After the discovery of the affair, on the following Thursday June 16th a
sister of Herriges, Mrs. Mary Ann Hurtt came down to Mr. Gibson's house.
"Good morning, Mrs. Gibson," said she.
"Good morning, ma'm," replied Mrs. Gibson.
"I am Joseph's sister."
"Do you mean Joseph Herriges?" asked Mrs. Gibson.
"Yes," answered she, "and I want to know, whether you can't move away from
here? I will give you every cent of the rent you have paid, back again. I
will make you a handsome present besides, and reward you and be a friend
to you as long as you live. Perhaps when you get old you will need a
friend. I will do this if you will not appear against Joseph."
Mrs. Gibson answered:
"Charity begins at home, and it is not likely you will befriend me, if you
couldn't befriend your own brother, fastened up there in that cage of a
room!"
At this moment Mr. Gibson came in, and his mother whispered to him:
"That's that Herriges sister in the corner there."
Some neighbor in the room said to Mrs. Hurtt:
"There is that young man," referring to Mr. Gibson.
Mrs. Hurtt then said to him:
"Can't you drop that case?"
"No," said Mr. Gibson, "it is in the hands of the authorities."
Mrs. Hurtt said:
"Then move out of the neighborhood, and I will pay you back what rent you
have paid, and will make you a handsome present, if you will leave the
city."
"No," said Mr. Gibson, "I would not leave the city for ten thousand
dollars."
He then whispered to his mother:
"You keep her here till I go out and get an officer to arrest her."
He then went out; and finding an officer on the corner, told him the
facts, but the officer said he could do nothing in the matter.
Mr. Gibson then started up to the Mayor's Office, but he met the Mayor in
Fifth Street above Walnut, to whom he stated the facts. The Mayor walked
along to the Office with him, and there told Lieutenant Thomas to have a
warrant issued for the arrest of the sister, who had thus endeavored to
get Mr. Gibson out of the way. Mr. Gibson having made the charge under
oath, the warrant issued.
When he returned, Mrs. Hurtt had left his house and gone into her
brother's house. He stood on the pavement awhile to see if she would come
out. She did not do so, and then he went to the door and asked where that
lady was who had been in his house that morning about that business.
Old Mrs. Herriges said:
"Come in and see her."
"No," said he, "let her come out here."
She then came to the door, and Mr. Gibson told Officer Koniwasher to
arrest her, that there was a warrant in Lieutenant Thomas' hands and that
was on his order. Koniwasher told Mr. Gibson to go up to the Station
House, get the warrant from Lieutenant Thomas, bring it down and he would
wait till he came back. Mr. Gibson did so and Lieutenant Thomas gave the
warrant to Mr. Gibson and sent an Officer along with him, who came back
with Mr. Gibson and Mrs. Hurtt was arrested.
In about half an hour the party started back to the Central Station
accompanied by Joseph Herriges, the brother, who said to Mr. Gibson:
"Just look at the trouble you have brought on me now!" to which he made no
reply.
At this moment the mob began to yell out:
"Lynch him! Knife him! Kill him!"