"DEVIL DEALER" IN GAOL AT LAST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 151, 2 December 1914, Page 7

"DEVIL DEALER" IN GAOL AT LAST.

■Many people breaths more freely no\l that lawyer Burton Gibson is safe i* Sing 'Sing Prison with a sentence of Ave or more years. Thrice suspected of murder, he has been thrice acquitted; at last, he iB landed for larceny. The mortality among his business associates had given him the nickname of "Devil Dealer" and of "Death Dealer." Here is a record of the fate of some of those who had dealings with the "Death Dealer": — ■ 1903—Mrs Alice Kinnan quarrelled one evening with Gibson. She was later found on her own doorstep. Her last words were "Lawyer hit me." In Court it was shown that the lawyer had charged her £OOOO for selling some property for £IB,OOO. 1007 —.Michael Shippo, who heard and told of Mrs Kinnan's dying words, was assaulted and nearly killed. 1909 —Michael Sliippo was "found drowned."

1910—George Malcolm, a Wall street broker, sued Gibson/ over a transfer of an estate. He was found mysteriously dead at Ixrng Island. 1910 —Young John O'Xeill, fresh from Ireland, got £2OOO in a compensation case. Gibson, acting for him. After that O'Neill was never seen again. Edward Minnicks, another client, was awarded £IOOO. He died the day after the money was handed to Gibson.- His widow said she only received £IOO. 1911—Mary Walker sued Gibson through the Legal Aid .Society for £IBOO. He said that he had paid it. Before it was brought to proof Mary Walker had left home without telling anyone whither she .went. 1912.—A Mrs Szaba was a client of Gibson's. She was drowned wdiile canoeing with him. He was twice tried for murder, but acquitted, though eleven jurymen were not conviction. So impressed were some officials by the remarkable series of fatalities following association with Gibson, that it was somewhat difficult to start a prosecution against him. It was in connection with Mrs Szaba's estate that he was sentenced to five years in prison, and five more if he does not refund £ISBO.