Volume 14 , Issue 48

1912, Goshen, NY - Gibson On Trial For Choking Rosa Szabo

In The Washington Times, dated Monday evening, November 25, 1912, one hundred years ago today, we find the continuing drama of the Burton W. Gibson, the New York lawyer, accused of having choked Mrs. Rosa Szabo to death July, 1912 while they were boating on Greenwood Lake. Burton insisting that he had no fear of the outcome, came into court on 25 November 1912 to learn his fate.

The Headlines read: "Attempt To Tamper With Jury Alleged, Judge in Gibson Case Interrogates Man Said To Have Been approached." There were reports from New York City that said a new warrant awaits Gibson if freed.

Goshen, NY, Nov. 25 (1912) -- A verdict was expected before midnight. Only one minor witness was to be heard, his evidence going to the discrediting of the State's chief witness against Gibson. Each side had been granted two hours for summing up, while Justice Tompkins had explained that his charge would not consume an hour.

the jurors spent Sunday at their homes. The court took their word for it that they would not discuss the case and permitted them to go back to their farms, despite the usual rule that a jury in a capital case must be held guarded.

Both Gibson and his wife expect further trouble should he be acquitted here. It is understood that an indictment had been returned in New York county charging the lawyer with perjury and larceny in connection with his administration of the Szabo estate. In addition, detectives have been working on the deaths of his other clients, which have never been satisfactorily explained. Gibson, was insistent that he would beat all of the charges against him, as he states, "But my career as a lawyer is at an end, anyhow."

The courtroom was packed when the trial opened and many stood in the corridor unable to gain admittance.

Before the summing up began Judge Tompkins asked juror No. 5, Harry Tweddle, to the bench and questioned him regarding the rumor that he had been approached by some one over Sunday who wanted to talk with him about the case. Tweddle went back into the box without any action being taken and Attorney Robert Elder opened for the defense.

The Brooklyn attorney said in his opening statement, "Gibson has been hounded and libeled by yellow imaginations and by the yellow press."

Just before that, Elder rested the sue-rebuttal without calling any witnesses but had placed in evidence a deposition by Walter Miller, of Paterson, N.J., who said that the se saw Mrs. Szabo's body taken front eh water. The deposition agreed wight he story told by Tom Garrison that he had put a block of wood under the head which might have dislocated the muscles of the throat.

Elder spoke very slowly and deliberately in his summit up and warned the jury of their responsibility. He then referred to the fact that all of the evidence against the accused was of a circumstantial nature and insisted that everyone of the twelve in the box met "have a reasonable doubt" of the guilt of the accused.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---