George Couper Gibbs

George Couper Gibbs (October 28, 1879 – September 17, 1946) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 26th Florida Attorney General from 1938 until 1941.[1]

George Couper Gibbs
26th Florida Attorney General
In office May 16, 1938 – January 7, 1941
Governor	Fred P. Cone
Preceded by	Cary D. Landis
Succeeded by	J. Thomas Watson
Judge of the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
In office 1913–1935
Appointed by	Park Trammell
Judge of the Duval County Municipal Court
In office 1912–1913
Governor	Albert W. Gilchrist
Personal details
Born	October 28, 1879 Jacksonville, Florida
Died	September 17, 1946 (aged 66) Jacksonville, Florida
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Lenora Bausch
Children	4
Education	Washington and Lee University (LL.B)
Occupation	Attorney
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch/service	Florida Army National Guard
Years of service	1898
Rank	Corporal
Unit	1st Florida Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	Spanish–American War

Early life and education

Gibbs was born in Jacksonville, Florida on October 28, 1879. Gibbs was named after his grandfather, Colonel George Couper Gibbs, an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.[2]

Gibbs was mustered into service on April 25, 1898, the day the Spanish–American War began. He served in the Florida Army National Guard, having been assigned as a corporal in Company G of the 1st Florida Volunteer Infantry.[3] His regiment did not see any combat, remaining in Tampa, Florida, and later Huntsville, Alabama, for the majority of the war. Gibbs was mustered out of the military on October 8, 1898.[4]

In 1901, Gibbs began attending Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. He graduated with his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1903. Gibbs was admitted to the Florida Bar the same year, and he joined the law firm A. W. Cockrell & Son as a law assistant.[5]

Political career

In 1912, Gibbs was elected to the municipal court of Duval County. He served until 1913, when Governor Park Trammell appointed him to the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. Gibbs served on the court for an extended period of time, resigning to return to private practice in 1935.[5]

Death of Arthur Maillefert

The 19 year old inmate, Arthur Maillefert, died in the Sunbeam Prison Camp in Florida. He was strangled by the chain that held him in place; he was unable to stand because his feet were in stocks. The Maillefert case of abuse received much attention and was reported in the New York Times.

During his time on the court, Gibbs was launched into national fame when he presided over a case involving the death of Arthur Maillefert. Maillefert was a 22-year-old drifter from New Jersey who moved to Florida to try to make it big as a criminal during the Great Depression. After being run out of Dade County in 1930, Maillefert was arrested following an armed robbery at a Daytona Beach gas station.[6] After being caught following his escape, Maillefert was sentenced to 9 years in the Sunbeam Prison Camp, also known as Road Camp 36, near Jacksonville. The prison utilized prisoner labor in order to clear out swampland for the creation of U.S. Route 1. One day while in solitary confinement for refusing to work, Maillefert was able to escape.[7]

On June 3, 1932, a guard, Solomon Higginbotham, chased Maillefert with two bloodhounds and recaptured him. The camp's warden, George Washington Courson, personally tied a chain around Maillefert's neck and left him in solitary confinement. When guards checked on him an hour later, Maillefert had asphyxiated.[8] After a sensational article by the New York Times garnered national attention, Courson and Higginbotham were both charged with first-degree murder. Gibbs, presiding over the trial, acquitted Higginbotham and sentenced Courson to 20-years of hard labor.[6]

Gibbs retired from the court 3 years later, having served a total of 22 years on the bench. He returned to private practice in Jacksonville.

Florida Attorney General

On May 16, 1938, Governor Fred P. Cone appointed Gibbs as the 26th Florida Attorney General, succeeding Cary D. Landis, who had died in office.[9] While he was in office, World War II began in Europe. In the 1940 commencement address at the University of Florida, Gibbs stressed the importance of patriotism in America, citing the lack of freedoms in Nazi Germany and the quick conquest of the neighboring countries. Gibbs did not seek a full term in the 1940 election, preferring to return to private practice.[5]

Death and personal life

Gibbs died in Jacksonville on September 17, 1946. He is buried in Jacksonville's Evergreen Cemetery alongside his wife, Lenora Bausch. He was survived by 4 children.[10]

Gibbs was a member of Civitan International, Phi Delta Phi, and Phi Kappa Psi.

The George Couper Gibbs residence at 2717 Riverside Avenue in Jacksonville was designed by Mellen Clark Greeley. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Riverside Historic District.[11]

References

1. "Florida Attorney General - Florida Attorneys General (1845 - )". myfloridalegal.com. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
2. "Col George Couper Gibbs". Find a Grave. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
3. "1st Florida Roster". www.spanamwar.com. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
4. "1st Florida". www.spanamwar.com. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
5. Alumni directory, 1749-1949. Lexington. 1949. hdl:2027/mdp.39015075957707.
6. Times-Union, Clifford Davis | Florida. "'A hellhole on Earth' -- Jacksonville prison camp case sparked national interest; sweat box featured in 'Cool Hand Luke'". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
7. Jaxson, The. "The Story of Convict Leasing in Florida". www.thejaxsonmag.com. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
8. Florida, State Library and Archives of. "Arthur Maillefert". Florida Memory. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
9. Florida, State Library and Archives of. "Florida Governors". Florida Memory. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
10. "George Couper Gibbs". Find a Grave. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
11. "The Prairie School Traveler". www.prairieschooltraveler.com. Retrieved 2019-05-08.