A Body Between The Rails

Paul Feuder got calm Riley, Ohio. June one, nineteen forty eight. Morris Rowland Abbot, aged forty six, was last seen at ten thirty pm Monday at Buell's Lake, a small fishing pond in the neighborhood. There he was with Ben Mussy and other friends. Abbot left in his truck and apparently drove directly to his barnyard, where he had been accustomed to park his truck. When following this procedure, he walked to his home along the quarter mile

lane. There was no evidence of a struggle. Blood soaked soil showed where he had been struck over the head and killed. The slayer carried the body to the truck not far away, and then returned to move some loose soil over the bloodstains on the ground. The slayer then took the wheel of Abbot's truck and, without using the lane to the house, drove to Hart Road and along this road to the railroad crossing estimated less than two miles away.

There, he parked the truck just off the roadway and dragged the body to the tracks placed between the rails of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad line. Where it was found at five thirty a m. Tuesday. The body was twenty feet from the crossing proper, with face upward. Relatives became alarmed when Abbot failed to return home for the night, and several neighbors were notified. Early

in the morning. These men began a search of the neighborhood. Harry Schwab and Ray Khan, both of nearby Peoria, discovered the tragedy after touring a number of roads in the vicinity. Their attention was attracted to the abandoned truck, which they had identified. Further search brought them to the victim. Although several trains passed over the body in the five or six hours it was between the tracks, officials believed these trains had no part in the fatality. Motive

of the slayer was not fixed. True Crime Historian presents yesterday's news tales of classic scandals, scoundrels, and scourges told from historic newspapers in the golden age of yellow journalism. Episode one hundred and ninety eight is centered on one of my favorite murder tropes, the so called eternal Triangle between the cranky old farmer, his fading wife, and the handsome young farm hand. Yeah, you know that's not gonna end well. But they might have gotten away with it

if they had just put the body across the tracks. It's all in the details. I'm true crime historian Richard O. Jones, and for your horror and indignation, I give you a body between the rails. The Riley Mattock murder. Morris Rowland Abbot was born December twenty fifth, nineteen o two, in Indiana, not far from his recent home. He was the son of

the late Ellis Abbot and Edith Abbot, who survives. He leaves besides his mother, the widow Marie Kahn Abbot, a son Dale, and daughter Phyllis and Pearl MacCready of California, and a brother, Carl L. Abbot, Cincinnati. The deceased was chairman of the Riley Township Bureau and held the highest esteem of the entire community. He was graduated from Riley High School and entered immediately on his vocation as a farmer. Until a few years ago he served

as Democratic Central Committeeman for his township. Few residents of his section of the county have a wider acquaintance or drew to himself closer friendships. The gators were checking over clues with theory that the trail might lead to someone who may have bitterly quarreled with the victim. Enough evidence was obtained so that doctor Garrett Jay Boone, Butler County Coroner, and Lewis Fritz, Deputy sheriff, were able

to reconstruct in some detail the happenings of the night. The officials believed they found evidence of a pedestrian's trail from the crossing through fields of the barnyard. One theory was that the slayer had come to the barnyard by automobile. Killed, Abbot took his truck to carry the body to the railroad crossing, and then returned to the scene afoot to retrieve his automobile for the flight. Officials found no evidence of robbery. Abbots billfold, small change, and watch were

intact. Deputy Fritz ordered the truck involved in the case towed to Hamilton, where an attempt will be made to get fingerprints of the murderer. Doctor Boone announced Tuesday afternoon that an autopsy disclosed Abbot's skull was fractured and that the nature of the wound tended to discount any theory that injury was caused by trains.

June second, nineteen forty eight. Aid of experts employed by the state was sought Wednesday by Butler County officials and an effort to solve the murder of Morris R. Abbot, aged forty six, prominent Riley Township farmer, whose body was found Tuesday morning. These experts will be asked to obtain, if possible, fingerprints from the track in which the body of Abbot was carried to a nearby railroad crossing, where the body was placed between the rails in an effort

to cover up the plot. Abbot was slain by a blow on the head. Other experts, laboratory technicians, light detector operators, and others also will be utilized whenever deemed feasible. Investigators work patiently all of Tuesday and well into the night in dissembling bits of information, searching for clues, questioning anyone who might have a little to add to the solution of the case. Developments included the finding of a spade in the Abbot barn which apparently had been used to

throw dirt over blood at the scene of the killing in the barnyard. They included a report that a stranger had been seen in Riley between ten and ten thirty pm Monday, a time shortly before the agreed hour at which Abbot was fatally beaten. The officials called in for questioning a man who served several years as a farm hand on the Abbot place, leaving in February. He failed to throw light on the case. He had been out of the county until

Tuesday evening. In attendance at the Indianapolis Memorial Day races, he told questioners one phase of the inquiry turned toward a hunt for the weapon with which Abbot was struck. Disposal of the weapon, a club or some other blunt instrument, was undoubtedly one of a series of acts by the slayer to cover his trail. All were convinced that the plot called for the placing of the body between the rails of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad line, so that the fatality

would be considered suicide. Abbot's truck was abandoned near the crossing, and in line with other details of the plot, the slayer had attempted to wipe blood from the truck. Use of a spade to throw dirt on the blood at the scene of the murder was another act in the same program. Investigators agreed these acts, in an attempt to be cloud the case, were done with

deliberation. After leaving the truck at the crossing, about two miles by roadway from the Abbot farm, the slayer returned by a short cut across the fields to the barn yard. According to the trail discovered Tuesday morning, probably during this return visit to the scene, he took the spade from the barn and replaced it after use. There were tracks of an automobile, possibly one used

by the slayer, leading into a lane which connected with Hart Road. By using this route, a person avoided passing near the Abbot home, located at a distance from the barn yard. Doctor Garret jay Boone, Butler County Coroner, held to his original contention that trains which passed the Hart Road crossing until the body of Abbot was found at five thirty a m. Tuesday, had

not contributed to the tragedy. Residents of the neighborhood estimated that ten trains had passed in the five or six hours after the murder, none mutilated the victim. The tragedy might have been discovered earlier because relatives and close friends had begun their search at about one thirty am. Missus Abbot became thoroughly alarmed when Abbot had failed to return by that time. She notified her parents and the search

began. One of the places visited was Buell's Lake, where Abbot was last seen alive at ten thirty PM. As the hours wore on and he failed to reappear, the help of Harry Schwab, a close friend, and Ray Khan, a relative, was sought. They toured the countryside and had just about abandoned hope of picking up the trail when they decided to drive along Hart Road. There they discovered the tragedy. Several residents of Riley Township offered their

assistance in an attempt to solve the case. Officials who have been active so far include doctor Boone, Prosecutor Paul Baden, Sheriff Charles B. Walkee, and three deputies Lewis Fritz, Markder and John Cleaver. Prosecutor Baden indicated the fact that the family was absent from the home Monday night may have been a factor in attracting would be thieves or marauders to the farm. Missus Abbot, her children, and other relatives had gone to Hamilton for a recital at the

YWCA, and did not return home until after eleven pm. Officials therefore sought to answer the question did Abbot see a light or other activity in the barnyard which caused him to drive back to the barnyard to investigate? In other words, Abbot returned home in his truck from Buell's Lake before the family returned. He drove down the lane to the old barn and there met his death.

No one was in the house to hear if someone earlier used the lane to the barnyard, a route which passes close to the dwelling which faces Dunwoodie Road. The murder stunned all of Riley Township and other communities of the county. Abbot, as a former Democratic leader in this township and recently chairman of the Riley Farm Bureau, was exceptionally well known. He had no enemies, his

neighbors repeated over and over June third, nineteen forty eight. Solution of the mystery surrounding the murder of Morris r. Abbot, aged forty six Monday night at his farm home on the Dunwoody Road, appeared today to be within the grasp of the investigating officials. More clues have been found and further information obtained during the intensive inquiry, which has pressed continuously since the tragedy was discovered.

Sheriff Charles B. Walkee disclosed that question of a former farm hand on the Abbot farm would be continued. The announcement was considered significant when linked with the aura of confidence with which officials proceeded with the inquiry. The farm hand is Cyril Scotty Gordon, aged twenty six, who is now employed on a farm

in Oxford Township near the Indiana line. Gordon has been held since Tuesday night as a material witness, and it was reported likely by officials that some type of charge would be placed against him later in the day, at least to make him available for further questioning should it be considered necessary. One of the reasons for holding Gordon, officials said, was that he had been an employee of Abbots. Gordon was employed for nearly three years on the Abbot farm.

He and Abbot quarreled last February and Abbot fired Scotty. Gordon maintained during the initial quiz that he had no information which might clear the murder case. He said, on questioning by Walkee Prosecutor Baden and others, that he left Oxford Township last Friday to go to Indianapolis for the five hundred miles Memorial Day race.

There, that he registered at an Indianapolis hotel at five pm Monday and checked out at seven am Tuesday. The fact that Gordon was missing from his place of employment on Monday was an added factor in the desire of officials to quism. Gordon returned to Oxford Village by bus seven pm Tuesday and was immediately taken into custody by sheriff's deputies. The search for clues in the case has

been unusually thorough. Late yesterday, on Summons, the Mobile Crime Laboratory of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation arrived in Hamilton for application of scientific aids. The staff of the laboratory included E. L. Mcsavny and William

mcfatridge, investigators and EE Galloway, laboratory technician. They took fingerprints from the Abbot truck in which the body was hauled from the scene of the killing in the barnyard of the farm to the railroad crossing and went over the Barnyard thoroughly taking bits of evidence for analysis. The mobile laboratory completed a tour for display purposes throughout the state two weeks ago and then was put into service with London,

Ohio as a home base. Galloway said, quote. This is the third murder case in which the laboratory has had a role, but the first time we have been called since going into official service. In the previous cases at Brian and Madina, the laboratory was in the vicinity during the demonstration tour. In those cases, the slayers confessed after being confronted with the facts.

