Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-03-18

oeRsed tho team in Baltimore, bad
brought it across the Chesapeake buy
by steamor and had driven from one of
tie landings on the bay shore across to
his home. He also informed Messick
that be bad found sale for tho team
near Bridgeville, on thu way over, and
desired to be called euEly in the morn
log SO that he could start off at G
o'elock to deliver the team to the pros!
pectiye purchaser near Bridgevile.
Messick thought this transaction a
little odd but still did not question the
veracity OF his landlord. He did ask,
however, now it was Gordy had made
such roRdy sale, and again Gordy
told him that the sale had been agreed
upon and that ended the conversation.
Gordy took some things from the car
riage to the house and went to his
room and retired. Messick followed
suit, after the horse and carriage had
been put away.
Messick and Gordy were up bright t
and carly tho next morning, which was
last Thursday, and at about 6 O'Clock
Gordy took his departure, saying that
he was of for Brideeville to dispose of
his team. He had driven scarcely two
miles, when William Blizzard, who lives
on farm along the road called out to
him and asked where he was going lie
stated that ne was going to Milford. He
and Blizzard passed few words, but
nothing was dropped that woulu throw
out any suspicion. So Gordy drove on
and was soon out of sight. Nothing
was thought about him for several
hours.
On that morning John Robinson and
William Magee, two Milton fishermen,
pulled out OF one OF the wharves in
Milton and started on a fishing trip.
When but short distance down the
stream they saw what they supposed
to DO Il hundle of rags, and as they
were in hurry paid but little
attention to it. When they returned.
at O'Clock 10 the afternoon, however,
they saw the Same mysterious object
in coye known as the Order Banks,
about 800 yards below the town
wharves. They decided to Investigate
and found it was the dead body of a
woman, with the feet stuck in the
mud about foot deep and the head
and shoulders floating on the top Of the
water Tho fishermen spread the alarm
and towed the body to one of the
wharyes, where a hasty examination
WIS made, after which II was taken
to tho undertaking establishment OF
Saumel j. Wilson, and Coroner vii
liam II. johnson, who resides ut Mills
boro, was notified. He went over to
Milton the next morning, which was
Friday, and summoned jury, which
was made up as follows: John Ponder.
Charles H. Atkins, Henry G. Hudson,
John Lewis, Capt. John +. Fisher,
Isaac W. Naylor, Joseph E. Lank,
Wesley Uoyerdale, Henry b. Lingo,
William II. Fosque, William q. Fear
ing and John Is. Welch. The Jury was
| sworn in and, after viewing the body.
adjourned to meet at 10 o'clock next
Thursday. 40
When the coroner received tine body,
1t was ohorn of the hat, skirt and the
left glove. The skirt had been torn of
while the fishermen were towing the
body to the wharf. The facta were
made known to Attorney Genera
White, who offered reward of Sl(
for the skirt, aud it was recovered oil
Friday.
After the finding of the body OF
Thursday afternoon clues were eagerly
sought, and hoat owned by JOSEPH
Polk Bailey and broKen oar wer,
found adrift not very far from whert
the body was iirst seen.
When the coroner came into posses
sion of the body he had Drs. Rcber
G. Hopkins and Robert Wilson make
post nortem examination. They founc
three contusions on tho head, any on,
OF which might have produced death
One was across the top Of the forehead
one on the right side of the head ant
the other on the back of the head
while Clot of blood was found lodget
at the base of the brair. The interna
organs and other parts of the body wer
normal. There was no water in tn
lungs, which showed that tine womal
was not drowned.
On Friday search was made alon,
the river bank, and at Vaughn's wharf
about mile and u half below rh
town, there was evidence of ecrim
mage. Numerous footprints, ap
parentiy made by two sizes OF shoes
were plainly Visible, and no bette
evidence that there was woman il
the case was necessary than th
presence of several hairpins, whicl
were found on the wharf. There wer
also carriage tracks on the wharf, thu
| oobNcs ihS tho imIiohSipn tuut lWD "
more persons, who had driven up in
carriage jumped out there, and tn
presumption is tnat the murderer, find
ing Joseph L. Bailey's boat handy
cut it loose and put tho woman 10 an,
roweG off. Whether she was dead O
alive at that time is not known, bu
Attorney General White ia OF th
opinion that the woman was eithe
stupified BY drugs or had been stunne
by blow when she left the curriage
and he inclines to the belief that sh
received her death blow whilo in th
carriage and was dragged from 1t /
the boat either dead or half dead. Th
supposition is that the fiend rowed tn
buat up the stream until he came to
convenient cove, where he threw be
out. Tho water was shallow and tn
feet stuck in the mud, so that he
, head was above water, whether sh
was dead or alive. Howover, it
altogether likely that the man in tn
boat struck his victim over tho head
couple OF times to make the job CON
plete, and in doing so broke the oal
! the fragments of which wore afterwar
/ found.
The natural conclusion was that th
woman had been murdered at som
point along the stream and the bod
, thrown in, but later investigation
fixed the locality more definitely, an
there is no reason to believe that th
! body was below Vaughn's wharf c
! above the Order Banks, which al
. | IL. II, s-IA L.