Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-05-01
INIQUITY'S WAGES
Paid by an Erring Pair in Ken.
lucky High Life.
soN OF GOV. BROWN SHOT TO DEATH

hHe IN tne C0mpany OF the Wife OF the
Man Who Killed IIim-Ihe Woman
Also Pays the Heaviest Penalty for Her
Infdeiity-The Tragedy Takes Place In
Louisviiie-Avenger Of His Own W-"Dgs
Fails at Suicide.
LOUISVILLE, May AT separate under.
taking establishments in this city lie tho
booies of perhaps two of the most promi-
ncnt people in the state of kentucky. One
Is that OF Archie Brown, son and private
secretary of Kentucky's chief executive;
the other is that of Mrs. Fulton Gordon,
prominent because of her remarkable
beauty and excellent family connections.
The story Is sad one and has caused
one OF the greatest sensations this city
or state has ever been called upon to
chronicle. The following telegram found
in Browns pocket no doubt is the cause OF
the double murder:
Louisville, Ky, April %, 1895 To
Archie u. Brown, Governors private Sec
retary, Frankfort. Ky: Don't write any
more. Come Tuesday. Meet me at S,
10 NJ. tSignedl p. NJ. e."
Upon receipt of the above telegram
Brown came TO Louisville and proceeded
to the appointed place, which is an evil
resort at l025 Madison street, where at
1885 o'clock yesterday the tragedy oc-
CURED.
Horrible Tragedy Enacted.
At noon Brown, with Gordon's wife,
Knocked at the front door of Lucie b.
Smiths Madison street house. They were
admitted by Matte Mattingly, a colored
woman. and Immediately repaired to the
upstairs front room yfich had been pre-.
vlously engaged. Thirty minutes later q
rather tall, darh-haired man knocked at
the door of the house and was admitted.
This was Fulton Gordon He engaged
the front lower room, saying n woman
would join him shortly. The man closed
all the doors. and a few minutes later a
commotion was heard above, followed by
a succession of pistol shots. Then there
was hurried movement downstairs, as
Mrs. Gordon fled from the scene. A few
more shots rang out and she fell dead on
the porch in the rear yard. Gordon left
the house Immediately, and few min.
utcs later Browns corpse was found in
the upstairs room.
Arrested with Red Hands.
Police Officers Reilly and Lapaiile were
standing at Tenth and Walnut when
some negroes boys came along and told
them there lad been a murder at Lucy
Smiths house. The policemen rushed
down Walnut street and saw u man run
ming for a buggy tied to n post at the
corner of West street. THE man was
bloody" said Officer Reilly, 'and i'm
mediatcly jumped at the conclusion that
he was the murderer. ! ran and grabbed
him just as he was in the act of jumping
into the buggy. He had already united
the horse when i arrived. Gordon. for
such he turned out to be said to me then:
Il shot both of them. l caught them in
the act They are both dead. I am shot,
too Come with me and FIJI show you
where they are"
Was u Sanguinsry Battle
Lapailc said he had known Mrs Cor.
don by reputation for some time. She
had been going by the name of Reese.
Never was there more sanGuinary bat
tie than the one fought on the second
floor of Lucy Smiths house. Gordon had
little difficulty in getting into the room,
as the fact that there are no broken locks
indicates that the door was left unattached.
As soon as Gordon gained ingress u des-
pcrate duel evidently began. Brown had
n ;3s-calibre revolver. which was found
empty after the tragedy. Gordon must
have had two pistols, as six bullets pierced
Browns body and three that of Mrs Cor.
don. The bed in the room was covered
with blood. Gordon himself was covered
with blood, most of which doubtless was
the result Of contact with his wounded
antagonist.
Brown Filled Full of Lead.
Browns body presented a horrible ap,
pearance being covered with blood from
head to foot. There We're three gunshot
wounds in the breast, one of them being
over the region OF the heart. There were
two wounds in the head. one being in the
center of the forehead, and there was an
other in the center of the stomach and
another in the right arm. Mrs. Gordon's
body was found on the cellar door. face
downward, clothed only in her chemise
and skirt. Her hair was loose and was
hanging about her head in tangled
mass. Her face was calm and gave no
sign of n struggle. Her bosom was COW
cred with blood and her skirt was bespat.
tered with the fluid
GORDON In JAIL AND UNHURT.