We had a part in preparing of the investigators as outlined Wednesday night, called for a trip, possibly Thursday, to Indianapolis so that the details of Gordon's account could be checked over. The plans also called for a trip, possibly on Friday, to Columbus, where Gordon could be submitted to questioning under the lie detector. The case has brought ever since the alarm Tuesday morning, an unusual response from the general public, interest and attempts to cooperate with bits of

information of one kind or another, some useful and some discarded. As the inquiry developed, officials were able to reconstruct the details of the crime from the findings. Tuesday morning, June fourth, nineteen forty eight. The eternal triangle played a leading role in spoiling the perfect alibi, with the result that a Butler County farm hand and the wife of his victim today faced charges of premeditated

murder. A joint warrant was signed at ten thirty a m Friday by Sheriff Charles B. Walkee against Cyril Scotty Gordon, aged twenty seven, most recently employed on an Oxford Township farm, and missus Marie Kahn Abbot, aged forty, widow of Morris R. Abbot, aged forty six, Riley Township, who was slain Memorial Day night. The joint warrant charges deliberate and premeditated murder. After signing the warrants, Sheriff Walkee said the case would probably be taken

directly to the grand jury. Gordon signed a detailed confession taken by Prosecutor Paul A. Baden Thursday night. Earlier in the day, he had admitted a part of the slave and his statements so involved Missus Abbot that she too was taken to the County jail for questioning. She disclosed some details in the case, but did not give a formal confession, thereby acting on advice of her attorney. The confession by Gordon and other information uncovered by investigators gave the story

of the murder. According to officials, Gordon and Missus Abbot had become friends while he was working on the Abbot farm located on Dunwoodie Road, and they had continued this friendship even after he was discharged by Abbot last February and went to Oxford Township where he was employed on the farm of Eugene Derrickson. Gordon and Missus Abbot discussed many weeks ago the possibility of a divorce by her to

clear the way for their marriage. Last Friday, Gordon left the Dereckson farm for Action with the intempt to attend the five hundred mile Automobile races in Indianapolis. On Monday. Missus Derrickson took him to Brookville, Indiana, and he was to go by bus to the Indiana capital. On Monday morning, Gordon rented a U drive it truck no passenger cars were available to drive to nearby

Franklin to see a woman friend. He failed to find her. He bought a ticket to the races, thought the crowd was too large and decided not to attend them. Returning to the city from the track, he telephoned to the Abbot home and talked with Missus Abbot. She confirmed his belief that she was to attend on Monday night to recital in Hamilton. Also confirmed the belief

that Abbot would not accompany her to Hamilton. Thereupon, Gordon left his rooms in an apartment and checked into the Brevort Hotel, leaving instructions that he becalled the following morning. Again, he obtained a truck from a rental agency and left Indianapolis for Riley Township about six thirty or seven o'clock and took his time,

so the confession reads. On the trip again, he obtained a truck from a rental agency and left Indianapolis for Riley Township about six thirty or seven o'clock, and took his time on the trip, so the confession reads. There were several delays as he hunted up in an acquaintance near Brookville, and he arrived at the Abbot home about ten PM. Abbot was not at home, and Gordon waited on the porch after placing his rented truck in the barnyard

a quarter mile away. Gordon explained that he wanted to conceal this truck lest he be discovered by Missus Abbot's mother, as that would quote cause trouble unquote. Arrived at his home between ten thirty and eleven PM, and Gordon asked him to go to the barnyard, and they drove there an Abbot's truck. Quote. We talked about a divorce. I told him she wanted me to talk him into a divorce. I was aiming to talk him into it or scare him into it. Unquote. Abbot answered no to the appeal, and

an argument started. The two men started to walk toward the Indianapolis truck. Quote. Abbot made a lunge at me and bumped me in the eye, either with his elbow or fist. I lost my head. There was a mattock there near the watering trough, and I hit him. I hit him twice, maybe more. I was mad, sort of lost my head unquote.

The confessions brought a surprise to investigators. Gordon told officials before he removed the body from the barnyard, he to the house Missus Abbot and the children had returned from Hamilton in the meantime, and he summoned her by getting her attention at a window. She met him on a rear porch and Gordon told

her it was quote all done with unquote. She said she was sorry that it had to end that way, and she was hysterical, Gordon told questioners thereafter, Gordon returned to the barnyard and placed the body on the Abbot truck and hauled it to the Heart Road crossing of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. The truck was found parked along the road the next morning and the body between the rails. The farm hand carried a can of gasoline from the barnyard and

used this in wiping blood off the truck bed. Quote. I got scared and tried to make it look like an accident unquote. He returned by a shortcut to the barnyard and performed other acts and trying to cut up the murder. He shoveled up some of the blood stained dirt and carried it with him in a pan, later disposing of this along the route to Indianapolis. He took with him also the mattock and sacks which had been used in wiping off

the truck. On the way back to Indianapolis, Gordon tossed away the murder weapon and the blood soaked dirt. He bought gasoline, which he used in burning along side roads his stained coat and tie. He arrived in Indianapolis before five am and retired in his room. After returning the truck. The next morning, he answered the call which he had placed the night before, and again hired a vehicle to go outside the city, where he burned stained trousers

and shoes. He used a bus to return to Oxford, where he was taken into custody. The finger of suspicion pointed to Gordon from the time last Tuesday morning, when doctor Garrett jay Boone, Butler County Corner, gave a verdict that the case was murder. One of the first acts of the sheriff's deputies was to hunt for the man who had been employed on the farm.

They went to the Derrickson farm and the suspect was gone. When first questioned after his return Tuesday night, Gordon presented his alibi, and his calm attitude was convincing. More clues were sought. The mobile crime Laboratory was called from London. Investigators looked in vain for the murder weapon. Officials repeated over and over Scotti had a motive. They studied his alibi. The time element was most important. The racing ended shortly after three pm Monday. Abbot was last

seen alive at a fishing lake near his home at ten thirty pm. Gordon said he had registered at an Indianapolis hotel at five pm and was akened the next morning at five o'clock. Data was gathered for the questioning, which was begun Wednesday. Shortly before midnight. Gordon's fingerprints were taken by the experts from

London. Two investigators with the crime Laboratory aided in the intermittent questioning. Gordon was fingerprinted and returned to his quarters in the jail, then recalled for another test. He was asked about missing clothing. Blood which proved to be that of a human, was found under his fingernails. He mumbled, that's where I made my mistake. Bit by bit, the plot was pieced together, the alibi cracking wide open. Eventually the case was solved. Gordon, known

widely as Scottie, is a native of Pennsylvania. He came to Butler County in nineteen forty five and worked about seven months in the building of the Fisher body plant south of Hamilton. In the spring of nineteen forty six, he took employment on the Abbot farm and worked there until August, when he quit to take a trip to the east. He returned last February eighth to resume his farm work on the Abbot place and remained for eight or nine months.

Left for a time, and returned until January twentieth, nineteen forty eight. On his departure, there was ill feeling between him and Abbot. At this time, Missus Abbot was in a hospital. Gordon told questioners he visited Missus Abbot there. Gordon possessed a twenty two caliber target pistol, which he took with him to Indianapolis. He confessed he had this in his pocket when he accosted Abbot Monday night. It was in a suitcase when he was taken into

custody the next day. Here's a helpful hint. You can easily avoid the advertising by listening to True Crime Historian at the safehouse register at www dot patreon dot com. Slash true Crime Historian. June twelfth, nineteen forty eight arraigned separately. Cyril Scottie Gordon, farmhand and Marie Kahn Abbot, widow of a slaying victim, entered the simple please of not guilty when arraigned Saturday before Judge Fred B. Kramer of Common please Court on a joint indictment charging first degree

murder. The arrangment was followed immediately by emotion by counsel for missus Abbot making her release from the County jail on bail. Judge Kramer denied the motion, holding that the seriousness of the charge led him to require that she beheld in the jail. Gordon was brought into the courtroom first he did not have benefit of counsel. Judge Kramer ordered that a plea of not guilty be entered.

On questioning, Gordon said he does not have money to employ counsel. Thereupon, Judge Kramer appointed J. Joseph Marr and Theodore I. Weiss, both of Hamilton, as attorneys to represent this defendant. The surprise of the morning was the placing of missus Abbot on the witness stand. The court permitted her to testify, but only after counsel promised to confine questioning to a few brief

facts in her background. Missus Abbot testified in a low voice. She gave her age as forty and said she had two children, was never before arrested, had attended Miami University for one year and thereafter went to business college, and had later worked for seven years in the Oxford National Bank. She left the bank because she was expecting a child, she testified. Asked of her connection with organizations, missus Abbot replied that she was a member of the Order

of the Eastern Star. In his arguments for fixing a bond, the attorney contended, quote, we have every reason to believe that she will be present at trial. Nothing to hint otherwise unquote. Prosecutor paul A. Baden opposed the granting of bail. Quote the state expects to prove a conspiracy to bring about the death of Morris r Abbot unquote. He promised proof other than that

contained in the written confession of Gordon. Baden further reported that never in the h the history of Butler County has liberty on bail been allowed to a defendant accused of first degree murder. Quote, we shall agree to an early trial unquote, he said, in announcing that he will ask for a joint trial of the two defendants. When presenting a motion for bail for missus Abbot, her counsel also entered a request for copies of the written confession made by Gordon.

