thursday,may 2, 2013 - County Times - Southern Maryland Online

31 Thursday, May 2, 2013The County TimesA Journey Through TimeTheChronicleGranddaddy and theFlapper, Pt. IIBy Linda RenoContributing WriterOn October 8,1929 Gorman beganserving a one year sentencefor violation ofthe National ProhibitionAct at the FederalPenitentiary in Atlanta,Georgia. On August 14,1930 he was transferredto Camp Lee, Virginiato serve the remainingtime. It was while he was there that Elsiewas murdered.Mrs. Lulu Gamble had been suspiciousthat her husband Joseph was havingan affair with Elsie. On September 21, 1930in the wee hours of the morning, she tookaction.“Joe Gamble repeated the story LaPlata knows by heart now, how last Thursdaynight he took Mrs. Davis in his automobile,starting out between 8 and 9 o’clock, tosearch for his stepson, Raymond Grim, forwhom Mrs. Davis had been keeping house.They didn’t find Grim, he said, and returnedhome after midnight, nobody seems to besure as to the exact time.As he drove up in the front yard of thehome the Davis woman occupied, a scant200 yards from the Gamble home, Mrs.Gamble met them, a pistol in her hand.As he opened the door, Gamble said, Mrs.Gamble thrust the pistol into the car andfired it, the bullet entering Mrs. Davis’forehead.”Elsie was taken to Providence Hospitalin Washington, D.C. The next day authoritiesallowed Gorman to visit her. “Davisstayed at his wife’s bedside far into the nightand is expected to remain within call of hiswife should she regain consciousness ortake a turn for the worse. He was brought toWashington yesterday by Agent W. C. Burnsof the Department of Justice, after friendsof Mrs. Davis had interceded with Virginiaauthorities to allow him to come here andsee his wife.”Elsie never regained consciousness anddied on September 23. Her body was immediatelyreturned to Charles County where aElsie (Owens) Davis, Courtesy, Linda RenoJury of Inquest was empanelled. “Followingthe verdict of the Jury, Mrs. Gamble,who had been at liberty under a $300 bail,was rearrested and held for the action ofthe November Grand Jury without bail onthe charge of murder.”As his wife went to jail, Joe Gamblestated he would not pay one cent for the defenseof the mother of his children and hewould “take care of the children as well asshe ever did.” Upon his arrival home, Gamble’syoung son said “I wish you were in jailinstead of ma.”On November 21 a jury found LuluGamble not guilty. She died in 1936 of aheart attack and was survived by her husbandJoe and several children. Elsie is buriedat St. Joseph’s very near the grave ofBlanche (Morgan) Davis.Gorman returned to St. Mary’s Countyand resumed bootlegging. He was arrestedfor the second time and on January 10, 1933was sentenced to a year and a day at theLewisburg, Pennsylvania Federal Prison.Shortly after his release, he moved to Baltimorewhere he died on June 20, 1971.Sunday, May 12thBuffet Style Dinner -1:00 to 3:00Music by:The WanderersBand - 2:00 to 5:00Cost: $20.00Per PersonChildren 5& Under FreeReservations Only301-475-2139bowlesfarms@rcn.comMenuSteamship Round BeefSouthern MD Fried ChickenMashed Potatoes & GravyGreen BeansMacaroni & CheeseCole SlawShrimp Macaroni SaladFruit SaladPickled BeetsPickle TrayTea & CoffeeDesserts By:The Farmer’s Daughter Cupcakeswww.BowlesFarms.com