The New York herald., 1922-08-16
Joseph Richards, 18, Tells
of Smelling Chloroform
Shortly After Killing.
FIND LOVE NOTE AUTHOR
Police Interview Bronx Man
They Say Penned Endear-
ing Letters.

Special Dispatch to THE New York HERALD.
TOMS RIVER, n. J., Aug. 15.-County
Prosecutor Wilfred A. Jayne. Jr. of
Ocean county arrived here late this
afternoon with Harold A. Ganum of
1850 Hoe avenue, The Bronx. who is
said by the authorities to have ad-
mitted writing the love letters found
| in the home of Mrs. Ivy Giberson,
church woman and prohibition worker,
now in jail charged with killing her
husband. Ganun denied vigorously.
when questioned by the Prosecutor.
that he knew anything of the crime or
with his relations with Mrs. Giberson.
| AS soon as he arrived here Prosecutor
! Jayne took Ganun into his offices, where
the man was questioned by the Prose-
cutor and by Detective Ellis Parker.
They were still questioning him at mid
night, and Prosecutor Jayne said that
1t probably would be tomorrow morn
ing before he has gone over Ganuns
information sufficiently to make state
ment regarding the mans connection
with the case.
| The detectives found tonight a man
named Frank McGee, a telegraph opera
tor. who told them of seeing Giberson
quarrelng with two men in front of his
home late Sunday night. about midnight.
McGee's station is across the road from
the Giberson home He said his atten-
ton was attracted by loud talking, and
that he saw Giberson and the two men
standing on the sidewalk. gesticulating
and arguing loudly He went across the
street, he said. but did not hear what
was said.
One of the men was tall and the
other was medium sized" said MCGEE.
Il doubt If I could identify them again
IL l were to see them"
Frank Peterson, one of the two rail-
road men who found Mrs. Giberson
bound and gagged after the shooting,
told her lawyers tonight the COM Pete
story of his discovery. corroborating the
story he had previously told the au-
thoritles and corroborating also the
| story told by Mrs. Giberson as to her
| condition when found.
IL found Mrs. Giberson securely
bound. both hands and feet" said Peter
son. land there was a napkin tied about
her neck. There were four knots in the
napkin. Two cords about her feet and
arms were securely tied. She told me
she had been attacked bound and
gagged by two men whom she had found
in the house"
Joseph Richmond. the eighteen-year-
old son of Mrs. Giberson, told the de-
tectives to-day that when he went to
the house a few hours after the body
Of his stepfather had been discovered
he noticed a strong odor of chloroform
about the place. 1t was found that
others had noticed the odor also. and a
new search of the house disclosed two
small Walls Of the drug. which have been
confiscated by the police.
Richmond also told the authorities
that there was bad feeling between him
self and his stepfather and that Giber-
son and Mrs. Giberson had often quar-
relied about him. IN fact. he said al
most every quarrel they had was about
him. Another interesting development
of the case to-day was the denial by
tire Rev Simeon II. Magees pastor of
the Methodist Church. that the Giber-
sons were church workers. as had been
published. Ii was admitted, however.
that Mrs. Giberson was an ardent tenn
perances advocate, and it is said that she
had objected to certain of her husband
alleged dealings with bootleggers.
Accompanied by Corporal Neil Dew
ries and Harry Hall of the New Jersey
State Poiice and Detective Edward Nc
Clone, Prosecutor Jayne arrived at the
Fort Hamilton police station yesterday
morning and went later to Sixty-hfth
street and Shore road. where construc-
tion Job Is under way. Ganun was ac-
| costed when he reported for work, and
at once agreed to come to Toms River.
AS they were leaving Brooklyn Ganun
said:
II know Mrs. Giberson to be as
| straight a woman as ever lived that
is All want TO say to the newspapers"
Ganun urged that for the sake OF his
wife and child his name should not
be used in a sensational manner In the
case. Later the Prosecutor gave ou'
this statement which he said had beer
made by Ganun and authorized by him:
IT met Mrs. Giberson when employed
az SUPERINTENDENT for the Lord Construc-
tion Company on the erection OF naval
hangar at Lakehurst In January. ls2l.
was friendly with her from January
) to July Of that year, when | left there.
4
Thompson, with whom ! was boarding.
After / had left l received several let
ters from her 1 always held her In the
highest regard. and always Thought OF
her as discreet and innocent woman.
Ganun said that Mrs. Giberson knew
he had a wife and child. According to
the prosecutors and detectives. Ganun
stated he was In this city at the time
OF the crime He said he spent Sunday
afternoon at the Polo Grounds watching
a baseball game and then went to the
home Of his father-in-law, Martin Kelly.
at 1890 Roe avenue, The Bronx. where
he remained during the night. lie Is a
tall blonde. good looking man. His
wife and daughter are spending the sum-
fner tip state.
The Dear Ivy" love notes found In
Mrs. Giberson's home we're said to he
signed Harry. From those love mes
sages the police said they obtained
! Ganun's name but not that he was
author OF the letters.
II am sorry things have turned out
as they have and ] can explain every
thing II you will allow me to see ycu,"
one of the letters states The officials
said they did not question him about
/ the love letters during the interview in
Brooklyn At least two of the letters
Indicated there had been quarrel and
that Harry" who mailed the letters
from New York, was anxious to patch
Il up.