The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-19
SAYS HE HEARD SPOOK
"NoISES IN THE DINING ROOM AND
ON THE ROOF"

ware House which Is SO Closely
Associated with a Notable Crime
The NeighbOrhOOd Aroused by
Weird Yarns.
From the Baltimore Sun.
Milton. Del, Nov. 16-Tales of spooks
and haunted places are plentiful just now
in and around this Delaware town. and
there are many persons, especially among
the colored folk of Milton, who dare not
4 venture out after dark IA
The center of weird interest is the old
home of James Nj. Gordy, who was
hanged at Georgetown on June H. 1897,
for the murder of his wife, Mrs. Estelle
Mary Gordy, whom he brought here from
New York. The house where Gordy lived,
and where a previous wife died under
suspicion of having been poisoned by him
for her life insurance, is about six miles
from Milton, on the road TO Georgetown.
1t is a small frame house, painted yellow
and stands close to the road. The asso-
Citations of the place with Gordy and his
crimes have gained il the reputation of be-
ing haunted.
The present occupant, Mr.. John p Nor
ris, yesterday sold his farming utensils
and is preparing to move with his fam
lily. Mr.. Morris gives graphic account of
some of his experiences in the Gordy home
since last Christmas.
II came here nearly a year ago." Nor
ris began, land thought the place was
all right, although Herbert Machett, who
had lived here just before said he had
| gip af I
lieved in ghosts, and never was afraid of
them, but some of the things l havegheard
in this house would make any one change
his mind"
Mr. Morris was interrupted by his uncle,
Mr.. John b. Morris, a white-bearded old
man, said to be a heavy sleeper and skep-
teal about ghosts.
John, you just think you heard things"
said the uncle but you never heard any
thing but my old dog scratching on the
porch So R
Il didn't hear your dog" said John.
MY wife and daughter heard the noises,
too, and will tell you so.'
MIR. Hiram Waters, a neighboring farm
ers, said, as he stroked his chin whiskers
and gazed into the fire: "John told me
about those happenings in the house a
long time ago, and Johnsisn't the kind of
a man to go around telling. ~them 6~they
never took place."
The younger Morris resumed his story
1T was only lately that we have felt
| that this place is haunted" he said "My
wife has been sick and she and / and
all the rest of the family have heard
sounds that could not have been made
by men, About six months ago they be-
gan and have been going on ever since.
One night before any of US had gone to
bed, and while we were in the sitting room
we heard loud thump in the dining room
and next a Gathering and smashing Of
dishes, just though the table had been
thrown over on its top. My son and
ran into the room quickly, but we found
the table in the middle of the room as
usual and every dish in its place. There
| wasn't a thing out of place in the room"
Uncle John broke in again to say that
this noise was most probably caused by
a horse kicking in the stable, but Mr.
Waters said he had heard the former ten
ant tell of the same things The younger
Morris, without noticing these Interrupt
TONS continued:
MANY a time 1 have seen doors In he
different rooms fly open after we have
shut them, and have several times had
door that / had just locked unlock and
open without being touched. OF course
these things scared us, but as they didn't
hurt anybody We got used TO them.
Last Thursday night everybody had
when / woke up, and for some time lis
tened to a slight noise on the roof. Sud
denly there was a terrible knock on the
roof near the back of the house. and
| some heavy body came rolling and tum-
| bling down the roof and dropped from
| the ledge to the back porch roof. 1
| heard distinctly the timbers and posts
crash, and the porch go down. but when
| I got to the window and looked out the
porch was all right and there was nothing
| unusual to be seen or heard.
az have heard footsteps just before mid
| night coming around the old dining room,
| but l never was able to see anything al
| though l have tried untl | was tired"
| daughter corroborated Mr.. Morris
| statements concerning the noises, and said
| that she had often heard them and was
| TOO frightened 10 find out what they were.
| Uncle John said: ut is all stuff and
nonsense. and 1t can't be. Nothing heavy
could have fallen on the porch roof or il
would have broken it. have slept i'm the
house by myself and never heard a sound
except some tree branches falling on the
roof. My nephews footsteps running
about the house was just as likely as not
due 10 a rat and John was too sleepy to
know the difference
This Mr.. Morris and his family stoutly
deny. and say it is wen enough for people
to talk who don't hear the sounds, but
if they did hear them they would change
their minds.
Such stories have sent a quaky feeling
| through the community, and the road to
the old Gordy home is not Travelled at
night.
Other stories and supersttions are crop
ping out. The Milton creek, out of which
the body of the second Mrs. Gordy was
taken, and in whose waters have been
found no fewer than nine human bodies
in as many years is looked upon with awe
by men who formerly penetrated its every
nook and corner and ished there day and
night. Colored fishermen refuse to go on
the same side Of the creek from which
Mrs. Gordy's body was taken, and have
marked the exact spot with red rags stuck
on poles, that can be seen some distance
away. In consequence. il Is stated by Mrs.
James Jester Of Milton that there Is a
scarcity of shad, which are plentiful In
The creek but are MOI being flshcd for