On the request of Baden, the arguments on this motion were deferred June sixteenth, nineteen forty eight. Cyril Scotty Gordon and Marie Cohn Abbot will go on trial at the same time. Judge fred B. Kramer today granted the application of Prosecutor paul A Baden for a joint trial, despite the vigorous fight of missus Abbot's counsel for a separate trial. The trial date will set for

July twentieth. Judge Kramer's opinion reads, quote, exercising what we believe is a sound legal discretion, we are of the opinion that the application for a joint trial should be and therefore is granted, unquote. The opinion noted that the state will have to establish quote that the defendant Marie Abbot conspired with the defendant Cyril Gordon to commit the crime charge, and that such conspiracy cannot be

made out by confession of or co defendant. In other words, the confession of Gordon cannot be used by the state to show that missus Abbot conspired with

him. If the only evidence of a conspiracy is that which might be shown through the confession of Gordon, it would be insufficient as a matter of law against Marie Abbot, And in the absence of any evidence as to Marie Abbot actually and manually participating in the homicide itself, or being present and aiding and abetting such homicide, a dismissal of her as such defendant would be required unquote.

Hearing late Tuesday on the motion, which was made by the state for a joint trial, brought several highlights, though most of the hearing was devoted to dull recital of legal phases. Prosecutor Baden stated that the trial would disclose intimacy between missus Abbot and Gordon for eighteen months to two years. Defense counsel, through William Hopkins, agreed in this accusation, saying his client had quote

sinned unquote, had registered at hotels with Gordon and committed adultery. Prosecutor Baden disclosed that missus Abbott had made an oral confession to E. L. Mcsaviny, investigator for the Ohio State Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Hopkins said, we know of this. We also mcsavney's interpretation of her statements, and we have our own interpretations. Another surprise was the action by counsel for Gordon, Theodore I. Weiss and J. Joseph marr Is the support of Baden in the

plea for a joint trial. Two score spectators were drawn to the hearing. It was the first time Gordon and Missus Abbot had appeared together publicly since the slaying of her husband. It was probably the first time they had been in the same room since the discovery of the tragedy. During arraignment last Saturday, Gordon was taken to the courtroom and then returned to the jail before Missus Abbot was brought before the judge. There was no exchange of glances. The defendants

apparently ignored each other. Missus Abbot took a position so that her back was turned to Gordon, even though he sat only a few feet away on opposite side of a table. Arguments on the motion for a joint trial brought from Prosecutor Baden. A veritable outline of the state's case against Gordon and against Missus Abbot. Quote. We intend to prove that they were scheming together. We have evidence to show the relationship between these two for the last two years.

We expect to bring out facts indicating the gradual development of an attraction one for the other, and also the attitude they had for mister Abbot. There is an overall pattern brought to a climax by their movements during the fateful weekend. We shall show that there was a telephone call on the afternoon of Memorial Day and what was done after that call unquote. He said the jurors could be given a clearer picture of the whole case through a joint trial, and best

interests of the public served thereby without prejudicing the rights of either defendant. Attorney Hopkins, Cincinnati and ge Conda, co counsel for Missus Abbot, fought bitterly on behalf of separate trials. Hopkins repeatedly cited the written confession given by Gordon as something which would possibly bring prejudice by a jury toward his client. Quote, in the interest of justice, there is only one way to be safe

inshore by separate trials unquote. He had cited Ohio cases in an effort to show that a joint trial in first degree murder cases could be subject to error, especially when one defendant had confessed and another had not. Condo spoke also of the effect of a confession on the jury and urged that separate trials be allowed. Quote that is the only way to fully protect the rights of missus

Abbot unquote. Baden promised counsel for missus Abbot that if a joint trial were scheduled, he would provide them with a copy of Gordon's written conf profession. Another disclosure came at the close of the hearing. Prosecutor Baden reported that missus Abbott had been told what Scottie said. The prosecutor also hinted at the blocking by her attorneys of an attempt to gain a written confession from her. He

recalled, quote, we were interrupted unquote. July fourteenth, nineteen forty eight, preparations were going forward steadily Wednesday for the joint trial opening next Tuesday, of Cyril Scotty Gordon and Marie Abbot on an indictment charging first degree murder. Much of the evidence in the hands of the state has been disclosed to the public. Some has not been disclosed pending the hearing to be conducted before a

Jury and Common Police Court of Judge Fred B. Kramer. A recent development was the fine of love letters, two or three of them which had ostensibly been written by Gordon to Missus Abbot. Finding of these letters was surrounded by odd circumstances. Personal assets in the estate of Morris Abbot were offered at auction sale at the farm recently. A huge crowd was there. Tragedy in the family had probably worked against careful sorting of many smaller items. One bidder obtained

a small purchase an assortment of items in a basket. Several days later, it is now disclosed the purchaser found letters which had been retained by Missus Abbot. He turned them over to the office of Prosecutor Paul Baden. Prosecutor Baden said, quote, we are not certain whether these letters or a few others

previously obtained, will be introduced in the trial unquote. He indicated that the messages had to do with the friendship between the two dants and were not considered essential in the attempt of the state to prove that they had plotted against the life of Abbot. Climax by the blow with a Mattock, which caused his death on the night of Memorial Day. Judge Kramer consulted with county commissioners Tuesday

regarding arrangements for the trial. Commissioners promised funds with which to hire guards to handle the expected crowds of spectators. The way has been cleared also for engaging two Hamilton City firemen as guards. Judge Kramer said, quote, the firemen carry more authority unquote. He also proposed that some form of air cooling be installed for the trial, but commissioners could not act in such short notice.

Prospects of hot weather next week brought from Judge Kramer the plan to change the hours for court, with only one session a day nine am to one pm. Speculation was advanced as to the time required for the trial opening Tuesday. First requirement will be the seating of a jury from a special veneer of one hundred and fifty prospects. Selection of a jury will likely consume one day, perhaps longer. On Wednesday. Undoubtedly the jury will be taken to the Abbot

Farm so that they may better understand testimony referring to places there. July twentieth, nineteen forty eight. First spectators began arriving at the courthouse before six am. Several had brought their lunch. There was a crush of fifty persons, mostly women, at the doors of the courtroom before it was unlocked at seven am by Fred Willer, courthouse custodian. One girl fainted and was given first

aid in another room. Others who sought a place in the courtroom arrived later in the morning, saw there was no seats, and many of them departed. About fifty remained in the corridors to await the arrival of the defendants. The largest crowd, estimated at several hundreds, assembled on the south side of the courthouse lawn to see the two defendants when they were brought from the county jail, where they had been awaiting trial. Bail had been refused them.

The murder trial defendants, missus Marie Khan Abbot and Cyril Scottie Gordon, were escorted into the courtroom shortly before nine thirty o'clock. The defendants were not talkative as they prepared for their first day in court. Deputy Sheriff Lewis Fritz, who serves as jailer, was the authority Tuesday for a report that the strain of the impending trial has not affected the appetites of either defendant. Both defendants had the normal prison fare for breakfast, three rolls in a coffee. Fritz

declared, quote, they got away with it all too unquote. Deputy Fritz is placed in a more or less curious light by the trial. He was one of the principles in the investigation of the slag which was brought to light on the day after Memorial Day. He put in long hours on the inquiry and was one of the key men. Now, except for the probable testimony which he will be called on to give, Fritz is on the sidelines as far as the actual trial is concerned. As jailer, his duties keeping pretty

well confined unless something big breaks which requires the services out of town. Newspaper representatives included reporters from Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Middletown. The Abbot case was the twenty fifth homicide trial in which Judge Fred B. Kramer has been on the bench, and four of these a woman was defendant. The record showed that in none was the verdict affected by appeals to higher courts.

