Evening journal., 1897-03-13
THE MILTON MURDER.
John M. Gordy, Farmer, is
Accused of the Crime.
WOMANs NAME STILL UNKNOWN

ATTORNEY GENERAL WHITE HAS
OFFERED A REWARD OF $500
FOR THE ARREST OF GORDY.
WHOLE COUNTY EXCITED OVER
THE BRUTAL CRIME.
Special to the Evening Journal.
MILTON. March 13-Throughout
Sussex county the greatest excitement
prevails over the finding Of the body Of
a pretty young woman in Broadkiln
river at Milton on Thursday. That 1t
is foul murder, no one denies, and
coming so soon after the Trchton mys-
terry. the feeling is intense. People re-
mained awake all night, and threats OF
lynching were heard.
A murder was never before known in
this town. and the place is crowded.
The undertaking establishment where
the body lay is besieged by the morbid
" curious, and business is practically
at a standstill
The body was found by William S.
NcGee and John Robinson, two fisher
men. who were coming to their home,
in Milton, from a days fishing on the
creek. The woman was standing up
right in the mud. Her head was cut
and bruised, showing where she had
been beaten. Near her boat and
broken oar We're found floating. In the
boat We're several hairpins. On We'd
nesday evening residents living in the
vicinity of the creek saw team drive
along the creek road toward Vaughan
landing. In a short time the team re-
turned, the horse on dead run. That
was the last seen Of it.
The dead woman was apparently
about 33 years old, and was evidently
Of a refined family Her clothes were
costly. although not flashy.
Undertaken Samuel J. Wilson de-
scribes the woman as five feet tall,
weight about 120 pounds, full face, dark
/ brown hair dark gray eyes, wore high
| heeled shoes, lately half soled; short
fur cape striped waist. light and dark,
trimmed with black velvet; black cor
sets. gray underclothing and gray
stockings.
When Detective Witsil examined the
/ ground in the vicinity of the landing he
found traces of a scufhe and a wOman's s
! hat on the bank. He formed the Opin-
ion that the person who was there with
the team was someone who was famil-
lar with the neighborhoOd, as a
! stranger could not find the road at
\ night because it winds in and out
among bushes and stunted trees. The
scene Of the murder is not within sight
OF a house.
BY the side of rowboat, in which
the woman's hat and a few garments
were found. was a broken iron bar
with which the murder is supposed K
, have been done. There were three fata
cuts across the top Of the head, and
blood clot on the brain caused death
Coroner Johnson has summoned 9
( jury and will hold an inquest next
+ Thursday. Drs. Hopkins and Wilson
held a pOst-mortem examination anc
found that the woman came to hel
a.. death from concussion of the brain.
JOHN NJ. GCRDY SUSPECTED.
Acknowledgement Robert c. Whit,
, and Detective Witsel are working harl
on the case, and Mr.. White said las
night that he expected to have the mur
derer in Georgetown Jail within TWEEN
ty-fCur hours. Suspicious point toward
} John NJ. Gordy, a young farmer. whl
: lives about five miles from Milton.
was learned that GCrdy got of the Del
aware road train at Milford On Wed
nesday night with a strange woman.
is said that a man has been found whit
says he saw Gordy with the woman ol
T the road on Wednesday night. Tha
was the last seen of her. It is believes
I that she came from Maryland.
I When the detective went TO GOrdy'
7 home he could not be found. Witsil
searching the surrounding country, be
4 ing assisted in his search by the citi
% zens. Gordy was seen i'm Georgetown
! about o'clock yesterday afternoon, bu
- when Attorney-General White and De
u tective Witsil arrived there Gordy wa
q not to be found.
n The towns along the Maryland lin
IS have been notified TO look out for hin
% Attorney-General White has Offere
Il $500 reward for his arrest.