The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-06-11

dissatisfsd and advertised 10 sell out my
interest. 4.yss,y
Among those who answered the adver-
tisement was lady, who bought my In
terest. The whole transaction vas hon
estly done, % far az understand. Then
came home.
"Soon afterward was advised that the
sheriff at Georgetown held q writ issued
by this woman for my arrest. I consulted
lawyer, showed the contract and acted
as he advised. This is why got of at
Milford.
''That night Harvey Messick told me
the writ was no longer In Georgetown, so
the next day canned down from Milford to
Georgetown.
"The night I got off at Milford and
drove from there to my place, stopped
twice on the way, first at Cedar Creek
Mills to see II l could sell some corn
Found no one there. Second stopped at
schoolhouse three miles further on to got
drink of water.
.'The hammer found at my place know
was never used by me to kill any one.
In regard to the newspapers, Pm sorry
people believe all they say. They are the
greatest falsifiers that ever heard Of and
are largely responsible for people thinking
day will come when newspaper men will
have to give an account for the deeds done
in the body.
"rhey say killed my dear father. My
people know that is false. l was not at
fathers house at the time it is alleged that
gave him something that killed him. l
was miles away from home,
Pm also charged with killing my dear
wife, who died about two years ago, I'm
.niI 20, !, = l,al Of
little child. 1t is hard to bear these things.
l thank God that my conscience is clear of
all these charges and that God and l know
that l never directly or indirectly killed
any one.
'CAN PUT MY TRUST IN THE LORD"
ut don't hurt my soul what You say
about my body. In spite of all l can still
put my trust in the Lord, who will never
leave or forsake. He Is greater than
man.
considering the world, it Is place of
trouble and trial, Thank God he pardon
ed me fourteen years ago. and although in
weakness | have followed him, but have
made crooked paths, yet my hope rests in
Him and / believe that soon l shall BIO
with Him where the wicked cease from
troubling and the weary are at rest.
Nov / want the gentlemen whom So
lected as pallbearers not to think l did 1t
through spite. l bear no ill-feeling tow
ard any one. l ask them to put their
trust in the Lord, SO that when time
shall be no moro they can stand with great
hope of eternal rest before the Judge of
all the earth.
"For the sheriff. his assistants, the min
lister, my counsel and all Others concerned,
l have only kind words to speak. They,
l believe, have done what they could for
me.
40 all l say goodbye You believe I'm
guilty. God and l know am not. l be-
lievo Pm going to Heaven. DO hope you
who hear and those that read my state
ment will ultimately enter the rest that
remains for the people of God. Fare
we'll"
THE CRIME.
The crime for which Gordy paid the
death penalty to-day was committed on
the night Of March 10. Next day fisher
men found the body of the woman stick
ing in the mud in Broadkiln River. They
lowed the body to Milton where Coroner
johnson took charge of the remains.
1t was plain to be seen that the woman
had been murdered. On the back Of her
head there were three cuts, and there was
a bruisc over the left temple.
Onc Of Joseph Polk Bayley's boats was
Vaughn Landing, and it, with broken
oar, were afterwards found floating in the
river some distance from where the body
was found. A short distance below the
place where the body was discovered foot
prints we're noticed leading from the
Broadkiln to path which led to Vaughn's
Landing. Here the marks were plainly
seen where Il carriage had been driven to
the wharf and turned around.
On Friday, the day following the finding
of the body, Detective Witsil went to work
was learned that he had been seen on the
train with IL strange woman on Wednes.
day, and it was known that he drove off
from Milford station with her
On Friday night when the officers made
up their minds to arrest GOrdy, and went
to his house after him, he was missing.
The search continued all night, but he
was not arrested until noon OIL Saturday.
He denied the crime, but 1t was an easy
matter to weave u net of evidence around
him.
A lot of furniture was found in the
freight office at Georgetown addressed to
James NJ G0rdy. 1t came from New
York, and in some of the drawers of the
tables and stands was found cards bearing
the name of Mrs. Mary Lewis, and giving
an address in New York. A message was
sent to New York with result that the
woman was identified. Then twas learned
that he had married the woman.
On Thursday, one week after the body
was found, tho coroner held his inquest.
The feeling was so strong against Gordy
that he was not taken to Milton where the
inquest was held. Gordy was arraigned
Tor the murder of his wife on April Il. 1t
was proven that he had driven the woman
from the station ut Milford to Milton aud
had hit her with hammer or stranglUd
her.
He went to Vaughn's Landing, put her
in the boat and after throwing her in the
water administered the blows on her
mans head with the oar, breaking it. He
was found guilty by the jury on Thursday
night, and on the saturday following was
sentenced to be hanged.