The pioneer express., 1910-06-03
Mrs. Gibbons Funeral.

day morning and the body will then
be sent to Sleepy Eye for interment in
the Catholic cemetery there. Mrs. H.
Werring, 1888 Fourteenth avenue s..
E., Minneapolis, is sister Of the mur.
dered woman. She was in South St;
Paul assisting in making the funeral
arrangements.
Margaret Gibbons, the 15-year-old,
daughter Of the murderer. arrived from
Villa Marie school. She was met by
a number Of people at the Union Sta.
tion. She did not know that her moth.
er was dead or of the horrible tragedy
and it was the wish of those who met
her not to mention it until later. But
the little girl could read a tale of hor.;
Tor in the faces Of the people.
Something awful has happened,
she said. "Tell me all about it. Isl
my mamma dead?"
The secret could no longer be kept
from her and the narrowing details
had to be related. The girl refused to
go to her home and was taken to the
Coates hotel. She became i'll and her
condition was considered serious.
The feeling against Gibbons is in.
tense in South st. Paul. The double
tragedy is the principal topic Of con-
versation on the streets and all ex-
press the highest opinion of the char
acter Of the victims. Persons who are
not members Of st. Augustine parish
are just as hearty in praising him and
Mrs. Gibbons is regarded by all as q
woman whose married life was unhap-
py from the beginning and who died q
victim to her husbands unwarranted
jealousy.
Stories are told in Packingtown Of
numerous times that Mrs. Gibbons had
been forced to fee from the drunken
ire of her husband to the homes Of
neighbors. On these occasions, those
who befriended the woman were
threatened by Gibbons. That accounts,
it is said, for his hatred for Father
Walsh, who many times, according to
neighbors, endeavored to make peace
between the couple. Gibbons rela-
tives are reluctant to speak in his be-
half.
Bishop Joseph F. Busch, of Lead,
3. D., was the founder and first pastor
of st. Augustine's church in South st.
Paul, and as the predecessor of Father
Walsh as we'll as personal acQuaint-
ence of all the persons concerned in
Sundays tragedy, gave his opinion Of
the shooting and its motives.
"Mr. Gibbons, the most popular of
men when sober and a most success.
full stock salesman, was perfect de4
mon under the influence of liquor.
Naturally Of cunning and suspicious
nature, drink made him most abusive.
especially to his family.
"Mrs. Gibbons was the soul of hon.
or, devoted mother, a loyal wife and
asmost conscientious Christian woman.
Her sense Of duty and loyalty to hus.
band and children made her brave
heroically the constant fear and dan.
GER of death.
''Mr. Gibbons, but a few months
ago. mos, profusely expressed his re-;
epect and friendship for myself, and
yet, on 1ne occasion, he threatened to
do violence to me in South st. Paul.
II am absolutely certain that there
is no other cause for this terrible af,
fair thar that the poor man is crazed
by drink. Mrs. Gibbons and Father
Walsh are both martyrs to duty. The
real victim, the one that needs our
sympathy, il the unfortunate man who
for years has been under the dominion
of alcohol. and who. am perfectly
sure Is q confirmed paranoiac."