Evening journal., 1897-06-21
COaDYS FORTUNE.
Though He Pleaded Poverty
He Left $1,000.
FOUND BEHIND A TOMBSTONE

OANAN II AM 4O4-D filo BtlO-
THEIRS TO DIG IT UP-MIsSING
sATCHEL CONNECTED WITH
THE MONEY.
Georgetown, Del, June 2l--All Sus-
sex county is agog over a reported dis
covery that James NJ. Gordy, who was
executed week beforel asst for the murder
Of his wife, Mary Estella Lewis Gordy.
left behind him what many a Sussex
farmer would call. a snug fortune
Through friends of James and Benton /
Gordy, the dead murderer's brothers, it /
has been learned that on the day pre-
ceding his execution, in a secret confer |
F., ence in his cell, Gordy told them of the |
whereabouts of the money. The bro
| theirs kept the matter a secret, and on |
Thursday night went to the Gordy fam
lily graveyard, near their home at
Whitesville, and at the base of the !
tombstone on his first wife's grave re-
covered the money. The sum, it is
said was $4,000.
The lawyers who defended Gordy are
not surprised at the discovery. They
say that Gordy pleaded poverty to them
and declined to furnish them cent to
| get expert medical testimony on the
theory that the woman was drowned,
but all the time he professed his pow
erty they were convinced that he had
money somewhere. The money which
he paid them to defend him he realized
from the sale of some of his household
goods and farm implements, as well as
his horse and carriage.
Attorney-G General White, Sheriff
Johnson and others who figured in Cor
dy's arrest and trial connect the dis
covery of the money with a mysterious
visit made by Gordy to the bank here
? on the day preceding his arrest. Those
, who saw him enter the bank at the
time said that he carried a satchel and
that he stayed in the bank several min
utes.
Z 1t will be remembered that on the
g morning of the 11th of March, when
n Gordy returned the team in which he
. took his gruesome ride the night before,
i to Liveryman Dickerson at Milford he
II was seen to take two satchels from the
floor of the carriage. One Of these
q satchels the detectives recovered a few
[, DAYS thereafter but the other was miss
e ing until last week when it was located
at the home of one of his brOthers-in-
law. No money was found in it. In
s. view of the discovery Of the So 200 the
presumption here now is that the miss
ing satchel is the one he took into the
bank with him. 1t is believed thai
, when he came into Georgetown to th'
- bank he apprehended that the detec
" tives were on his track and he decided
to draw out his small savings from tn
q bank and deposit them where no on'
AZ would think of hunting for them. Atte
~ he buried the money il is believed III
10 turned the satchel over TO his brother
al in-law
. When Gordy was arrested it will b
u remembered that several people sail
~ they had seen him throw a satchel int
of a field and then dig a hole and bury il
- The field indicated, however, was care
y fully searched by the state detectives
but no trace of the satchel was found.
Gordy was always regarded by hi
neighbors as well-to-do. He travele
a great deal and always seemed to hav
money. Charles w. Cullen was regular
IN ly employed by him as his attorney an
he he paid him gOod-sized fees. WilliaI
n ]. Thoroughbred was known as M
d. confidential adviser, and through Thoi
rd oughgood the people of this vicinit
re learned that Gordy had money and va
es liable property.
oT His persistent declaration to h
a. counsel that he was penniless, ther'
as fore, created great surprise and inc
re- dentally suspicion that he had hidde
to some of his wealth.
Ter On the Monday before his execute
he told Mr.. Cullen that he had ha
hopes Of escape from Jail. Asked
ps. what means. he said that he had COZ
templatod paying $500 to bribe h
Is. guard. His statement greatly inte
J. ested Mr.. Cullen, who demanded
is know where he expected to get Il
ce. money. The question caused Gordy
a hesitate a second or two, after whi'
ch, he shook his head and said he didr
be- know where. Attorney Cullen now b
rye lieves that Gordy was then on Il
md verge Of telling him the secret abo
H.. ais hidden money.
z. The object of the state detectives
making a special search for the mis-
ing satchel was founded on a firm
lief they had that the satchel contal
ed a clue to the motive for the erin
In an interview last night Detecti
.., Witsil said, speaking of the connecti
,ll- now made between the satchel and t
ny en', money:
GU money. but the theory is plausib
The bank officials ought TO be able
,pt- tell whether Gordy was there with
op- satchel and how much money he to
col away. If any"
has 1t is not supposed that Gordy h
} 80 much money on deposit in the ban
The greater part of the $4,000 viii
he buried, it is believed, represent
his savings during the two years
roamed over the country copying pl
tographs, and also money he took fr
title the woman he murdered. The theC
leen of the authorities was that he murd
ed the woman for money.
I'm, 1t is said that Gordy left
structions with his brothers to use
So 200 for the maintenance and edu
the ton OF his children.
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