The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-11-19
MANY DEATHS ARE
RECALLED BY TRIAL
The Trial of Lawyer Gibson
for Murder Calls Atten-
ton to Many Deaths.
CNational News Association

GOSHEN, N. Y, Nov. 19.-The pre-
sent trial OF Gibson for the alleged
murder of the Countess Szabo again
brings into prominence a long list of
mysterious deaths that has overtaken
the clients and adversaries of the law
yer.
The first of these tragedies was the
alleged result of a wrangle between
the heir of Mrs. Louis Stenton, of the
Bronx, New York and Lawyer Gibson.
to whom she Is said to have decided
the major Of her fortune of 100000.
Mrs. Stenton was hopelessly insane
and because of this and the fact that
the lawyer had induced her to place
her fortune at his disposal, the wo-
mans daughter, Mrs. Alice Kinnan,
with whom the insane woman was Iiv-
ing, quarreled with Gibson. She was
later found in a comatose condition
ON the steps of her home managing on
ly to whisper, 1.-The lawyer hit me-"
before she became unconscious and
died. The tragedy took place on June
9th, 1906.
Gibson was arrested and charged
with the murder. He was released
however, on a writ of habeas corpus,
and never brought to trial, the states
most telling witness, Michael Shippo,
who had overheard the quarrel be-
tween Gibson and Mrs. Kinnan, later
being found dead in Pelham Creek.
Upon the death of Mrs. Stenton,
George Ide Malcolm, her nephew, in
stituted suit to recover his aunts
fortune. Gibson, against whom the
suit was directed, was unsuccessful
in preventing Malcolms appointment
as administrator Of Mrs. Stenton's es-
tate and the true status of Gibsons
relations with the insane woman
seemed about to be made public
through a second suit Malcolm was
about to institute when he mysterious
ly disappeared.
The disappearance took place in Oc-
tober. 1910 and on the 10th Of that
month his body was found floating in
Long Island Sound. He was supposed
to have committed suicide by jumping
off the Fall River liner Priscilla.
The next victim of circumstance
was John Rice O'Neal, young Irish
lad who had come to America to make
his way. O'Neal had secured employ
ment with a railroad company. He was
later caught in a wreck and so badly
injured that he lost his leg. His suit
against the company was successful
and he received $4,000 damages.
O'Neal Immediately returned to Ire
land to perfect plans for bringing his
widowed mother and his sisters to this
side of the water. On his return he
met Gibson who told him that he could
invest his money to advantage.
On the morning of May Is, 1911 the
boy left his boarding house to go to
Gibson's Office. He has not been seen
or heard of since. Gibson was closely
questioned in the matter. He admit
ted that the boy had been in his Of
flee on the 18th, that he turned over
$500 to him; but swore that O'Neal
then left and that he knew nothing of
his whereabouts.
The murder Of Mrs. Ritter, as Glib
son calls her, or the Countess Szabo,
as she was known to a few intimates,
followed this list of mysterious deaths
and led to the lawyers arrest.
The tragedy occurred on July II,
1912, at Greenwood Lake, Orange
County, New York. Gibson and the
Countess were both dressed in bath
ing suits and had chartered a boat in
which to row about the lake. Shortly
afterwards cries for help were heard
and the would-be rescuers found Glib
son clinging to the upturned skiff and
the Countess missing.
Gibson explained her death by alleg-
ing that the boat had overturned while
he and the woman were changing
seats. His story was accepted and the
matter was forgotten.
A few days later the lawyer filed let
tiers OF administration for the estate,
and also q waiver of citation purport-
ing to have been signed by the moth
er of the Countess, with the Surro-
gates Court Of New York.
The next development in the case
came through the inquiries of the Aus
trian relatives of the Countess. Her
five brothers and three sisters in that
country wrote to the Austro- Hungar-
ian Consul. DR.. Fritz Fischerauer ask
ing for particulars of their sisters
death. The letters were accompanied
by a claim to her estate.
The consul replied that the Count
ess had been drowned while boating
with a lawyer, who possessed letters
of administration together with
waiver of citation signed by their
mother.
The Austrian relatives replied that
their mother had been dead for two
years.
This started an investigation. An
attorney was employed. the body of
the woman was exhumed and an in
vestigation by physician disclosed
the fact that she had met death not
through, drowning but through a blow
on the throat. A brother Of the Coun-
tess. who journeyed to America, also
declared that the woman was his sis
ter, despite the protests of Gibson
that the woman who was drowned
with him in Greenwood Lake was
Mrs. Ritter.
Following his arrest he was dis
charged as the administrator of the
Countess estate, $1,000 Of which he
is alleged to have disposed of already. |