South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-12-01
TELLS STORY Of
ANCIENT MURDER
Divorced Wife Claims HuS-
band Killed Peddler Back
in Early Seventies.
News-Times Special Service


LAPORTE. Ind. Dec. 1. - Fun
OF the charge that
man named James Gibbons commit
ted murder nearly a half century
ago. following the allegation made
bv Mrs. Margaret Carter of this
city. will be made by the authori-
ties OF Porter county. 1t was near
the village Of Tassinong in that
county that Mrs. Carter alleges her
husband killed a peddler, who had
stopped for lodging at their home,
and then buried his body in hid
den away place. The peddler is al
legged to have had several hundred
dollars in his possession, and II was
to obtain possession of this money
that Mrs. Carter alleges her hus-
band murdered the stranger. Mrs
Carter not only lays the crime of
murder to her husband, but she
further alleges that the fate OF her
son is a mystery, Gibbons alleging
that he died, while the mother be-
Heves that he may be alive, and
that his whereabouts is being con-
cealed from her.
According TO the story Of Mrs.
Carter. which is stranger than nc
ton. she became the husband OF
Gibbons early in the seventies. II
was i'm 1876. she says. that a stranger
stopped for lodging at their home
The latter made a display OF the
money which he had with him, and
il was then that Gibbons, she al
leges. killed him. 1T was for the
sake of my boy" said Mrs. Carter,
that / did not reveal the crime at
the time of its commission, but con-
science will not permit me to longer
remain silent, and / now want the
mystery of that crime cleared up
and to know whether my boy, now
grown To manhood, is alive, that l
want investigation made" The
morning the stranger was killed. ac-
cording TO Mrs. Carter. her husband
came into the house with blood all
over him. He compelled her, she
saws. to remove the blOodstains from
his clothing.
Ii was only short time after the
murder. the woman ayers, that Glib
bons disappeared, taking her child
with him. She waited for years for
him to return, but nothing was
heard from him or the child. 1t is
said that Gibbons went to Califor-
MIA where he was successful in
making a large fortune, later re-
turning to Indiana. and II was COM
ing back that caused Mrs. Carter 10
uncover the dark deed of nearly a
half century ago.
The authorities of Porter county
will make careful search of the farm
near Tassinong, where Gibbons liv-
ed in the '7O's. for an unmarked
grave. Should the body of an un-
known man be found, as Mrs. Carter
declares there will be, if search is
made. further action will be taken
The congregation of st. Peters
Catholic church in this city has sue
ceeded in raising $4,000 of the
$4,000 which the pastor Rev.
George NJ. Schramm, will expend
in the erection of a new church.
1t is planned to begin the construc-
ton of the new edifice in the early
spring and have it ready for dedi-
cation before the close of the year.
The present church building of st.
Peters church is one of the oldest
edihces in the city.
Leases have been taken of several
thousand acres of land near La
! rorte-Porter county line-for oil
explorations. A number of wells
VIII be sunk. Indiana capitalists
having become interested in the pro-
1 ject. with the belize that new oil
/ fields will be founc in a territory
where a number of wells have been
/ previously sunk and where oil has
/ Ieen found. though not in paying
quantities, for several years.
With democratic ard republican
candidates already in the field for
the March city primaries consider
I able interest has been awakened In
/ the coming municipal election. Re
publicans being groomed for the
/ raayoralty include William Plum
beck. present street commissioner
John H Harding. superintendent OF
Waterworks, and David II. McGlH
present mayor. though the latter de-
clares he is not a candidate. Ir
democratic circles the report is vel
defined that Lemuel barrow, pre-
Niously mayor for five successive
terms, will again be a candidate
while Herman W. Sallwasser. prom
irent attorney has already an
nounced his candidacy At a re
cent meeting the democrats took
the preliminary steps for the organ
ization of a permanent democratic
club. 1t is planned 10 open rooms
furnish them with pool and billiard
tables. and keep them open day an,
night. paving the way for effective
work in the city campaign and cleo
ton.
Tn hHEE7