Individual Details
Elisha Williams Gibbs
(12 Jul 1840 - 24 May 1878)
Events
| Birth | 12 Jul 1840 | Glenburn, Penobscot, Maine | |||
| Census | 1 Jun 1850 | Glenburn, Penobscot, Maine |  |  | |
| Marriage | Agnes Stewart | ||||
| Census | 1 Jun 1860 | Orono, Penobscot, Maine | | | |
| Newspaper Article | 1 Sep 1877 | The Evening Express - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California | | | |
| Newspaper Article | 4 May 1878 | Ferndale Enterprise - Ferndale, Humboldt, California | | | |
| Death | 24 May 1878 | Nevada | |||
| Newspaper Article | 28 May 1878 | The Daily Examiner - San Francisco, San Francisco, California | | | |
| Newspaper Article | 28 May 1878 | Daily Los Angeles Herald - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California | | | |
| Burial | Myrtle Grove Memorial Cemetery, Eureka, Humboldt, California |
Families
| Spouse | Agnes Stewart (1842 - 1877) |
| Child | Sarah J. Gibbs (1867 - ) |
| Child | Jeannette B. "Nettie" Gibbs (1868 - 1952) |
| Child | Agnes Gibbs (1872 - ) |
| Child | Lydia Elizabeth Gibbs (1877 - ) |
| Father | William H. Gibbs (1812 - 1888) |
| Mother | Martha Ann Smith (1810 - 1879) |
| Sibling | Caroline Sophronia Gibbs (1838 - 1900) |
| Sibling | Abial S. Gibbs (1842 - 1845) |
| Sibling | Ann Martha Gibbs (1844 - 1908) |
| Sibling | Wellington S. Gibbs (1845 - 1926) |
| Sibling | Rebecca M. Gibbs (1847 - 1863) |
| Sibling | Mary Ann Gibbs (1849 - 1860) |
| Sibling | Sarah Greeley Gibbs (1850 - 1914) |
| Sibling | Eliza A. Gibbs (1856 - 1925) |
Notes
Census
Elisha Gibbs was enumerated in the household of William H. Gibbs [father], age 10, male, was born in Maine, and had attended school within the year.Census
Elisha W. Gibbs was enumerated in the household on inn keeper Asa D. Libby, age 29, male, peddler of meat, and was born in Maine.Newspaper Article
EUREKA, Cal., August 31st. - About four o'clock yesterday afternoon a man by the name of Elisha Gibbs shot and killed his wife with a pistol. The parties lived on the Arcata road, between Page's Slough and Freshwater. The inquest, held this morning, failed to disclose the cause of the deed. About the hour named a little daughter ran to a neighbor and told him that her father was whipping her mother. The neighbor went to the house, and on arriving there found the woman dead, having been shot through the heart. The verdict of the Coroner's Jury is that Mrs. Gibbs came to her death at the hands of Elisha Gibbs, her husband, and that the killing was done with criminal intent. Gibbs is now under arrest to await the action of the Grand Jury.Newspaper Article
$500 REWARD! I will pay the above reward for the recapture of Elisha W. Gibbs, Who was under sentence of fifteen years, for the killing of his wife. Gibbs escaped from the county jail of the County of Humboldt, on the night of April 3rd, 1878. DESCRIPTION. Age, 37 or 38 years; hight, 5 feet 9 or 10 inches; weight 150 or 160 pounds, eyes, large and of bluish gray color; complexion, hair and whiskers sandy; wears a number 8 boot or shoe. In conversation has a habit of inclining his head a little to the left shoulder and casting his eyes downward; is fond of whisky, and when under its influence is noisy and quarrelsome. He has cut his whiskers off since his escape. I am informed that when he is clean shaven, a slight scar resembling a figure 7, can be seen on the cheek bone. Gibbs formerly worked in a meat market near the city of Stockton. T. M. BROWN, Sheriff of Humboldt County.Newspaper Article
EUREKA, May 27. -- Elisha W. Gibbs, the wife-murderer, who was shot in effecting his capture, on Friday night, died from the effects of the wound, at 8 o'clock on Saturday night. An inquest was held upon the body this forenoon. The jury found that the deceased was a native of Glenburn, Maine, aged about thirty years; that he was under sentence to the State Prison for fifteen years, but was held by the Sheriff on a stay of proceedings, and while so held, on the night of April 3d, he escaped from jail; that he was shot by one of the Sheriff's party in an attempt to capture him, on the night of May 24th, after being directed to stop by the Sheriff, and that he came to his death from the said gunshot wound. The jury found that the Sheriff was justified in shooting him. Gibbs manifested great indifference when told that the wound he received would terminated fatally, and that he must soon die. To this information he replied: "Let her rip." In answer to the question whether the killing of his wife was intentional, he replied that it was not; that it was accidental; that he threw the pistol from him, which, in striking the jamb of the door, exploded, the ball striking and killing his wife. Gibbs was buried this evening, his remains being deposited by the side of his wife.Newspaper Article
EUREKA, Cal., May 27. -- Elisha W. Gibbs, the wife murderer, who broke jail a few weeks since and escaped, was captured Friday night at 11 o'clock by J. M. Brown, Sheriff of this county, at Bridgeville. The officer arrived here yesterday afternoon with his prisoner. Brown having received information inducing him to believe that Gibbs was in the vicinity of Bridgeville and probably intending to escape from the county by that route, set a watch at the bridge over the Vanducin river. Last night about 11 o'clock Gibbs was seen to go upon the bridge. Two men appearing, he turned to retrace his steps, but Brown and his Deputy had closed in and cut off his retreat. He again turned to run, when the Sheriff called upon him to halt. Not obeying, the Sheriff fired at him but missed. He then called upon one of his aids to fire and he did so shooting Gibbs through the body. Gibbs fell and was captured and brought to town, where he died last night at 8 o'clock.Endnotes
1. 1850 U.S. Census, Penobscot County, Maine, population schedule, Town of Glenburn, 616, dwelling 70, family 72, line 30, Elisha Gibbs; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 May 2020); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, 1009 rolls.
2. 1860 U.S. Census, Penobscot County, Maine, population schedule, City of Orono, p. 39, dwelling 245, family 245, line 22, Elisha W. Gibbs; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 31 May 2020); citing NARA microfilm publication M653, 1,438 rolls.
3. "Shot and Killed His Wife," The (Los Angeles) Evening Express, 1 September 1877, p. 1, col. 1; digital image, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 7 June 2020).
4. "$500 REWARD," Ferndale (California) Enterprise, 4 May 1878, p. 3, col. 4; digital image, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 7 June 2020).
5. "End of Gibbs, the Wife-murderer," The (San Francisco) Daily Examiner, 28 May 1878, p. 1, col. 2; digital image, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 7 June 2020).
6. "Captured and Done for.," Daily Los Angeles (California) Herald, 28 May 1878, p. 1, col. 2; digital image, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 7 June 2020).