The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-09-12

COOL AS AN OYSTER
Attorney Maintains Innocence and
Apparently Has No Fear Of
Being Convicted of
the Crime.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service
NEW YORK, Sept. III Boldly pro-
Gaining his innocence, and asserting
that he was the victlm of circumstan-
ces which could easily be disproven,
Burton w. Gibson, lawyer of Ruther-
ford, N. j., and this city, submitted
to arrest in his office here today He
was formally charged with the MUIR
der of Mrs. t.osa Szabo who was sup
posed to have been drowned in Glen
wood Lake, Orange county, on July IS
last.
The formal arrest was made by
Deputy Sheriff De Graw of Orange
county. Gibson had expected to be
arrested when he reached this city
from his Rutherford home, but the
upstate deputy sheriff, who had been
supposed to be in waiting most of the
night, for just such contingency, did
not appear and it was not until Glib
son had been in his office an hour
that De Graw arrived.
De Graw was accompanied to Glib
sons office by Lieut.. Barney Flood,
of the New York police department.
I De Graw rushed over and grasped him
/ by the arm, but Gibson shook him off
1 and looked inquiringly at Flood, the
only one authorized to serve a war
rant.
Mr.. Gibson, have warrant for
your arrest on charge of murder in
4 the first degree said Flood
Il know" replied the lawyer, 4come
into my private office"
Gibson said he would like a few
minutes to call his family and to get
4 into touch with his counsel
Take all the time that you need
4 Flood said, at the same time telling
4 De Graw who was seemingly the bust
est man in the room, to sit down and
4 be quiet.
THE coolest prisoner | nave ever
arrested" said Flood admiringly as
he watched the lawyers manner as
he called first one number and then
i the other.
j While waiting for the papers tc
arrive Gibson made somewhat ex
tended statement in which he insist
ed that he was absolutely innocent OF
any wrong-doing.
II am sure that this warrant is g
mistake" he said, and that there is
no legal evidence on which it could
have been issued. / have never beer
worried from the first time these al
legations were made, but when I was
III thought that there might be q
chance that the autopsy would show
traces of poison and that, even though
this came from the embalming fluid
used by the undertaken, there might
be the mistake that it was administer
ed through the mouth. So looked
, up the New York law and l found
that the use of embalming fluids
containing irritant poison was pro
hibited and naturally l felt relieved.
Now, as to this more serious ale
cation that the autopsy revealed thai
Mrs. Szabo's wind pipe was displaced
and the inference was that this re
suited from struggle she had witt
me prior to her falling overheard,
absolutely doubt the truth of the re
ports of the autopsy. There certainly
was no struggle between us In the
boat, and there was never any time
when had my hands on her throat
And the dead wor1nn did not strike
the side of the boat when she fel
overheard. This Is absolutely certain
There has been SO much published
about this case that was manifestly
untrue that | have told this much o.
my case have the assurances thai
everything in court will be done de
, Gently, and in order, and that no at
tempt will be made to railroad me.
am therefore confident that | will BIZ
cleared when l have my day il
court"
1t was 10:30 when the deputy
. sheriff reached the Gibson offices ant
proceeded to serve the warrant
, The crowd around the building
where Gibson had his offices became
, SO great when 1t was learned that hit
departure for Middletown had beer
delayed, that 1t became necessary to
call out the police reserves to pre-
|, serve order. Traffic was impeded gen
orally and the police were at times
compelled to use force to keep the
streets open