The task of qualifying jurors was delayed for an hour after court was opened by a motion of Council for Gordon, they attacked the manner in which the special veneer of one hundred and fifty names was prepared and drawn. Judge Kramer overruled the motion, holding that the list was properly prepared. After hearing testimony by

Edward Antrim. One of the two jury commissioners, Theodore Weiss and J. Joseph Marr, Council for Gordon by court appointment, contended the jury commissioners had failed to certify the list of names placed in the jury wheel and had failed to use a method by which the prospective jurors were fairly chosen from all parts of the county. In the court room, special arrangements were made because of

the nature of the case. One table was reserved in front of the bench for missus Abbot and her attorneys William Hopkins Cincinnati, g E. Condo and Herbert Walsh of Condo and Walsh, Hamilton. Immediately adjoining was the table at which sat the other defendant, Gordon, with his attorneys Missrs Weiss and mar both of Hamilton. A third table was for the state's representatives, Prosecutor Paul Baden and assistant Jackson Bosch. Carl Abbot, Cincinnati, brother of the slaying

victim, was seated at this table. Thurman Khan, father of Missus Abbot, was in the courtroom, seated near his daughter. Missus Khan, was not present. By special arrangements, two Hamilton City firemen in uniform were at the doors of the courtroom to see that the crowd was held within prescribed limits. Two innocent little children not present in the courtroom were brought into the picture for a brief moment, injecting a pathetic note into the trial of Missus Abbot

and Scottie Gordon. Missus Harry Rife Riley, called for jury duty, seemed quite nervous as she took her chair, and when asked by Judge Kramer if she had formed an opinion, she replied, in a clear voice, which however quivered noticeably quote, my little girl and missus Abbot's little girl are the best of friends, and I don't think I could. She broke off and

was at once excused. Missus Abbot's little girl mentioned as her daughter Marie, age eleven, who with her brother Dale, aged seven, lost their father and the slaying Missus Abbot's apparent stoicism seemed to break at this point, and she surreptitiously wiped away a tear stairs and nudges of a c Whirout Avid with curiosity greeted missus Abbot and Gordon as they were taken from the County jail into the courtroom, throngs being lined up as if for a parade outside the jail,

and both inside and outside the courthouse predominantly composed of women of varying ages. The spectators were no doubt greatly disappointed when the major proceedings of the morning consisted in an effort by the defense attorneys to secure a ruling on improper selection of a jury. The spectators inside the courtroom and many who stood outside the doors hoping for an occasional glimpse, were very quiet and intent on not missing

a word. Missus Abbot, pale and slim, looking far younger than her reputed forty years, was soberly gowned in a tailored dark blue frock with dark hose and black slippers. She appears almost numb, as though it were someone else besides herself touched by all this horrible tragedy. Scottie Gordon looked cool, and calm his looks, belying the alleged crime for which he is on trial.

Quite a few of the persons called for jury duty definitely stated they had formed opinions in the case through newspaper accounts and through discussion, and that they could not be swerved no matter what the evidence offered. July twenty first,

nineteen forty eight. Any evidence display of interest or emotion among the spectators at the trial was quickly and definitely squelched when counsel for the defense in no uncertain terms requested Judge Kramer to instruct the audience to refrain from comment which might have an influence on prospective jury. The request probably was justified, for when the first three persons were summoned after the first peremptory challenges, the stir among spectators

and audible remarks were made. The endless challenging of the jury with the repetitious but necessary questioning, offered little interest, so your reporter's attention was mainly focused upon the spectators. Roe after row they sat, some stolid and indifferent, others alert and keen eyed, some whispering to each other, but all careful

and subdued. After the judge's caution again, as on Tuesday. The audience was composed, for the most part of women, but it seems there were a few more men, probably farm folks for whom the rain checked field work. A few men looked as if they might perhaps work on some night shift, and were devoting a few hours of the usual sleep to get a look in at the court. The women, for the most part, appeared to be housewives who hurriedly got their washing and ironing out of the way on Monday

so as to devote the rest of the week to attending the trial. There were young women and women who looked like sweet grandmothers, but a far cry from the lavender and old lace grandmothers of another era. Styles were many and varied, most of the women being hatless and devoid of the new look. There were upswept hairdos, there were short and long bobs. In short, you could find almost anything in the way of looks that you could ever imagine.

Several sedate looking women they were hatted, seemed as though they might be rural women who came in with their husbands. Naturally, rural interest is great for the defendants are both rural people. One woman kept nervously rubbing her chin with her handkerchief rolled up in a small ball. Some sat and gazed straight ahead, maintaining their interest even as the monotonous proceedings continued. One young girl in the first row kept on yawning and made no endeavor to stifle or even

cover the fact of her boredom. Several persons left the court. Most of the women were chewing gum, and as their interest in the trial or unconsciousness of others grew, their jaws kept pace. Juveniles are not permitted at the trial, but there was at least one boy and several young girls as looked

as though they might be under age or concealed their years beautifully. The scene was shifted yesterday, and while the principles of the drama of life and death still maintained, the audience was for the most part new and will continue to change always with some repeaters, as long as the absorbing drama unfolds. Here's a helpful hint. You can easily avoid the advertising by listening to True Crime Historian at the safe house register at www dot patreon dot com slash true Crime

Historian. July twenty second, nineteen forty eight. It was a grim pilgrimage they made this morning, that small band of men and women, the jurors in whose hands rest the fate of Marie Khan Abbot and Cyril Scottie Gordon, as they visited the scene and retraced the path where had occurred the murder of Morris r Abbot. Taken first to the railroad track where the dead farmer's body had been placed, the pilgrimage continue to the farmyard where the actual crime had

been committed. There was nothing here to suggest viciousness. It was just an ordinary barnyard with its implement shed. The watering trough, the rumble of thunder in the distance, the rustle of leaves fanned by the ever rising wind, the faintness of the sweet bird notes as the gathering storm brought with it a sense of restlessness and impending discomfort were the only sounds to disturb the brooding stillness

of a lazy summer morning. It was hard to believe that here, in this peaceful setting, quiet and remote, just a few brief weeks before, a man, father of two children, a man respected and well liked in the community, a man in the prime of life, had been murdered. It was a subdued group, thoughtful and serious that followed the chartered path, and, as if in keeping with the mood, just as the party set out for the Abbot home, the gray skies parted, sending down a heavy

downpour, as if the heavens too were weeping. Missus Abbot and Gordon were in the group, and they were taken into the home. Stepping on the porch, Missus Abbot lost her composure as she gazed about her at the surroundings where she had once spent happy hours. She broke down completely and wept soundlessly. The empty rooms, only curtains and colorful drapes at the windows to suggest

the earlier occupancy. An old house standing empty, a house that had once been lived in, that had echoed and re echoed to childish shouts, now forlorn. What could be more eloquent of tragedy. A sandile outside with a few toys left rusting, But above all the awful stillness, the feeling of doom that pervaded Scene three in this grim pageant. This trial with two lives at stake was not played inside a courtroom, but was nonetheless compelling A powerful

build up to the dramatic climax still to come. Neither missus Abbot nor Gordon left the cars in which they were taken to the farm under guard at the barnyard. When the rain had slackened, the jurors alighted and visited the home, with particular stress placed on the rear part of the home, where Gordon told officers he discussed the tragedy with missus Abbot. Soon after the killing,

missus Abbot wept copiously. If you feel like this episode has been entertaining enough to reward the podcaster with a refreshing beverage, point your browser to www. Dot Buy me a coffee dot com slash crime historian, though I can't promise my coffee won't be a bourbon. July twenty third, nineteen forty eight, The prologue ended, the curtains part, and the real show has begun. The principles, Marie Khan Abbot and Cyril's Scotty Gordon have made their entrance,

and the great supporting cast awaits its cue. It is a stark drama. We are about to witness a gripping drama based on the eternal Triangle, and the audience is all a quiver holding to the edge of its seat with bated breath. No figment of an author's brain, no concept of a playwright's vivid imagination. No pawns to be pulled hither or pushed jonder at the command of a stage director. No. The actors in this drama are real, disordinary,

everyday persons. No ending, favorable or unfavorable has been planned. Only time and the relentless wheel of fate can determine this. It is somber, real drama with the lives of a man and a woman at stake. The first speaking role was handled by doctor Garrett jay Boone, the Butler County Coroner, and his were not pleasant lines, no airy flights of fancy, just grim, brutal facts, but the audience eagerly hung upon his every word.

Perhaps the most tragic figure in the courtroom is the sister of the slain man. Slight, attractive, clad and somber black. She listens intently to every word, every syllable, her mobile face registering the emotion she has under such stern control. We have no comment, was her reply when approached by a reporter. Morris Abbot's brother, too, looks on stoically. The mark of sorrow on his face once again. The spectators have been cautioned by Judge Kramer

to betray no reactions. This when an outburst of laughter greeted and una expected perry to a lawyer's question, interested unmindful of time or place, the audience becomes so engrossed in the proceedings entire restraint is almost impossible absorbing dramas unfolding with startling de numis still to come. The principles have not as yet spoken their

lines. Three distinct versions of the slaying May thirty, first of Morris r Abbot will be placed before the jury trying Abbot's widow and his former farm hand on a joint charge of murder in the first degree. Prosecutor paul A Baden contended Cyril Scottie Gordon killed Abbot maliciously, deliberately, and with intent to free Missus Abbot so that the two defendants could wed continuing. He said, quote, she aided by suggestions and by other ways, so that she is equally

guilty unquote. Theodore J. Weiss, of Council, defending Gordon, said the evidence will show that Scotty several times sought to break his illicit ties with Missus Abbot that she wrote to him when he was in a reformatory and went to see him when he was working at other farms in the county. Weiss's contended evidence will show the killing was done in the heat of a quarrel. Quote. Gordon did strike the fatal blows. This homicide was never the result

of a plan, conspiracy, or premeditated malice unquote. William Hopkins, counsel for Missus Abbot, said that Gordon's return to the Abbot farm on the night of Memorial Day was his idea solely, presumably reached suddenly while Gordon was in Indianapolis on a vacation. He contended Missus Abbot had discussed the tangle with her husband early in May, and on May fourteenth, went with his consent to see Gordon, telling him that she had decided to stick with her family.

