Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1921-09-30
GIBSON GUILTY In
SECOND DEGREE
Judge Fish Sentences Respond.
ent to Prison for Life
Reports-COunsel Gives Notice That
Appeal Will BE Taken.

William Gibson of Seymour, Tenn.
was found guilty of murder in the sccont
degree by jury in Wndham count,
court at Ncwfanc Saturday afternoon, the
jury reporting at 4.OS o'clock. and within
five minutes Judge Frank l.. Fish hat
sentenced the respondent to serve the rest
of his life at hard labor in the state
prison at Windsor. This completed {
case which had been on trial since Tues
day morning and which came to Windhan
county court through a change of venue
from Windsor county, where Gibson's
companion in the crime had been con
victed Of murder in the first degree.
Gibson was unmovcd when the jury's
verdict was announced by Foreman Les
lie II. Adams of Wilmington.
The jury took the case at noon Satur.
day, but did not consider tho evidence
until after dinner At 2.45 they came in
to ask the court to define the different
degrees of murder and manslaughtcr, and
Judge Frank l.. Fish repeated what he
had told them in his charge.
After the verdict had been rendered
counsel for the respondent gave notice
that they intended to appeal the case to
the supreme court. Court took a recess
until Thursday morning at . o'clock, on
account of the Valley fair.
The crime for which Gibson was con-
victcd was the murder of George Race of
Gassetts, storckceper, the night of May
) of this year. Gibson and William Les
cord of South Ashburnham, Mass, desert
ers from Camp Dix. secured work in Gas
sets, Lcscord working in Races store and
Gibson on a farm nearby On the night
of May > Race was killed by being struck
over the head with a club. The two
young men disappeared, but were ar
rested the next day in the home of Les
cords mother in South Ashburnham.
Race was six feet two inches tall and
weighed about go pounds.
Gibson took the stand to testify in his
own behalf after the midforenoon recess
Friday. lie denied he struck Race with
his hands, n club or any other instru-
ment, and he gave an explanation of the
statement which Jailer c. c. Cox of
Woodstock testified that he heard Gibson
make to other prisoners while confined in
the Woodstock jail.
Cox had testified that he overheard Glib
son say: when the old man came to
beaned him couple of times" Gibson
testified that when he made that remark
he was rchearsing to the prisoners the
proceedings at the inquest before Attor-
ney General Frank G. Archibald, Detec-
tive James r. Wood of the Wood agency
of Boston, and other officers at Hotel
Windham in Bellows Falls after the ar
rest of Gibson and Lescord. In response
to examination by Attorney f. G. ,Bick-
nell of Windsor of counsel for the respond
ent Gibson testified that Detective Wood
told him he was in bad and that the pen
atty for what he had done was the electric
chair but that the attorney general had
helped out others and could help him out,
and that as result of Detective Woods
advice he told the attorney general that
he "beaned' Race twice. He said he told
the prisoners in the Jail that all the Off
GERS had against him was that statement
and that the jailer overheard him telling
the story of the inquest
Friday morning Mrs. Nichols resumed
the reading of her notes, which consumed
large part of the forenoon. She was the
Dist witness.
The state then rested and the defense
called the respondent to the stand. He
gave ms life history, saying that he was
born in Jacksonville Fla, Jan. o, 1900,
that he had no brothers or sisters, that
his parents died when he was an infant
and that he had worked in various places
on farms and elsewhere. lie enlisted in
Battery Il, first division, 9th field artil-
lery, IN 1870, was at Camp Taylor five
months and then at Camp Dix until the
time OF his desertion April %, when he
went to Trenton, n. j., New York CITY.
South Ashburnham, Mass, and Gassetts'
where he worked on n farm a few DAYS
Besides explaining the statement over
heard by the jailer Gibson said he never
touched the stick with which Race was
struck except to hand it to Lescord who
had dropped it and that he got blood
on his overalls by assisting Lescord to
place Race on q couch