The Washington times., 1901-08-06
WASHINGTON 'SBODY FOUND
Remains of the Drowned Boy Left
All Night by the Riverside.
Unclaimed by Relatives. and Burial
Refused by the Virginia Authori-
ties-WiI Probably BE Inferred
Today at Expense of the District.

| The body of Robert Washington. col
| ored. aged nineteen years, lay unattended
last night on the lonely Virginia shore
| of the Potomac, half a mile above the
| Aqueduct Bridge. No friend came to
claim it, no burial had been arranged for
| it. Yesterday it was fished out of the
Potomac by Harbormaster Sutton and
the crew who manned the District police
| boat. Today the body will probably find
| a resting place in potter's field.
Robert Washington lived in Virginia,
not far from Ballston. on the Falls
Church Road. With several companions
he went Sunday to the river, and spent
some time playing about several barges
and other craft anchored in the Potomac.
At one of the quarries, where was an
chOred a couple of barges. loaded with
stone. Washington and his companions
found themselves late Sunday afternoon.
l. amused the boys to jump from one
barge to the other, and in so doing Wash
ington made fatal misstep. Whether
he misJudged his distance or whether he
slipped and fell into the river is not quite
clear. All that is known is that he made
a jump from one of the barges. missed his
footing and. clutching wildly at the other
barge, fell into the river. The current is
very swift at the point where Washing
ton fell. and he soon disappeared. His
companions searched for him for a while.
and then returned to their homes. Not
until yesterday did request that the po-
lice boat be used in finding the body reach
the city.
Harbormaster Sutton, on the Vlsilant,
went up the river yesterday afternoon.
With his crew he dragged FOR some time,
and recovered the body of Washington
some distance down the river, from the
scene of the drowning The remains We're
taken ashore on the Virginia side of the
river and turned over to Justice of the
peace. Friends of Washington were then
notified, but it developed that they were
not able to bury the remains. The Vir-
ginia magistrate then determined that he
had no authority in the premises, and
after while sent the body back to the
river side for burial. A request made,
also, that the District authorities take
charge of the remains and bear the eX-
pense of the burial. IN support of all
this the magistrate said simply that he
was not able to bury the body, nor were
relatives of the dead man.
So it happened that the body of Wash
1nSton lay last night unDuried on the riv-
er shore. The District authorities dislike
the idea of burying the remains. because
of the precedent in such cases. it is
pointed out that some months ago the
remains of man were found lying on
the hills OF the Virginia shore, near the
tnaln 5r1dSe, ana that they were in
TERED by the Fairfax County authorities
Yet, with all this. it was understood
last night that Harbormaster Sutton
would again take charge of the remains
this morning, for burial in potter's field.
The spot where the body of Washing
ton lay all night is a lonely one, just
above the Three Sisters No coffin or
even box had been provided for the re-
mains, which We're clad only in cotton
shirt. ragged trousers. and socks. No
house is within a quarter of a mile of the
shore where lies the body of the negro,
forsaken and unclaimed.