Quote. There was a surprise party for Morris on May fifteenth, a party to celebrate the reunion. Abbot became the happiest man in the United States, thrilled because domestic conditions had been straightened out. The statements by Wyss and Hopkins indicated that both defendants would take the witness stand during the trial The opening statements lasted in Toto nearly two hours, after which a recess was called until Friday

morning, when introduction of testimony was to start. Prosecutor Baden was the first to offer a statement. He sketched what he called a prolog of the murder. Gordon, now aged twenty six, came to Butler County more than two years ago, worked on a construction job, then obtained a place as farm hand on the Abbot farm through the Farm Bureau. Three months later, the

intimate friendship with Missus Abbot began, and this relationship continued. There was talk between the two defendants of a divorce and of running away together quote five weeks before May thirty. First the talk between them was to the effect that they would have to get rid of Morris, have to have an accident, or Morris would have to commit suicide. Several times such subjects were discussed unquote.

Then Baden referred to the Friday preceding Memorial Day, when Gordon took a vacation from his work, ostensibly to see the automobile races in Indianapolis Monday afternoon, unun he telephoned to Missus Abbot from Indianapolis, checked arrangements with her and learned definitely she intended to go that night to Hamilton, where her daughter was in

a music recital. Quote. Gordon asked her to leave ten dollars behind the picture, which was displayed on a piano in the living room of the Abbot house, and she did so. He drove to Riley Township in a U drive it truck, parked it in the barnyard, then walked back to the house and got the ten dollars. He had a loaded gun and a flashlight. When Abbot arrived in his home, Gordon accosted him and in the barnyard struck him with a mattic unquote. Missus Abbot returned from Hamilton and Gordon told

her Morris was dead. Quote. She gave Gordon a blanket to protect his clothing from more bloodstains, wiped blood off his jacket, and gave him one of more Morris's shirts to put on. Thereafter, Gordon hauled the body to a railroad crossing, walked back to the farm by a short cut, and drove the rented truck back to Indianapolis, arriving there at four to twelve a m. He left to call at the hotel for six am. When awakened, asked that he be called at eight am. Arose then and returned to

Oxford. Quote. We questioned Missus Abbott on Tuesday. She said she had not seen Scottie excepting once since he went to work for the Derricksons in February. She denied she knew where he was and denied he had anything to do with the killing unquote. Baden further stated that the entire top of the head

of Abbot's was crushed the effect of five or six blows. Attorney Wise failed to take issue with Baden's account in the main, but he stressed contention that quote Abbott met his death as the result of a quarrel and a fight. In the heat of the fight, Gordon seized a mattock and made the fatal blows unquote. Weiss described in detail the defendant's background. He was an orphan at eight years, his mother dying two days before Christmas and his father six

months later. He and four sisters were in a foster home he until he was sixteen. He attended night school and worked at various occupations, including that of a truck driver in Pennsylvania. He also worked in Indianapolis, where he was well known and had many friends. Quote, it was nothing unusual for him to plan a vacation there Unquote. In nineteen forty six, he learned of job opportunities in Hamilton and came here to make a record as a good

workman, of good habits and good reputation. In the spring of nineteen forty six, Gordon went to work on the Abbot farm and entered three months later into an affair with Missus Abbot. In August, he became restive, thought he had better leave, and he headed back to Pennsylvania. There he procured a job as a helper on a truck with his former employer and made one trip between Pittsburgh and New York when he was picked up by the FBI.

Gordon had failed to give a forwarding address, a violation of Army draft rules. Although he was classified for f during confinement in a reformatory, Gordon corresponded with Marie Abbot and she sent him little sums of money. From January or February nineteen forty seven. After serving the ninety days sentence, Gordon once more went to work on the Abbot farm. Quote. He decided to leave again theref after he took jobs on three other farms. All this time he and

Marie Abbot had meetings. She prevailed on him to come back. He called Morris Abbot, who replied, okay, I need you unquote. He again left the farm the first week of last January. About that time, Missus Abbot was stricken ill, and Gordon visited her at a Hamilton hospital. When she recovered sufficiently, the meetings were resumed, although Gordon had meanwhile gone to work at the Derrickson farm. Quote. The evidence will show that their last

meeting was May fourteenth or fifteenth. At the Derrickson farm, the two talked about divorce, and Gordon told her they had better break off their relations unless she got a divorce. People are talking, he advised her. She told Gordon that she had already talked to Morris and he would not give her a divorce. Thereupon, Marie suggested Gordon talk to her husband. I don't know

how to get over to see him, Gordon told her unquote. Wise contended the evidence would show that they talked of his impending trip to Indianapolis, and Gordon told Missus Abbot quote, if I have a chance to rent an automobile, it would be a good time to come down unquote. When in Indianapolis, Gordon met a young lady at a roller rink and accompanied her home. He rented a truck Monday and tried to find her home in Franklin, Indiana, but failed. At three pm, he telephoned to missus Abbot, who

received the call on the ten party line. Abbot arrived in his new truck and was refueling it from a gas tank in the rear of the house when Gordon accosted him. They conversed, and Gordon disclosed he had a rental truck in the barnyard. I'm going to put mine away and then we can drive back to yours, Abbot said. According to Weiss, Gordon stood on the running board for the ride, unlatched the gate to the barnyard and waited for

Abbot to alight from the cab. Gordon had said earlier he wanted to talk with Abbot. Abbot queried, now, what's all this about. The former employee answered, it's about Marie, about a divorce. Abbot said, I've made up my mind, no divorce. Gordon said, She's going to leave anyway, run away and take the two children. Abbot queried, what are you going to do? Gordon said, I'm going with her. Abbot replied, like, hell you will. Weiss said the foregoing conversation precipitated a fight.

Gordon had a lame arm, and he doesn't know how he struck Abbot. He got down on his knees to listen to Abbot's heart and realized the victim was dead. Thereafter, in concert with Missus Abbot, were those of a terror stricken man who sought to make the fatality appear like an accident. The last of the three opening statements was by Attorney Hopkins, who also sketched the background of his client, Missus Abbot. She was born in Indiana forty

years ago. Attended Miami University for a year, then transferred to a business college in Hamilton, from which she graduated. She worked in an Oxford bank, quitting the job when expecting a child. In nineteen thirty seven or thirty eight. She and Morris moved to the farm, the scene of the tragedy, and were getting along fine. In April nineteen forty six, Abbot applied

to the Farm Bureau for help, and gore Goon was recommended. He was sent there to work and was given sleeping quarters downstairs in the home, the rest of the family sleeping upstairs. About three months later, Marie Abbot became untrue to her husband. Gordon's employment at the Abbot farm was intermittent. Quote all of the time, this defendant was unfaithful unquote. In January nineteen forty eight, Abbot called in Gordon and fired him. Missus Abbot went to a

hospital for a tumor operation, and Gordon visited her there. Quote He bumped into Abbot, who warned Scotty to stay out. Then Scotty wrote her a registered letter saying that no one could keep him away from her unquote. On last February second, missus Abbot went home and was in bed until March fifteenth. Gordon sent cards to her, and as soon as she was physically able, she and Gordon continued to see each other. Quote. There was no

scheme, no plan, no conspiracy, Hopkins contended, unquote. Then Hopkins described the break, which he said the evidence will prove in the triangle. Early in May, Missus Abbott and her husband discussed the possibility of a divorce, and he gave her a choice, Scottie or the children. She told him, I won't give them up. If you leave, you will never get the children. Hopkins said she made her decision to stick with Morris, and on May fourteenth, with his permission, drove to the Derrickson farm to

tell Scotty that it was all off. At this conference, she learned of his plan to take a vacation in Indianapolis, and she gave him thirty dollars afterward, reporting this gift to her husband. Quote at three thirty o'clock on Monday afternoon, May thirty first, Gordon had a longing in his heart to see Marie, and he got her on the phone. Her son answered, and he called his mother. Perhaps she was thrilled to hear Scotty's voice. She was ruled by her body, not her mind. He asked if she

were going to the recital and if Morris were going. She said she was going, and that Morris never did attend. Gordon then told her I'm going to see him. It is one last chance to get a divorce. She replied, all right, see if you can sell him. Unquote. Hopkins continued his account by noting that Gordon signed his own name when renting a truck and on arrival at the home, procured the ten dollar bill and left a note there reading, if you get home before Morris does, I'll see you.

Missus Abbott, on arrival from Hamilton, cared for the children and put them to bed. She came downstairs to get a glass of water for one of them, and when in the kitchen, heard a voice from the darkness. She recognized Gordon and told him Morris is not home and I'm worried. I know where he is. Gordon replied and related the tragedy. Hopkins said Missus Gordon became hysterical and in following acts quote tried to cover up for her

own protection. She was caught in a vice trying to protect herself. Unquote. Hopkins told the jury that Missus Abbot is on trial for a conspiracy and not on a charge of immorality or for being unfaithful. Quote. Her life is at stake. After a thorough investigation, you must agree that not only is it your duty, but your privilege to return a verdict finding Marie Abbot not guilty. Quote. July twenty fourth, nineteen forty eight, when missus

Grace Khan, mother of the defendant Marie Abbott, took the stand. It was the first news to the public that she had been ill. Prosecutor Baden made an apology to her in opening his questioning quote, I did not know you were sick when I issued the subpoena unquote. Missus Khan acquitted herself on the stand without tears or sobs, in marked contrast to the emotions displayed from time to time by her daughter. Before she took the stand, a prediction

was heard in certain quarters that she would collapse or faint. She failed to fulfill this prediction. Missus Khan's testimony was considered important as to the time element. The court room, because of the Friday proceedings, is now well stocked with exhibits in the case. Doctor Boone brought in a platte of the neighborhood to help in an interpretation of the testimony and help in fixing locations of the various places involved in the case. He also brought in a series of photographs.

