New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-17
GIBSON FACES TRIAL
Justice Tompkins Expects to
Hear 6 Witnesses Tomorrow.
KNOWN FOR HIS QUICKNESS
Two of Whitman's Assistants
, Will Prosecute at Goshen
Gillette Case Recalled.

Burton w. Gibson, the New York law
yer who is accused of the murder OF Mrs.
Rosa Szabo at Greenwood Lake on July
16, will be brought to trial tomorrow be-
fore Justice Arthur II. TompkiHs at Gosh
en-, the county seat Of Orange County.
Justice Tompkins has a reputation not
unlike that of Justice Goff for expedition
in criminal trials He has Informed
Thomas c. Rogers the District Attorney
OF Orange County, that he not only ex-
poets the jury to be selected on Monday,
but also to have six witnesses in court
in readiness TO be called.
Isidor Wasseryogel and Deacon Murphy,
two Of District Attorney Whitmans as
sistants. who will conduct the prosecution
against Gibson, had a final conference
Yesterday with their witnesses. They
will leave New York this afternoon for
Goshen, where they will stay at the st.
Elmo Hotel For three weeks Mr.. Was
servogel and Mr.. Murphy have devoted
their entire time to the preparation of the
case against Gibson.
They spent considerable time going over
the record in the case of Chester w.
Gillette, who was convicted In Herkimer
County OF the murder Of Elizabeth Brown
at Big Moose Lake. in the summer or
1906. In many respects the evidence
against Gibson and that against Gillette
is remarkably similar. The points of dis
similarity, however. are fully as striking
Gillette before embarking in the boat
which he intended TO overturn with him
self and Billy" Brown, packed his suit
1 t. A,Ia r3,gya
his tennis racquet, with him, as though
he had planned to leave the hotel for
good
When his sweetheart was at the bottom
of the lake he made his way TO shore and
tramped six miles across country to the
Fulton chain of lakes. His fight and evil
dent preparations for it were used with
telling effect by the prosecution.
When Gibson got into the boat with
Mrs. Szabo he was clad in his bathing
suit. Not only his suitcase. but even his
clothes, he left at the hotel. The boat
was overturned in the sight Of several
boating parties. When Gibson had been
pulled out OF the water he went back to
the hotel, although he did not wait for
the recovery Of the body.
At the commission In Jersey City, issued
by Justice Tompkins for Gibson's lawyers,
Mr. Wasservogel found at least two wit
nesses whom he considers important for
tie prosecution One Of them is DR..
Haskins, a county physician. Of Jersey
City, who agreed with Coroner's Physician
Otto Schultze that Mrs. Szsbo had been
strangled before she sank to the bottom
of Greenwood Lake.
The other Is DR.. King, also county
physician, Of Jersey City. DR.. King did
not testify IN Jersey City. Robert H.
Elder, counsel for Gibson. saying that he
would produce him at the trial Mr..
Wasservogel said yesterday that II the
defence did not call Dr. King the prose-
cution certainly would.
Judging by the hypothetical questions
put by Mr.. Elder to the witnesses called
in Jersey City, his testimony will be to
the effect that the boat capsized while Gio-
son and Mrs. Szabo were changing seats,
that both could swim little. and that
he called to her that he would do what
he could TO save her. When he had
reached her she threw her arms about
his neck, and so hampered his move
ments that both sank far below the sur
face. He struggled with her, and in their
efforts his Jersey was torn from his back.
The regular panel of sixty talesmen
will be in court tomorrow, and there will
be an additional panel Of l5o.