as a trustee
for Gibson and two or three others. the witness
said. AT this point Gibson said he would not
relate all about the transactions unless Mrs.
stentOn was willing. The old woman went on
the witness stand and said that her counsel az
present was Hugo Wintner. and that she was
perfectly willing 20 have Gibson tell an about
the transactions. As she was leaving the Wit
ness chair Gibson asked her, "Ars you Wiling
that an the confidential Information and trans
actions that we have had together in the last
year be to.d7" Mrs stenton safe that she was.
Coroner Mcdonald piled ths witness with dues-
tions 20 bring out who Mcfarland was. but Glib
son said that the only thing that he knew about
him was that he was in the printing business
Gibson said that he gave Mcfarland the money
to buy the property. Asked II he didn't think
that it was worth much more than was paid
for it. the witness replied in the negative The
property was sold a second time 20 Martin c.
Dyer. the witness said. Gibson could not give
any information about this man. either
Gibson was then asked about the awards made
by the city for the 1s9th street Improvement
that ran through the Stenton estate He replied
that he didn't know how much it would aHsuunt
to, and that he would get part OF It and Mrs
StentOn also share. In reply to Coroner Nc
Donald. Gibson zsid that he hadn't paid any
thing 20 Mrs. StentOn from the proceeds Of the
partition sale OF from the reduction OF the taxes
Her daughter. he said. received $2SON HIS
mariner. w X Aston. the witness said. gave
Mrs. Stenton $4,000. because he was a decent
sort Of a man" The only money Gibson re-
ceived from the second sale was 5000 he said
Asked what percentage he expected % get OF
the awards Gibson snapped. That's my bush
ness" Coroner Schwannscks wanted to know
how Gibson was entitled 60 any part or ths
awards II he was not counsel for Mrs Stanton
at the time they were made. as he had previously
testified. This nettled the witness. who re-
piled: ''What has that got 90 do with the uaur-
der Of Alice c. d. KInan9 That's my business
and don't propose 70 tell"
WITNESS ANSWERS BACK
Coroner Mcdonald asked Gibson 20 explain
Univ he went through the StentOn home arter
the murder and removed letters and 5sFge4Fy.
He said that he did 1t because ha was tns couE1-
sci for the two women
'sVVhat you took might have been evidence
said Coroner Mcdonald.
.aThat was what we were looking GOrsT replied
the witness
.svyhy did you take from the house a note
showing that she had loaned $500 to your asked
Coroner Mcdonald.
II didn't want TO leave IL about the housa
Why don't you ask why didn't destroy the
note II you want to insinuate?'
The line Of examination was then directed
toward Gibson's movements Just prior 20 the
murder. On the day preceding the murder Glib
son said that he visited the house twice. once
in the morning and once in the evening. Coroner
Mcdonald tried to bring out that on that day
there had been a disagreement between Mrs. KIN
nan and Gibson about the intended sale OF tho
property Gibson would not admit this. He said
that the murdered woman was perfectly con-
tented. The witness could not remember any OF
the conversation.
In reply to a question put by Coroner NcDOu-
aid. Gibson said that four or five persons shared
in the last sale OF the property and that his was
the biggest part OF the amount. about $4,000
The other persons are Mcfarland. Joseph
Kelly. client. whose address he could not re-
member. and his father. Joseph Gibson The
witness explained that money had been paid
in on the contract because Mrs Stenton had
rna