While Deputy Sheriff Markder was on the stand, the state introduced as evidence the mattock which was used in the slaying. With it were a shovel used to dig up blood stained dirt and a feed pan. In which this dirt was carried away. The mattic shovel and pan were recovered from a field in Indiana. The state is displaying a white shirt not yet introduced as evidence. The state will attempt to prove that this shirt originally was owned by Morris Abbot.

Some love letters have also been introduced as evidence. Two of these were inadvertently offered in a miscellaneous assortment at an auction sale held at the Abbot farm last month. These letters probably will be read to the jury and the court when the trial sessions reconvene Monday. The love letters of Cyril Gordon to Marie Abbott were accompanied by some rhymes which he noted that he himself is composed. This verse was accompanied by the notation I just tried to write a poem and

am enclosing the results. I hope you like it, but I seem to be a bit rusty at composing poetry. I used to know how to do it. I love you on the hillside, I love you on the level, but if I get you in the dark, I'll love you like the devil. The most elaborate effort in this line was one entitled just a Broken Heart by Scottie Gordon. Sometimes I think that maybe it was meant to be

that you should someday belong to only me. And then again I wonder if we should ever part, what the devil could I do with just a broken heart? I know I never can forget the many hours we spent together, and our happiness was surely heaven sent. And every time I see you, I know you feel the same. So if we ever say goodbye, I'll wonder who's to blame. Don't you ever think that I could be untrue,

because, my little darling, I'm in love with only you. So I guess that I will have to do the best I can and prove that I can always be your ideal type of man. If in this venture I should fail and never drift apart, I guess that I'll go through life with just a broken heart. July twenty sixth, nineteen forty eight. Is it morbid

curiosity? Do they have some sort of personal interest? Or what is it I keep asking myself that prompts all of these persons to lay aside their work or to devote leisure which could be spent to better advantage, just to become spectators In a courtroom where a man and a woman are on trial for their lives. Interest mounts as the case of the State of Ohio versus Marie Cohn

Abbot and Cyril Scottie Gordon moves into the second week. At five o'clock Monday morning, already some persons had taken their place in the line that swelled the several hundred persons. Just a mere handful of these could get inside the courtroom. The rest stand about for hours, hopefully seemingly content just to catch a

glimpse of the defendant or some of the jury or witnesses. I recognize some in the audience as having been there each day, some, of course, no one or other of the defendants, but the vast majority have no connection to Most of them, it seems just to show these grim proceedings. Much that goes on is repetitious, dull, and tiresome. Yet the spectators sit on even when the judge calls a recess. They have to remain where they are. For those outside the door or just waiting to grab a vacant chair.

The procedures in the court of law are, of course interesting, but after you've seen the pattern, it's all the same. Many of these spectators may just be waiting for some startling disclosures, some sordid revelations. There have been none so far. Surely it can't be pleasant to just watch the harrowing of two human souls, no matter what the nature of the crime with which

they are charged. People are funny who can understand the complexities of human nature, which makes it seem a pleasure to wait hours on end just in the hope of seeing or hearing something sensational. The first witness Monday was Eugene Derrickson, Oxford township farmer, who was Gordon's last employer. About May fourteenth, he testified, Gordon received a caller at noon at the farm. Quote, when he came back to eat, he said that she would never be back

again unless there was a divorce, the whole thing would be off. He was just as happy after that as before. Unquote. Dereckson testified missus Abbott visited Gordon at their farm about a dozen times from the latter part of February to the middle of May. There were some telephone calls. The morning Gordon left for Indianapolis for his vacation, he had a telephone call all at breakfast time and afterwards confided to his employer that Missus Abbot quote had wished him a

good time unquote on his trip. Dereckson said that when he employed Gordon, he had asked of Morris Abbot three questions, is he a good worker, honest, and harmonious where there are children? Abbot recommended him on all three counts, and Derekson said he found these replies upheld. Derekson also testified that Gordon had heard his right arm in a farm accident shortly before he left on the Indianapolis trip. He also said that Gordon had spoken of plans for the

trip two months prior to the automobile races quote. He carried the pistol, went on the tractor, and I approved the idea, hoping that he would shoot groundhogs unquote. In the last month, Scotty left the farm few, if any times, the court was told. The testimony of Sheriff Charles B. Walkee showed that Gordon was being questioned from twelve thirty am to five am by Walkee and Everett L. Mcsavny of the State Bureau, and that the

written statements were taken starting at seven am the same day. The testimony showed this inquiry was on June third. Walkee recalled that during his questioning of Gordon that morning, the suspect told him, quote, if I had you outside, I'd make you swallow those words unquote. The sheriff said the flare up occurred when mention was made of the suspects relations with missus Abbott. Walkee admitted he followed with some hot words, but testified no one laid a hand on

him. E. L. Mcsavney, investigator with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, was the next witness. Mister mcsaviney, questioned by Prosecutor Baden, told of being advised by the Bureau to come to County to investigate a murder case. He said that he and his technicians arrived in Hamilton aboard the mobile crime laboratory. He outlined the steps taken in the investigation. The jury then retired upon approval of the judge that counsel for the defense be permitted to cross

examine mcsavine in the absence of jurors. Attorney Weiss questioned the witness on the time element involved in his conversation with Gordon. He asked if missus Abbot was in custody at the time when mcsavny talked with Gordon, and the answer was no. Mister Weiss asked, did Gordon ask you if missus Abbott would be permitted to attend the trial? And did you promise him that if he would make a statement, missus Abbot would be allowed to attend the trial. The

answer was absolutely not. Weiss then asked mcsavanny if he had seen the defendant Gordon since that time. He replied that he had talked with him once. Question do you recall telling Gordon that he had better watch out because his lawyers were going to sell him down the river? Answer absolutely not. Question did you tell Gordon to stick by his confessions because Marie Abbot's attorneys were going to throw the whole thing on him? Answer absolutely not. Mister Hopkins then questioned

the witness on his conversation with missus Abbot. He asked if mister mcsaviney had been alone with missus Abbot at the time of the conversation, and mister mcsaviney answered yes. Mister Hopkins asked why it was not deemed advisable to have someone else present in case some argument developed and mister mcsaviney said that it was the usual policy of the bureau to talk alone with the suspect before a stenographer is

called. McSaveney described in detail his conversation with missus Abbot after Gordon had given his written statement quote. I informed her that Gordon had made a statement involving her in a plan to dispose of her husband, also that she and Gordon had been intimate for some time. Then I asked her, is this true? Missus Abbot hesitated a moment, dropped her hand, and then answered yes.

I told her that Gordon had said they had planned to dispose of her husband for some time, also that he had seen her at the home on the night of May thirty. First question, did missus Abbot tell you what happened? Answer? She told me Scotty came to the back porch after she put the children to bed. Mcsavaney also disclosed that her account varied in some details and gave added information in comparison to Gordon's statement. She told of the

ten dollars behind the picture and of the telephone call in the afternoon. The witness quoted her on their conversation as follows. Gordon it's all over with missus Abbot. Too bad it had to end that way. Mcsavney testified that at the beginning of his interview with missus Abbot, she denied knowing that Gordon had a role in the killing, denied that she had been friendly with him. Her admissions, the witness declared, followed his report to her that Scottie had

confessed to kill him. Quote. We were alone in the front room of the County jail, and I asked her if she had any idea who killed Morris Abbot. She replied that she had none, although some persons suspected Scottie Gordon. Then I asked her, do you suspect him, and she replied

that she did not. I asked her if she and her husband had any trouble, and she replied no. I then asked her if she had ever considered a divorce, and again she answered no. She also denied that she had been intimate with Gordon, explaining that she merely liked him as a friend. She denied she entered into any extensive correspondence, mentioning merely letters sent once or twice after he had left the farm. She also denied that she had

talked with him since he left the farm. Unquote. After she had made these denials, mcsavane recalled, He informed her that Gordon had made a statement quote involving her in a plan to dispose of her husband, also that she and Gordon had been intimate quite some time. I asked her, is this

true? Missus Abbot hesitated, dropped her head and replied yes. I told her Gordon had said they planned to dispose of her husband for some time, had been intimate over a long period of time, and also stated he had been at her home on the night of May thirty. First Prosecutor Baden interposed a question, did missus Abbott tell you what had happened? Mcsavney continued. Quote. Missus Abbot stated that Scottie came to the back door this night after

she had put the children to bed. She also told me she had a telephone call from Gordon that afternoon from Indianapolis. He had asked her, she said, to put ten dollars back of his picture. She said she had placed there to two U five dollar bills, explaining that she cast a ten dollar check gave five dollars to her husband, using the other five dollars and some cash she had on hand to meet Gordon's request. I asked missus Abbot if Gordon had a key to her home, and she replied that the house

was never locked. I also asked her if he had a key to her automobile, and she replied that he did have one. Missus Abbot stated, Gordon and she had been talking, and Gordon asked her, if we get rid of Morris, will you marry me. Missus Abbot replied to him she said that she would if he would assume the responsibility of the two children. She stated that he agreed he would unquote. Mcsavny then testified he asked her about the plans for Monday night, and she told him Gordon knew that he

was to attend to recital and take the two children. Quote. She told about a call from Indianapolis in which Gordon verified her plans to go to the recital. Unquote. Mcsaviney testified he talked with her fifteen minutes when he was interrupted by the arrival of attorney Condo. When the lawyer left, missus Abbot answered all of the questions with the reply, I would rather not say,

