River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-06-02
Mrs. Gibbons Funeral.

Funeral services over Mrs. Gibbons,
who was murdered by her husband,
will be held at $3.50 o'clock Wednes-
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 a sister of the MUIR
| dered woman. She was in South st.
Paul assisting in making the funeral
arrangements.
Margaret Gibbons, the 15-year-o1d
daughter of the murderer, arrived from
Villa Marie school. She was met by
number of people at the Union Sta
ton. 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-
1or in the faces of the people.
Something awful has happened"
she said. Tell me all about it. Is
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 ill 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 a
woman whose married life was unhap-
ply from the beginning and who died a
victim to her husbands unWarranted
jealousy.
Stories are told in Packingtown Of
numerous times that Mrs. Gibbons had
been forced to flee 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-
half
Bishop Joseph F. Busch, of Lead,
S. D., was the founder and first pastor
of st. Augustine's church in South St.
Paul, and as the predecessor of Father
Walsh as well as a personal acquaint-
ance of all the persons concerned in
Sundays tragedy, gave his opinion Of
the shooting and it's motives.
"Mr. Gibbons, the most popular of
men when sober and most success
full stock salesman, was a perfect de-
mon under the influence of liquor.
Naturally of a cunning and suspicious
nature, drink made him most abusive,
especially to his family.
Mrs. Gibbons was the soul of hon.
or, a devoted mother, a loyal wife and
a most 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, most profusely expressed his re-
spect and friendship for myself, and
yet, on enc occasion, he threatened to
| do violence to me in South st. Paul
81 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, is the unfortunate man who
| for years has been under the dominion
of alcohol, and who, I am perfectly
sure is a confirmed paranoiac.''