Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-03-25
THE MILTON TRAGEDY.
Broadhiln River and Vicinity Visited
by Many People.

Marked By stake.
STAB Correspondence o. Gazette and Journal
Georgetown, March 22-The interest
IN the Milton murder ia still undated.
and yesterday many people drove over
to the quaint old town and examined
closely the ground which is supposed
to have been covered by the murderer
last Wednesday night week. Some
were rowed down the Broadkiln river
in boats and others walked down the
road. OF course there was nothing to
see but the stream. banks, wharyes,
bridges, &C., but they appeared to have
a peculiar fascination for Sussex coun-
tians, and many of the visitors carried
away pebbles from the place where tho
unfortunate Mrs. Gordy's body was
found.
The people appear 10 have abandoned
the inca of lynching Gordy, as they are
convinced that Attorney. General White
obtaining every bit OF evidence that
will be OF any use al the trial. One
citizen of Milton told a reporter of
The Gazette that be thought Gordy
deserved the worst kind of punishment,
and we're it not for the stain on Della
wares good record. ho would willingly
take hand in lynching the prisoner
lie said there were many of his
acquaintances like himself, aud assured
the reporter that there would be no
trouble. as far as the people Of Milton
are concsined. They ,io not wish to
have VI go down in history that the
people of that respectable old town ever
so far forgot themselves as to commit
such lawless act. The feeling in the
whole county appears to be the same
way. and, as far as can be ascertained,
there never was any organized move
ment in tine direction of lyncting. 1t
is believed that the reports which
caused Sheriff johnson TO place an
extra guard on the Jail on Thursday
night were false.
Court will meet here next Monday
week, anu Attorney General White is
making every effort to have Gordy's
case considered by the grand jury at
that time, and il true bill is fouDu,
he will endeapor to have the case tried
at once. Some are Of the opinion, how
ever, that continuance will be asked
for on behalf of the prisoner. and if the
case is continued, the Attorney General
hopes to have a special term of the
court for the trial.
There are some people here who adj
here TO the belief that there were two
or more persons implicated in the muir
Ger, but the authorities do nat cherish
any such opinion, and nothing mas been
learned that will connect more than one
man with the terrible crime. 1t is said
that on the day that the body was
found two suspicious characters arrived
in town and remained until the next
cay, and while they were, here their
actions aroused tine curiosity of several
people who cav them, but no circum-
stance points TO either of them, and,
consequently, but one person has been
arrested, James NJ. Gordy.
The prisoner is silent, and until he
speaks he will receive the full benefit
of public condemnation. The evidence
at the coroner's inquest was to the
| effect that Gordy anu his wife left Mil.
ford on Wednesday night, about 7.30
O'Clock 10 carriage, and that Gordy
arrived at his residence, near George
town. about midnight that night in
strange carriage. There was no woman
with him when be reached the house,
SO his tenant, Harvey l.. Messick says,
1t remains for him TO explain what be-
came of the woman after she left Mil
ford. Ii also developed that when the
body was found the right hand was
gloyed and the left glove was missing.
The missing glove, as near as onpari-
son has yet proved, was found on the
following Saturday night concealed in
bed in Gordy's house. 1t remains for
Gordy to tell how the glove got there,
for Messics, who lives in the house,
declares that be knew nothing about it
until it was discovered by the officers
in searching the house. 1n fact there
| are several peculiar circumstances that
the prisoner will be called upon TO tell
something about, and there is consid.
cradle speculation as to what the de-
fence will be.
Ever since Gordy's arrest Detective
| Witsil hes been searching for two
valises, which 1T IS said he carried to
his house and took away after the muir.
der. 1t was thought that they we're
| taken to the residence of his mother,
| at loves Cross Roads, but every nook
and corner on the premises has been
examined, and nothing has been
| brought to light that indicates that the
valises were there. 1t is the gen
eral Impression that one OF the valises
contained Mrs. Gordy's yaluables but
what they we're is not known. She is
thought to have had some money when
she left New York City, but nobody
knows the amount. 1t is known, how
ever, that there we're no valuables on
the body when it was found, and the
murderer must know where they are.
Attorney. General White has taken
charge OF the furniture and trunks,
which will be held until after the trial
at least. They may play an important
part in the case when it is presented to
Jury.
The murder has struck terror to the
hearts of the negroes in Milton, and
many of them who have boon in the
| habit of going down along the stream
at night hunting for musfrats declare
| that they will never do so again. They
have a perfect horror for the stream,
especially after dark, and now many of
them will not even 60 down TO the
wharves at night.
The iiyer is most uninviting at best
Its waters are dark, ana the banks are
| lined with woodland and swamps,
which, together with the crooked course
and many coves, mako it an undesra-
bic place to go TO for amusement.
The spot where the unfortunate
woman's body was found has been
marked by Fishermen Robinson and
MCGEE, who drove stout stake in the
mud, which can be- plainly seen at high
tide.
Dover, March 22.-James NJ. Gordy,
who is locked UP in Georgetown on
the charge of murder. was in Dover
about two years ago, with the young
| girl whom he is said to have enticed
/ In