The Irish standard., 1910-06-04
STATEMENT OF FACTS
Issued by Members of St. Augustine
Parish, South St. Paul,
Relative to the Deplorable Tragedy
That Took Place There.

the parish Of ST. Augustine's at South
st. Paul, Minnesota, and members Of
the congregation of our late and be-
loved pastor, Rev. Edward J. Walsh,
desire to state to the press and the
public in general the facts in regard
to the deplorable tragedy of Sunday
evening, the 2sth ult:
Father Walsh needs no vindication
at our hands. His life was an open
book. For the years that he has lived
and labored among us not only the
members Of his flock know. but all the
citizens of South st. Paul, and others
who came in contact with him know,
that Father Walsh was man of
splendid public spirit. devoted to the
discharge of his holy Office, of the
purest public and private life, and
since Sunday he has taken his place
in the neurology of the Catholic church
of the northwest as the first martyred
priest called to his account in the prime
and strength of his youth in the dis
charge Of his duty. in preserving the
sanctity Of the home and the protec-
ton of the innocent wife and children
Of his murderer.
Through the centuries of the his
tory of the Catholic priesthood,
whether on the battle field or in adj
ministering to those stricken with
fatal illness, it has been one of the
Elories of the Church that when called
upon in the performance of the duties
of their sacred Office, it is to go. 1t ia
simply knowing that the Master calls
them to perform the duty and no dan
ger can deter and Father Walsh in
his life and death, lived up in the
highest measure to this scared tradi-
ton.
story printed in the Pioneer Press
on Monday purporting to come from
Patrick j. Gibbons, the prisoner now
held in the Ramsey County jail, cast
ing aspersions upon the character Of
Father Walsh and Mrs. Gibbons.
Sane or insane, and we trust that
the deluded and frenzied creature may
be found to be irresponsible, in any
event we know that the story, with its
shameful accusation about his VIC
Tins, is false in all it's details.
The connection of Father Walsh
with the Gibbons family was not a
new experience for the pastors Of
South st. Paul or it's citizens. Time
and again during the past twenty
years, Mrs. Gibbons was compelled to
leave her home and seek shelter from
the neighbors through the homicidal
fury Of her husband. Time and again
during that period Patrick J. Gibbons
has threatened the lives of those who
sheltered her and former pastors Of
the church who sought to make peace
in the family.
Within the last ten days an elderly
lady Of this city, who has been de-
voted friend Of Mrs. Gibbons, and
many times protected her in her life
Of martyrdon and devotion to her
family, has been threatened with
death by Patrick J. Gibbons.
We are informed and believe that he
requested his wife on Sunday to leave
this lady in charge Of the Gibbons
children while she went to Minneapo
lis to meet him. Fortunately for her
she was i'll on Sunday and could not
comply with Mrs. Gibbons, request.
Had she been at the house on Sun
day evening in all human probability
she would have been victim like
his wife.
About twelve years ago when Mrs.
Gibbons, in mortal fear Of her life, be-
gan an action of separation from her
husband, she and another lady were
followed while riding in buggy from
South st. Paul to st. Paul by him
with revolver in his hand.
Long prior to the time of our mar
tyred priest Mrs. Gibbons spent three
years laboring with her hands to sup
port herself and family rather than
live in mortal fear Of the murder
which was ultimately committed.
On one occasion, when Charles
Fitch was mayor Of South st. Paul
many years ago, Mrs. Gibbons only
made her escape by jumping through
a window and was then severely in
jured by the broken glass. Not only
the devoted wife was threatened
victim of this deluded man but many
other citizens Of South st. Paul have
during these years of his fits of
drunken frenzy or in his unbalanced
condition when recovering from the
effects OF liquor, been threatened with
death.
Different times for years he has