Maude Gilbert

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White Says He Swam About Trying to Find Girl After Car Plunged Into the Canal

Edward F. White told police yesterday morning in effect that he and Miss Maude Gilbert were driving on the Tamiami canal road and the car left the road and plunged into the canal opposite the Glademoor subdivision about three quarters of a mile west of the entrance to the trail. He did not report the accident sooner, he said, because he had to search for some house and induce a farmer to bring him to town in a truck.

The police say White declared that when the car, an Essex, plunged into the water; he succeeded in freeing himself soon and for a time swam around, calling to his companion. Receiving no reply to his repeated cries, he turned and swam across the canal and climbed out on the bank. He remained in the vicinity, he asserted, for 30 or 40 minutes, and then made his way across the rough country to a house near the Curtiss Flying field. He persuaded a farmer whom he found there to bring him to town, he is said to have told the police. He went to his rooms and changed his clothing, then went to the police station.

Doubted Story At First.

The neat and clean appearance of White's clothing caused the officials there to doubt his story, until he explained having changed them. Then he was at once turned over to the sheriff's office. Deputies Jack Gay and Kirby Clark and city detectives C. O. Pratt, Harvey Starling and Harry Morris accompanied White to the spot which he pointed out as the one where the car left the trail.

In his statement to the police, White said that a short time before 11 o'clock Wednesday night he drove down town to get something to eat, and at a point on West Flagler street near Avenue P he saw Miss Gilbert standing on a corner. Stopping his car near her he asked what she was doing there and was told, he said, that she was waiting for a jitney to take her down town. He invited her to enter the machine, he asserted, which she did.

As they were driving along, he declared, Miss Gilbert said she was learning to drive a car and asked his permission to take the wheel. He assented and she changed positions with him.

Car Suddenly Left Road.

White said they drove out toward S. W. Eight street and then out toward the Tamiami Trail, "We were about eight miles from town," he said to the police, "when the first thing I knew the car suddenly left the road with Miss Gilbert still driving, and plunged into the water. I got clear in some way and swam around trying to find her, but it was so dark I could see nothing. I called her name but received no answer. I did not hear her utter a word after we left the road; I stayed in the vicinity 30 or 40

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minutes before searching for a farm house.

Following an all-day search, in which a number of charges of dynamite were exploded, and fishing hooks were used to drag the waters, the body was found resting at the bottom of the Tamiami Trail canal at 5:25 p. m., yesterday afternoon, by O. E. Harris, a member of one of the searching parties. The body was found almost in the center of the stream in about 10 feet of water and within a few feet of where the Essex automobile was found.

Fishhook Snags Body.

The body was located by means of a fishhook and as soon as he realized that the hook was attached to the body of the woman, Harris yelled the fact to others searching for the body and E. Kary, who was standing on the banks of the stream dressed in a bathing suit immediately dived into the water and assisted Mr. Harris to bring the body to the shore on the banks next to the Tamiami Trail highway.

When taken out of the water t he body was dressed in a light tan suit, and was fully dressed with the exception of a hat, so far as outside appearances go, both feet being clad in white kid slippers and the limbs in white silk hosiery. The stocking on the left leg was pulled down over the shoe top. A large diamond broach pin was found on the front of the dress while several rings were noticeable on the fingers of both hands.

There were no marks of violence on the body with the exception of a slight abrasion over the left eye, which looked as though it had been cut on a dull piece of glass or a ragged edge of a rock. The face was covered with the dark brown mud found in the bottom of the canal and no efforts were made to wash away the mud and the body was left lying on the banks of the canal until shortly after 6 p. m., pending the arrival of Justice of the Peace George M. Okell, coroner ex-officio.

Coroner's Jury Sworn In.

Immediately after being notified that the body had been found, Justice Okell notified the King Undertaking Company and rushed to the scene in his car. Following his arrival, the justice ordered the body carried to the King Undertaking Company and officers were notified to summon a coroner's jury. The body was examined at the parlors of the undertaking company.

Almost directly opposite where the body was found the investigating officers discovered traces of where weeds had been broken down and the marks of the wheels of an automobile which extended for a distance of about 40 feet along the banks showing evidently that the car had run along the edge of the ditch for a short distance and then had plunged into the canal.

A coroner's jury sworn in by Justice Okell, viewed Miss Gilbert's body at the King Undertaking establishment last night and then adjourned to meet at 4 p. m. today for the taking of testimony. Miss Gilbert's body was clothed except for one undergarment. An examination was conducted by Dr. John B. Shisler to ascertain certain physical conditions requested by Justice Okell.

Took Hardest Way Out

After the accident, according to White's story, he managed to get free of the submerged car, and swim to shore in the darkness. Then for several hours, alone by the dank waters of the canal in the Everglades, with the body of Miss Gilbert somewhere in those dark, silent waters, White spent his lonely, gruesome vigil diving into the stream from time to time, trying to locate the body of his companion in the darkness until his strength was practically exhausted. Then as the pale glow of dawn began to paint weird shadows among the moss hung boughs of the cypresses, with all his strength almost gone and his hope of finding the body of Miss Gilbert dissipated, White climbed the rocky bank of the canal, on the Everglades' side, and laboriously made his way across the sand and hummocks to the farmer's house on the other side of 'Glades, away from the road.

According to Jack Gay, chief deputy sheriff, the authorities cannot figure out why White should have chosen to climb out of the canal on the side away from the road, and take the laborious course through the 'Glades to the lonely farm house, when it would have been easier for him to find a house or passing automobile by getting back on the Tamiami trail. In order to verify White's story, the officers made their way across the canal by means of a dredge which is working not more than half a mile below the scene of the tragedy, and endeavored to follow step by step the course across the 'Glades as indicated by White. No tracks could be found, Mr. Gay stated, and he was inclined to doubt whether White really took this course as he said tracks would have remained for several hours and would have easily been visible.

Coolness of White Puzzles.

Another unusual feature of the case is the utter imperturbability and absolute coolness of White. At the farm of Nurseryman Ball, where White first appeared after the tragedy, although fatigued and very thirsty, he evidenced no nervousness or excitability, Mr. Ball states. He merely said that he had had and accident with his car, and engaged Will Ball to bring him back to town.

White watched the operation of raising the car with much interest.

"Well, I guess I will have to get a new car," he was heard to remark. "I just put a lot of money into that car, and I will now have to spend a lot more."