Cordie Hugh Bridges -- Drowning Accident Victim or Murder?

 

 

Cordie Hugh Bridges was born on February 26, 1923 in Trigg County, Kentucky, the son of John Robert and Jessie Lee William Bridges.   On November 2, 1941, he married Carrie Loueva Millay in Charleston, Missouri. Carrie was born in McCracken County, Kentucky on July 9, 1926, and was the daughter of William Ernest and Zada Clark Millay.

In July of 1943, Cordie and Carrie lived in Paducah, Kentucky and she was expecting their first child. Cordie was employed in Dawson Springs, but was home in Paducah on July 27 visiting his wife and her family.

Around five o’clock on that Tuesday evening, July 27, the young Cordie, age 20, went to Island Creek near Smith Street in Paducah along with two of his brother-in-laws, William Douglas Millay, age 21 and John Lawrence Millay, age 9.  Cordie was reportedly bathing at the edge of the stream when he slipped into 12 feet of water and drowned.  His body was recovered after 30 minutes of search by the rescue squad of the Paducah Fire Department and volunteers.

Subsequently, a six-man coroner’s jury conducted an inquest to investigate Cordie’s death. The jury reported that the youth met his death by drowning and added "there are sufficient indications of foul play to require that the case be investigated by the grand jury."

The recommendation was made on the basis of conflicting testimony by the only two witnesses of the accident and of evidence that the victim's brother-in-law, William Douglas Millay had told neighbors a few days before that he going to "bump Bridges off."

William Douglas Millay testified that he had finished swimming and was dressing on the bank while Bridges who could not swim was standing on a log in some shallow water finishing his bath.  Millay said that he turned around facing the creek and Bridges was gone.  He then saw some bubbles and dived into the creek in an attempt to bring Bridges up, but was unable to, he testified.

However, the younger John Lawrence Millay testified that his brother was in the water with Bridges and they were attempting to move the log on which the latter was standing. 

Two other witnesses, Mr. W. H. Atkins and his daughter testified at the inquest that on Saturday, July 24, Douglas Millay came to their house and said he was "going to slap his sister's pretty face." Mr. Atkins said that he warned Millay against such action and that the youth added that when Bridges went back to Cleveland, Ohio, he was going up there "if he had to hobo his way and rub Bridges out."

Although the inquest’s jury had recommended that the grand jury further investigate Cordie’s death, there was no record if the grand jury investigated.  No charges were brought against William Douglas Millay, so it can be assumed that no action was taken.  William Douglas Millay did serve time in the LaGrange Correctional facility in 1947 on other unrelated criminal charges.

Cordie was buried in the Rosebower Cemetery in Paducah on Friday July 30, 1943. Cordie’s only descendant, a son, Cordie Hugh Bridges, Jr. was born in Paducah on October 29, 1943.

LINEAGE:  (Cordie Hugh Bridges was the son of John Robert and Jessie Williams Bridges and the grandson of Starkie and Elizabeth Lawrence Bridges.  Starkie is the second child of William and Mary Thomas Bridges. William was the fourth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.  Mary Thomas was the fifth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)