Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-06-08
4 DOUBLE MURDER:
REV. e. J. WALSH, SOUTH ST.
PAUL, VICTIM OF MURDER
$3.50 ER'S BULLET.
STARTS FROM FAMILY QUARREL
HomicIde-Gives Himself Up
He IL Taken to Ramsey Co.
Jail.

tive not yet clearly revealed, Pat
rick J. Gibbons, live stock broker of
South st. Paul, shot and instantly
killed his wife, Mary MCGOWAN Glib
bons, following up the murder few
minutes later by shooting Rev. E. J.
Walsh of the st. Augustine Catholic
church, who died short time after.
ward. Gibbons then calmly gave him
self up to the police.
The double tragedy took place i'm
mediately after Gibbons and his wife
had returned from Minneapolis, where
he had been treated at the Lawrence
sanatorium since last Wednesday for
alcoholism. He has so far refused to
make any statement as to the cause
which led to the crimes.
It was with the permission of DIR.
Lawrence that Gibbons left for his
home, but he was under the care Of
A. G. Anderson, one of the nurses. and
it was understood that he was to re-
turn Immediately after seeing his
children and attending to some i'm
portant business he had pleaded as an
excuse for leaving the sanatorium.
Quarrel Between Couple.
AS soon as the couple entered their
home, Anderson in the meantime
stopping at hotel, it is said quar-
rel ensued. Mrs. Gibbons started to
prepare the evening meal. Only one
of the seven children happened to be
in the house, a 10-year-old girl. She
afterward told the police that she
heard her father threaten to kill. his
wife and, terrified, she fed to a
neighbor and gave the alarm, but too
late.
Two shots rang out in rapid success
sion, and the man was then seen to
Jump into his rig, which was still wait
ing at the door, and drive swiftly
away.
He drove directly to the home Of
Father Walsh, at the rear of the
church, called the priest out and,
after a few heated words, shot him
through the head twice. The priest
staggered toward his study and drop
ped dead in the hallway.
After the double crime, Gibbons
left his horse and buggy standing in
front of the fathers house and walk
ed to the police station. On the way
he met his 12-year-old son to whom
he said in passing: II have killed
the priest"
Boy Thought II q Joke.
The boy thought he was testing
and only laughed, but when he saw
his fathers rig outside the priests
house, he realized that something was
wrong and hurried home, where he
found his mother in pool of blood,
dead on the kitchen floor.
Bridget Pembrick, the priests
housekeeper, says she heard an alter
cation going ON between her master
and Gibbons, but she became fright
ened and ran to a neighbor's place
and did not hear any of the words
which passed between the two men.
Gibbons continued his way to the
station and when he reached there he
repeated: II have killed the priest"
He was Immediately locked up, but
refused to talk when pressed for an
explanation of his awful deed
No one heard what husband and
wife were quarreling about. She was
facing him across the kitchen when
the first shot was fired, which only
grazed her left cheek bone and burned
her face. Apparently she turned and
fed, for the second bullet took effect
at the base of the brain and passed
entirely through the head, causing in
slant death.
The news Of the shooting ran quick
~ through the town and cries of
Lynch him! Lynch him." were fire.
quent. Fearing that the threat might
be put into execution, Chief of Police
Brown, after consulting with Mayor
Lyle, decided to take the prisoner to
st. Paul in an automobile to rescue
him from the indignant mob.