Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-12-21
FOUND UNCONSCIOUS ALONG THE ROAD

teacher, was cruelty assaulted while re-
turning home from church festival at
Newport, Friday night, and is lying uncon.
scious ut her boarding house, on Ayers
street, in that town, with very little hope
of recovery.
The presumable assailant is Levi Gibson,
and the motive for the brutal assault is
believed to be jealousy. Miss Landy is d
conGly mulatto, aged 90 years, and her
home is at No. 1885 Jefferson street, Balti-
more, Md. She is well educated. possesses
refined manners, and was regarded as an
exceptionally modest girl.
GIBSON WAS INsAYELY JEALOUS.
Miss Landy came to Newport to become
teacher in Grant colored school about two
years ago, and took up her residence with
the family of John Thompson. The latter
has been for IL years in the service of Mr..
Newbold, the lumber merchant. The girl
taught the coloreG children of the village
and was not only popular among her own
race but well-liked by the white popula-
ton.
Among her suitors was Gibson, the
alleged assailant. He was of an insanely
jealous disposition, it is said, and was
madly i'll love with the good-looking school
teacher. It is doubtful if the flame was
reclprocated, although no one is prepared
to say that Miss Landy seriously objected
to his attentions. On the other hand she
had polite way of defending his mscon-
duct OH more than one occasion, and was
not inclined to quarrel with him, at any
event.
AT THE CHURCH ENTERTAINMENT.
Miss Landy was the organist at the Star
Of Bethlehem Church, and took great
interest in religious affairs at that ediflce.
There was an entertainment at the church,
Friday night, and feature Of the perform
ance was an Egyptian Cantata which
pleased the audience. Gibson accom-
panied Miss Landy to the entertain
ment, and the latter acted as organist.
The young man was profuse in
his attentions to the young woman
during the evening, and when she chose TO
vary the monotony by having a word now
and then with other male admirers, the
young man showed signs of jealousy,
which to the average observer of the
young lady's conduct was unreasonable.
The entertainment broke, up about IL
O'Clock. and then after the usual leave
taking, theguests departed for their homes.
Miss Landy left the church about IL. 10
O'Clock in company with Gibson. The
school teacher said good-by to number of
her friends, and was as cheerful ns usual
Mrs. Leonora Richardson and Miss Ella
johnson both saw the couple together and
saw them leave the church. Gibson said
nothing ON his departure, but 1t is said
that his face was flushed and his features
were marked by anger.
STUMBLED OVER HER BODY.
This seems to be the last any one saw
of them until about 1l.30 o'clock when a
number of colored Masons, returning
from lodge, almost stumbled over the body
of the unconscious girl. She was lying on
her hapk alnnu 4 IA n fnofnatb Iaad;,,., g..
the church, and about 20 yards from Kill
cores store on Market street. Her hair
was disheveled and her head rested in a
pool of blood which had oozed from three
ugly wounds in the head, where the MUIR
derous assailant had beaten her with a
blunt instrument which had rendered her
unconscious and sent her sprawling upon
the ground. The worst wound was over
the left temple and extended to the bone.
There was circular cut on top of the
head and an ugly cash back of the left
ear, which also penetrated to the bone.
The INJURY to the temple was by far the
most dangerous, and produced conclusion
OF tue BRAIN, which may end in death.
IN A SERIOUS CONDITION.
The mem bers of the lodge soon aroused
the neighborhood and informed them of
the finding of the unconscious girl. Word
was sent to Mr.. Thompson and the pros.
trate form of the school teacher was car
ried there and placed in her bedroom. A
messenger was sent post haste for DR..
Charles IL. Green, who hastily dressed
himself and hurried to the side of the
injured girl, who was believed to be diving,
He made superficial examination OF her
injuries and at once pronounced them of
a serious character. Everything in the
PHYSICIANS power was done for her and,
in company with her friends, DR.. Green
remained with her all night. She did not
regain consciousness and lies in a very
critical condition at her boarding house.
Her chance of recovery is believed to be
one in ten.
Saturday DR.. Green called in DIR. l..
NJ. Finn of Wilmington, for consultation,
when thorough diagnosis was made Of
the patients case, and both pronounced it
one of the most serious character. They
agreed that there was little hope of the
girls recovery.
THE FATAL WEAPON
A representative of The GAZETTE
called at the house of the injured girl
shortly before noon Saturday and was in
formed that she was no better aud had not
rallied from her unconscious state. The
reporter also paid a visit to the spot where
the alleged assault was committed BY the
brutal lover, and there picked up heavy
stick which the enraged lover had evidently
snatched from u picket'fence while walk
ing at the side of the girl, and which was
probably the weapon that inflicted the
fatal injuries.
The picket was about two feet in length,
and very heavy, and could easily have
produced the wounds on the young
woman's head. The picket lay few feet
from the spot where the body was picked
up, and a fresh break in the picket fence
bore evidence Of the fact that Gibson had
broken it off and used as the weapon. The
newspaper man took the weapon to John
Thompson, with whom the school teacher
boarded, and told him to preserve it in
case of the woman's death, when it will
be utilized at the trial.
PROOF OF eIBsoS's GUILT.
The fact that Gibson has left town and
cannot be found, is regarded as additional
proof that he committed the dastardly as
sault, and perhaps boarded a train going
south and He'd from the scene Of the crime.
1t is believed that he walked to Stanton,
and got aboard of the "owl train" about
midnight. His home is in Elkton, Md.
lie did not get aboard the train at New
port, as the railroad station there was
closely watched at that hour, and il he
had been found he would have been ar
rested on the spot. --.5
OFFICERS LOOKING FoR HIM.
Gibson was formerly employed in the
Marshallton rolling mills. but was thrown
out of work several months ago, since
which time he has been working at odd
Jobs wherever he could get them. He went
to Elkton to work last October, but re-
turned to Newport early in November.
The young woman's relatives in Balti-
more have been notified by telegraph.
Levi Gibson, the Supposed assailant. was
arrested ut his home in Elkton, Md, on
Sunday morning and lodged in Jail at that
place. From the description OF the fugi-
tive ussailant published in the newspapers
Sheriff Boyd had very little difficulty in
detecting Gibson who agreed to accompany
him to prison to await the action OF the