Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-06-20
THE TUORNDIKE NL'RDER.

} THE TUORNDIKE MURDER.
A valued correspondent, who is Just from
the scene OF the murder at Thorndiie. and
who had every facility offered Him to learn all
the facts in the ease, furnishes us the follow
lug particulars
John True Gordon, the supposed murderer,
was about the premises during the Sabbath,
June 18th The old folks being away to Ban
gor, lie accepted the invitation of his brothers
family (now murdered) to breakfast. The
| hired man, Edwin Ward, was absent during
that day In the evening John True Gordon
asked his brothers wife for a bowl OF bread
and milk, which the orphan girl, Anna Cor
don, carried il to him. John True Gordon's
chamber was in the old folks part of the
house, and through this the hired man must
proceed to get to his chamber, and the two
children, Anna Gordon nine years of age, and
Edwin Gordon, three years of age, must also
proceed to get to theirs. Edwin Gordon is the
murdered mans son. When E1w in Ward went
to bed, which he did quarter before nine. he did
not observe anything unusual in John True's
room, and John True was not in it at the
time. Edwin Ward retired and slept soundly
until halt past two, when piteous cry, such
as he had never heard before, reached his ear,
and he sprang from his bed, thrust up his win
!
ed from the crevices around the window OF
the murdered family's bed room Immediately
beneath. Edwin Ward rushed into John
True Gordon's chamber and shouted twice
John True the house is afire." No answer
followed And Edwin Ward did not see
whether the bed was occupied or not. He
then rushed down the back stairs into the old
folks part, where john True had the even
ing previous, and shouted the same twice
again No response being given, he then
rushed to Almon Gordon's bedroom and open
ed the door, but the smoke and heat drove
him back. He rallied, however, and went in
and seized upon the body of Almon Gordon
but was unable to remove it, on account of
the suffocating influence of the smoke, and as
he retreated this time his eye caught sight Of
bloody axe, the end of the handle Of which
lay On the sill of the door. AT this he ran
from the scene in terrible trepidation, sped
around the house shouting fire and then struck
9 off in the direction of the nearest neighbor's,
nearly half mile away. When six rods dis
tant, he heard the voice of joan True for the
first time that night, calling him to return and
assist in putting out the fire. This he refus
ed to do, kept on and aroused the family of
Asbury Harmon. This man came to the spot
and was in time to put out the fire i'll the room
of the murdered family. He also took out
with little assistance all the bodies. And to
him the saving of the buildings from con-
fagration are largely due. Proofs of the
murder would have been lost had the house
burnt. Indeed it might not have been sus-
pected by but few that the bodies were muir
dered at all. When the little children came
down stairs their uncle, John True Gordon,
was making no effort to arrest the fire, and to
their enquiry why he did not put out the fire
said, damn 'em, let 'em burn"
Had not Edw in Ward already escaped it is
probable the wicked hands of John True
Gordon might have done violence to these
children, but there was now little more
for them to tell than the intelligence
which Edwic Ward had already carried
away with him. Three fearful bludgeons were
in John True Gordon's chamber and the
marks of blood and smut from his fingers on
the doors and in the passage to Edwin Wards
room shows that he went thther for some pur-
pose, and what but to seek his life? Had the
murderer, after setting the bed on fire which
was saturated with kerosene, left the door
open or .opened the window the supply Of air
would have occasioned rapid progress of the
flames that would have soon left little eviden-
ce of the foul crime just committed but as it
was, though the lower limbs Of the dead were
burned to a crisp yet the wounded heads were
scarcely singed. The door of the bedroom
was burned half through and few seconds |
more and the fire would have burst beyond |
control.
The public should accord to Asbury Her |
mon the need due to brave men.
This John True Gordon has been a lazy, |
shittless, thievish character for years. The |
stealing of watch, hive Of honey, and 4
lot of pelts are among the most marked of his
previous exploits. He usually denied doing
such things for time but when overwhelm-
ingly charged would disclose the place where
the stolen articles could be found. In one
instance he averred that hand appeared on
his wall at night and wrote the place where
the stolen property might be found His
mother generally came to his rescue in such
cases and often saved him from the measure
of penalty which the law would have melted |
out.
All that knew him were impressed with his
brutality and considered him malicious and |
malignant enough for any foul deed which |
could be done in the dark without facing an |
opponent. Community far and wide feel CON |
WINGED, beyond question, of his guilt of this |
murder and bat for respect for the law the
people on the premises the morning of the
10th would have torn him limb from limb or
hung him to the nearest tree,