and explained that she had been told not to say anything. In cross examination, Hopkins demanded that mcsaviny point out in Gordon's earliest confession where the suspect had ever said that he and missus Abbot were intimate or that they had plotted against her husband. The witness failed to do so. Hopkins also accused mcsavny of using quote a double barreled question unquote. This question incorporated two points, one

that there was a plot and two that the defendants had been intimate. Hopkins asked, who put the interpretation on the word rid It doesn't mean kill, does it? Answer? That's right? Question in your questioning, did you ever ask her if she and Gordon plan to kill Morris Abbot? Answer that phrase was never used. Question did you ever ask her attorneys for permission to take a signed statement from it? Answer No? July twenty seventh, nineteen

forty eight. What are they thinking? How must they feel? Are recurrent thoughts as I watched the Two Principles Marie Khan Abbot and Cyril Scottie Gordon as the drama unfolds in Judge Kramer's courtroom where they are on trial in the slaying of Morris Abbot, What an ordeal it must be to sit there, hour after hour, listening to testimony for and against, exposed to the speculative gaze

of an avidly curious crowd. Inmost thoughts and secrets laid bare, the most personal of their emotions coldly analyzed, and then to face the cold stairs, the audibly whispered comments as they passed through the gaping ranks on their way to and from court. Tension mounts as the trial progresses, and today's session was

so far the most dramatic. There was a stir of excitement in the court when the feeling flared briefly between council during the cross examination of the witness, and again when Scottie Gordon's confessions were read, but the crowd, remembering Judge Kramer's repeated warnings, was quiet. There were no audible comments, but the

implications were great. Time alone will tell the outcome. But whatever happens to either of both of these principles, these grueling weeks will have taken a heavy toll, will have left an indelible and irradicable mark the state's case, and the Abbot murder trial was concluded today with the reading to the jury of seven men and five women the signed confessions of Cyril Scottie Gordon, in which he detailed how he battered to death with a mattock his former employer, Morris r.

Abbot, last Memorial Day. In so far as Missus Abbot's connection with the case was concerned, the confessions of Gordon were highlighted by these words. Questioned by prosecutor paul A Baden, I want you to ask this question. Does she ever say anything to you about if there is no other way, you'll have to kill him? Answer by Gordon. She never put it in those words, but she led me to believe she would have no objection. She said that Morris would have to have an accident or commit suicide, or

something like that. Parts of the confessions Gordon maintained that the killing developed from a fight in the barnyard of the Abbot place. When Gordon asked the husband to stand aside for a divorce from the woman with whom the farm hand had been intimate for two years. Question what did you tell him? What was the reason? Answer? I told him his wife wasn't satisfied with him anymore and that she wanted to get a divorce from him. Question what did he

say. Answer? Well, he says they had talked it over, and I think he said he decided he didn't want a divorce or something to that effect. Question, Can you give us the rest of the conversation? Answer? There was not much else said. We started to walk down to where my truck was parked, and he made a lunge at me, and he bumped me in the eye, either with his elbow or fist, and I lost my head. And there was a mattock there by the watering trough and

I picked that up. He grappled with me again and I hit him with that question, how many times did you hit him? Answer? I think I hit him twice. I don't know. I was mad and sort of lost my head. I may have hit him more than that, but I think that was as often as I hit him. Question he fell answered yes. July twenty eighth, nineteen forty eight, Judge Kramer's courtroom once again was crowded to the hilt, with a quivering mass of humanity listening with breathless interest.

As Scottie Gordon, one of the defendants in the slaying of Morris Abbot, was cross examined. The crowd was electrified when Gordon made the statement some of them were not true, meaning some statements he had made in regard to missus Abbot and his confessions. He appeared utterly unruffled and had a answer for each question put to him by the prosecutor, in some instances even waxing a trifle facetious. More chairs have been packed into the courtroom. Spectators are too

close together to be comfortable. It is hot and close within the courtroom. The fans must be turned off because of the noise, and yet scarcely a single person ever leaves his or her seat. No matter how often the same questions are asked, the same answer is given. The crowd never seems to tire, never appears bored, always on the alert for some special nuance or new implication. There was definite but quiet reaction to some of Gordon's replies,

particularly when he was questioned about his love for missus Abbot. It seems to me it is a grueling experience even for a spectator, this grilling of a witness. But the crowds which assemble daily seem to derive some sort of vicarious thrill. Ramatic moments, tense situations. I'll take them in books or on the stage, But I find I have no heart for the real thing. When Judge Kramer called recess during the cross examination of Scotty Gordon, there was

no person more relieved than this writer. On completion of his direct testimony, Gordon was cross examined first by William Hopkins. Hopkins asked two questions. Quote, has anybody representing missus Abbot approached you and asked you to change your story? Answer? No. Question Did you and Marie Abbot ever planned to kill Abbot? Answer? We did not, Never did plan to kill mister Abbot. Baden's questioning continued at length, and it was evident from his answers that

Scott he still has a deep affection for the widow of the victim. He sought to repudiate some of his statements in the confessions he had signed. Quote, under the circumstances, I did sign some things that were not exactly true. They were not true against Marie. Question were you very much in love with Marie? Answer? I was. Question you discussed the subject of her being free? Answer we discussed divorce. Question you even considered running away taking

the children and his money? Answer? Yes, question they were his children answer hers two. Question they were not yours. You had an undying love for her and you still have it. Gordon declined to answer. The cross examination brought from Gordon the testimony that it was Gordon who demanded Marie Abbott stop her visits until she got it. He told her so on May fourteenth, when she visited him at the farm of his last employer, Eugene Derrickson in

Oxford Township. Gordon said, quote, there was talk in the neighborhood. Question was this your decision? Answer? It was question what did she say? Answer? She said it was pretty hard to stay away. Question did you believe she was in love with you? Answer? I believe so. Gordon was uncertain in his testimony whether he or Missus Abbot had suggested on May fourteenth that he returned from Indianapolis to see Abbot. She gave him thirty dollars

for expenses. Gordon learned on May fourteenth that Abbot would be home alone on the night of May thirty first, Gordon denied he had seen Missus Abbot from May fourteenth to the night of the killing. Baden also question Gordon regarding a telephone call lasting about ten minutes on the morning of May twenty eighth, a few hours before Gordon started on his vacation trip to Indianapolis. The conversation included comment on his sore arm. Gordon contended that at this time he had not

definitely decided to return May thirty first to see Abbot. He also denied that he dallied on his return trip the night of May thirty first until it got dark. Asked why he drove his rented truck to the back places, he said he thought Abbot might be working there quote, I knew his habits pretty well unquote. He also repudiated one statement in his written confession that read, I did not want him to know I was there. The correction would read

I did not want her, Missus Kahan to know I was there. The questioning also brought to light Gordon's attempt in May to grow a mustache. He said Marie Abbot did not like it. He also said that it took a load off his mind when he had advised Missus Abbot not to visit him. He also admitted that intimacy started three months after he took the job at the

Abbot farm. During the direct examination, the questioning by his counsel Theodore I. Weiss, The defendant, said that he had confessed the slag when he was told by investigator mcsavny that Marie Abbot was in jail and that they would not release her to attend the funeral of her husband unless he made a statement. Baden asked Gordon if he rode in the truck or on the running board as he and Abbot were going back the lane. Gordon replied on the running

board. Gordon then went through the ensuing events leading up to Abbot's murder as he told them under direct examination. Baden asked Gordon if a barnyard near a watering trough wasn't an unusual place to ask a man to give his wife a divorce, and said, no, he didn't think it unusual. Quote, it is rather unusual itself to ask a man to divorce his wife. Unquote. Gordon reiterated his statement that he was fighting for his life during the scuffle.

Question. In your statement, you say that you lost your head, do you mean that you did not know what you were doing? Answer? I was so mad that I didn't know exactly what I was doing. Question, Yet you have told us the details of how you were fighting for your life. Baden continuously hammered at Gordon's story of how Gordon tried to make the killing look accidental, telling Gordon he was quote not confused unquote as he laid his plans. You weren't confused, Baden said, and Gordon replied, I

was confused enough to think I could make it look like an accident. Gordon testified that when he told missus Abbott what had happened, she said, my lord, we hadn't figured on this. What are we going to do? Baden asked why the authorities were not called, and Gordon said that he didn't think about it at the time. Baden asked Gordon why he hadn't admitted the murder when taken into custody, and Gordon said that he did not think about

it at the time. After the cross examination, former employers of Gordon were called. The Gordon defense rested shortly before court was scheduled to adjourn, and the trial moved into the defense of Missus Abbot with the presentation of character witnesses neighbors from the Riley community in which she resided. Testimony was in regard to a reconciliation party which Morris Abbot gave for his wife, to which neighbors and

friends were invited. July twenty ninth, nineteen forty eight, with crashing Krishu, the climax was reached in the case of the State of Ohio against Marie Khan Abbot and Cyril Scottie Gordon. When Marie Abbot took the stand in her own defense Thursday morning, showing somewhat the strain of the last few weeks, she was pale but collected as her counsel took her step by step through the years and through events leading up to the date on which her husband was slain

