The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1908-current, 1910-07-06
HIGGINS GIBSON
STABB[DTO DEATH
JOHNH. PITCOCK IS FREED
CORONER'S JURY EXONERATES
MAN WHO KILLED HEG-
GINS GIBSON.

1S-year-old youth met death at the
hands of an infuriated husband, who
was vindicated this afternoon under
the "unwritten law" occurred at
10:30 o'clock last night, when John
H. Pitcock, assistant clerk at the
state penitentiary, stabbed the
heart and almost instantly killed Heg
gins Gibson, Little Rock chauffeur,
whom he found in room with Pit
cocks wife at their home on Prince
street.
The killing occurred within few
minutes after the arrival of the pas
senger train from Little Rock last
night, on which Pitcock came home.
Pitcock's return to Conway was evi-
IDENTIFY unexpected, although his broth
er, James A. Pitcock, superintendent
of the penitentiary, testified at the
coroner's inquest this morning that
John Ptcock drew his salary yester-
day and came up to Conway last night
for the purpose of settling some in
debtedness. Persons who saw him at
the depot, however, say that he dis
mounted from the coach Immediately
after the train reached the station
and made his way hurriedly through
the crowd in the direction of the
home.
Exactly what occurred when Pit
learned, as neither Pitcock nor his
wife will make any statement con-
cerning the affair Neighbors were
alarmed by sounds of loud voices, and
several in the immediate vicinity tele
phoned for officers to come to the Pit
cock home at once. Witnesses at the
coroner's inquest this morning testi-
fled they heard voices of men, one
pleading, the other angry, but were
unable to distinguish what was said.
According to the best information
obtainable, Pitcock was admitted to
the room in which the tragedy occur
red by his wife, who was attired in
her night clothing. Entering the
room he saw protruding from under
a bed the feet of man, whom he
dragged out and madly attacked with
an open pocket knife, plunging the
weapon again and again into the re-
gion of Gibson's heart and ignoring
his pleas for his life. The wife, who
had been standing a helpless witness
to the vengeance of her infuriated
husband fled from the room. At the
same time a pistol shot was fired, but
whether the shot was directed toward
the woman cannot be learned.
Mrs. Pitcock concealed herself in a
shed room about 100 yards distant
from her home, until she was found
about an hour and a half after the
killing, and she refused to return
until the officers assured her there
was no danger of Pitcock taking teI
life.
Sheriff w. M. Brady, Marshal w
f. Clibourne and Night Marshals E
L. King and John Durham reached
the Pitcock home within a few min
utes after the tragedy. Pitcock
greeted the officers, told them he hao
killed a man and surrendered. He
was not committed to jail, but re-
mained in custody of Deputy Sheriff
C. B. Stewart at the Hines hote
through the night.
Gibson was dead when the officers
arrived and his body was taken tc
the undertaking rooms of ]. A. Pence
where it remained during the night
His wounds were examined by DR.
II. N. McCollum, who testified at the
coroner's inquest that at least five
fatal knife wounds in the region OF
the heart were discovered. DR.. Nc
Collum stated he found one knife
wound one inch back of the lobe of the
left ear. one 2 IL inches above the
back part of the elbow, one one incl
above the right wrist inside of the