The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-09
A TRAP SET BY a SPY.
Gordon Piloted to the Scene
of Slaughter by a
MeddIer.
SENSATIONS ARE IN ORDER
One Part OF the Prosecution to
Blacken the Character of the
Slain Woman.

LOUISVILLE, KY, May s.-The
Courier-J ournal to-day prints the follow
ing: The sensation attending the Gordon
double killing is not over yet by half.
The prosecution will attempt to prove that
Archie Dixon Browns death was due to
deep-laid plot TO assassinate him. A trap,
as the prosecution believes, was fostered
and planned by one who, for reasons best
known to himself, was afraid to do the
work and used Gordon as tool to carry
out his designs.
Governor Brown has reason TO believe
that his sons coming to Louisville on the
day of the tragedy and his meeting with
Mrs. Gordon was known to man in Louis
Vile This Louisville man, the prosecu-
ton claims, notified Gordon that his wife
was to meet Brown, and actually assisted
in the foul assassination" The prosecu-
ton further says the name of the man who
"acted as the spy" is known and he will
have to be produced in court.
The attorneys for the prosecution have
taken this step upon the theory that
Gazlay telephoned to Gordon and shad
owed and located the couple.
In a private letter last night Governor
Brown insisted that the man referred 10 be
brought into court on an attachment The
man who, as the prosecution believes,
piloted Gordon to the house of Lucy
Smith is q college chum of Gordon's and
was married in Frankfort.
James a. Scott, the Frankfort attorney
employed by Governor Brown to prosecute
the case, was seen tonight at the Willard
Hotel. He is a fearless. capable lawyer
and has q reputation of doing what he be-
lieves to be his duty at all hazards. He
said:
Governor Brown sent for me about l
o'clock yesterday afternoon. He explained
his views and position in the matter and
employed me to prosecute the case in the
examining trial. I want to say that Gov
ernor Brown never authorized any state
ments that he would not prosecute the
case, nor did he ever dream of granting a
pardon to Gordon, as has been stated.
"Before deciding on the step Governor
Brown took counsel with number of in
innate friends from all over the State. He
came to the conclusion that it was due the
memory of his son that there should be
full and fair investigation of all the facts,
not necessarily for the purpose of prosecu-
ton, but for the purpose of enabling him
and the officials of the law to determine
whether there ought to be further prose
cution of the case. He arrived at this con-
clusion after satisfying himself that Mrs.
Gordon had no reason to believe that he
had led her from the path of virtue. He
was convinced that Gordon must have
known that his wife was dissipated, reck-
less and imprudent, if not an unchaste
woman.
Governor Brown is now firmly con-
WINGED that a well-planned trap was laid
for his son. and that his son was selected
for the sacrifice out of a large number of
like offenders, and that information was
furnished of his coming by some one in
Frankfort to another in Louisville, who
for some motive advised and actively as
sisted in what Governor Brown considers
foul assassination. We have good reason
TO believe that we know vino the man is
who took Gordon to Lucy Smiths house.
He was college mate of Gordon's, and
was married in Frankfort, XIV.
"This man must be brought into court.
We will demand it. There will be some
very interesting developments when he is
OAOuSAe ORs we Will push the udlIST 10
the bottom and bring out all the facts.
''In regard to the others who were like
offenders with Archie Brown, will say for
the sake of Mrs. Gordon's relatives, who
are all excellent people and highly es-
teemed by Governor Brown and his coun-
sci, the Governor would shrink from anv
attack upon her character, but would
prefer to throw the veil of charity over all
her acts, especially as she is dead.
"The future will determine whether it
will be necessary to further blacken the
character of Mrs. Gordon in order to show
the defendants thorough knowledge of it.
We do not know as yet what the defense
will try to prove, and until we do know. I
will be unable to answer that question. If
necessary we will show that others were
equally guilty, but 1 do not think we will
have to do this. 1 think the developments
will be surprising to some people,"