May thirty. First, she answered questions unhesitatingly and clearly, her voice faltering briefly when she spoke of her love for Scotti, or when her children, a daughter aged eleven and a son aged seven, were brought into the per But she broke and sobbed dramatically once when she was asked if she had helped wipe the blood off Scottie after the slag quote, yes, and I got blood on my hands, Morris's blood on my hands unquote. Her counsel spared

her nothing. It was a merciless expose. It was cruel, but necessary, of course, and Marie Khan Abbot made a good witness. She scourged herself, bared her inmost soul to a curious and pitiless world. Marie Khan Abbot has suffered deeply. The anguish of her father, who has stood beside her through all this, who has been with her each day in court, was heartrending. But he gazed upon her with love all the while she was on the stand. He looks drained of emotion and shows the effects of the

strain. Marie Khan Abbot had still to face her worst ordeal, the cross examination by the state, But hearing her on the stand today, one realizes that she has schooled her mind to face it and so gained strength to carry on. She was asked by her counsel, William Hopkins, what happened about three months after Scottie came to work for you? We became intimate friends, she replied. He pressed her for more specific description, and she answered that

is right. At another partner's story, she was asked, were you in love with him? Answer? Yes, I was. Question was there at any time a conspiracy to kill your husband? Oh? No, that was never thought of, missus Abbott said. She had failed to tell her parents on the early morning of June first, about the death of her husband because she was ashamed. Quote, I walked the floor, thought of calling the authorities. Then I did not. I knew they would find out about the

adultery, about our registering in hotels. I tried to tell my parents, but I knew mother would be so ashamed of me. I was so ashamed of myself. Missus Abbott faltered three or four times when giving her story. These occasions were always when she was bringing mention of her children into the account. She was near collapse when giving this testimony. The time was near midnight May thirty first. She put the children to bed and came downstairs to get

a glass of water for her daughter. Quote. There stood Scottie. I told him Phyllis wanted water, and I went to take it upstairs and returned in five or ten minutes. I told him, I'm worried about Morris. I know where he is. Scotty told me Gordon told me lost my head and killed him. I cried, my god, what have you done? Unquote. She related how she and Scotty talked and it was decided that Scotty should take the body and put it on the railroad tracks. Question did you

wipe blood off of Scotty's clothes? Answer? Yes, I wiped it off and I got some of Morris's blood on my hands. At this point, Missus Abbot was near the breaking point. Apparently, after a brief pause, she continued with her testimony. July thirty first, nineteen forty eight. Marie Abbot and Scottie Gordon ran the gantlet of three thousand pairs of curious eyes last night before and after they heard the jury's verdict pronouncing them guilty in the Memorial

Days slaying of the woman's husband, Morris R. Abbot. At least three thousand persons jammed Court Street between the county jail and courthouse hours before Missus Abbott and her accused lover were led from their cells to learn their fate. At ten forty five pm, Marie was brought to the courthouse, first, escorted by Missus Adeline cecl deputy and Assistant police Chief Robert Welch. Less than a minute later, Scottie was brought over by Sheriff Charles B. Walkee and other

officers. A police detail, firemen and Sheriff's deputies were forced to cut a path through the throng before the prisoners were escorted across the street. The crowd was not unruly, but police and deputies had their work cut out for them to keep the throng from pressing in on the accused pair. Traffic was blocked on Court Street, with lines of automobiles extending eastward and westward to Second in Front Street. Many spectators stood on tops of automobiles to get a better view

of the prisoners. After missus Abbot and Gordon had entered the Court Street entrance of the courthouse, hundreds in the crowd rushed for the door in an effort to follow the prisoners to the common polease courtroom of Judge Kramer, where the nine day long trial was conducted. Entrance of the crowd was barred, however, upon orders of Judge Kramer. As soon as the prisoners were inside the

courthouse door, firemen snapped the lock. The throng remained outside for another forty five minutes until missus Abbot and Scottie were returned to jail, their fates having been decided by the jury. Missus Abbot was at the breaking point when she was escorted from the jail to the courthouse. She clung tightly to the hand of Missus Cecil and several times he faltered. Her face was ashen, and

many in the crowd thought she would collapse. Scottie appeared unmoved by any emotion when led to the courthouse, A grim look about his jaw the only indications he might have been concerned over his possible fate. An already tense situation grew more tense after the prisoners were admitted to the courtroom. When they were brought to the courthouse, it was for the purpose of hearing Judge Kramer give instructions

to the jury. At that juncture, it was believed the jury would not reach a verdict and would be secluded for the night in the Anthony Wayne Hotel. After Judge Kramer gave the jury its instructions, the surprise announcement that the jury was near a verdict was made by Joseph Myers Foreman, who stated only one more ballot would be required. Missus Abbott was then escorted to the office of Conrad C. Strow, and Gordon was taken to the adjoining office of

Sheriff Walkee to await the court's decision. After the verdict was read, missus Abbot and Gordon again were required to walk the gantlet of the crowd. Missus Abbott appeared more composed on the return trip to the jail. It was either a let down from an almost unbearable half hour of waiting for the jury to cast that last fateful ballot, or may have been just a feeling of relief to finally learn her fate. Gordon seemed in a jaunty mood on his return

trek to the jail. Gordon, who had been playing cards with other prisoners earlier in the evening, smoked a cigarette and walked with jaunty strides on his way back to the jail. Some spectators remarked that it seemed cruel to force the prisoners, especially the woman, to face a curious crowd to and from the courthouse. Several asked why couldn't the prisoners be taken out the back door of the jail, placed an auto and brought around to the High Street entrance.

Cyril Scotty Gordon was found guilty of first degree murder with recommendation of Mercy. Marie Khan Abbot, aged forty, wife of the victim, was found guilty of second degree murder. This verdict carries automatically a sentence of life imprisonment with hope of pardon after ten years. The verdict against Gordon carries automatic prison sentence for life. However, recent statutes provide that the case automatically go to

the Ohio Pardon and Parole Board for review after twenty years. Then a recommendation of one sort or other is made by the Board to the Governor, who has the authority to pardon or commute the sentence. Unofficial reports indicated six ballots were taken by the jury and considering what verdict would be returned in the case against Gordon. In the first part of the voting, the jurors were rather evenly split, one group for first degree without mercy, meaning the death penalty,

and the other group advocating mercy. As the voting continued, the lesser penalty life sentence was directed. Eight ballots were required before the twelve jurors agreed on the verdict against Missus Abbot. One man juror stood pat until the end

for acquittal of Missus Abbot. None even at the start of the voting, sought the death penalty for Missus Abbot epilogue, February ninth, nineteen fifty Marie Abbott, aged forty one, was so overjoyed by release in a jury verdict yesterday afternoon from the stigma of murderess that her expressions shifted rapidly from tears to smiles, over and over again while waiting a long hoped for trip back home. A moment after the verdict was read, she broke into sobs, then

cried aloud, thank God. She regained control of herself quickly posed for photographers. She knows the ways of the craft by now, and then retired to an office near the courtroom with counsel and her father. She said fervently, I want to go home, and now that means Brookville, Indiana. Her father, Thurman Khan, was there to take her home. He and her mother have moved since the tragedy from the farm, which was two miles from

the scene of the murder of her husband. She was genial to the small gathering her friends since childhood days, g e Condo, who had a leading role in the courtroom fight for her liberty. William Foss Hopkins, chief of counsel, and the newspaper people in reply to questions, missus Abbot said, I have no plans. Someone suggested she had not been in position to cross bridges before she came to them. She smiled and acceded to this remark.

Someone asked, looks like you're going to be a Hoosier again. She said, yes, I was born over there in Indiana. Missus Abbot does have plans. She then disclosed. They include arrest for a while, then a trip to California to get her children, Phyllis aged thirteen and Dale, age nine. The daughter and son were taken from Butler County by a sister of their father shortly after the joint trial in the summer of nineteen forty eight.

The arrangement was by consent, as was apparent missus Abbot's attention had been concentrated on the trial. It is likely the trip to California will not be long delayed. Missus Abbot kept pictures of her children in her quarters while she was imprisoned. Freedom has been a laggard for She was arrested kept without bond in

the Butler County jail. The trial and subsequent legal moves brought date of her removal to the women's reformatory at Marysville to October twenty second, nineteen forty eight. At the time she left the jail for a trip to Marysville, she made this statement quote, I am innocent. I'm looking forward to acquittal.

She was looking forward more than fifteen months. Missus Abbot granted a retrial, was returned to the county jail last December twenty eighth, freedom by virtue of the not guilty verdict yesterday was her first since June third, nineteen forty eight, or total of more than twenty months. Circumstances before she left for Brookville prevented any discussion of the trial, even if she consented to do so. She was thankful to all who helped her. She said she was happy and

looked at to most observers, she was a better witness for herself. In the latter trial. She gave the impression of being more sincere, and some of the supposedly dramatic touches were missing. Her tears came more frequently, and the absence of a co defendant who might have ruined her case through vengeance, she recited her story more free and more effectively. In her manner and her joy at freshly won freedom, She showed not the least hint of animosity toward

anyone. The verdict means the end of a sensational murder case, one which attracted more attention than any in the annals of Butler County courts. It was considered so sensational that Detective and other magazines with national circulation carried the story with liberal alterations and pictures intermittently ever since the first trial that was a body between the rails. The Riley Mattock Murder True Crime Historian is a creation of popular

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Dave SAMs, Rachel Shott, and David Hish. Some music and sound effects license from podcast Music dot Com. Media management by Sean R. Miller Jones and as for me, I love you on the hillside, I love you on the level. But if I get you in the dark, I'll love you like the devil. I'm true crime historian Richard O. Jones, signing off for now. Oh yeah,