The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1903-04-21
Runaway Boy Meets With a
Tragic End in Paducah.
It Is Almost Certain That He Fell
into tho River From the
Steamer.
HIS HOME WAS IN ST. LOUIS

morning.
This is the question that the Padu-
can police are trying to solve. The
Waterman aud one of the deokhands
on the Fowler state that he was.
Reed was thirteen year old boy
who ran away from st. Louis home
last week, according to the story he
told Marshal Grow y steriay. lie was
found In the outskirts Of the city by
Officer Thad Terrell yesterday and
taken to police headquarteTs.
lie WAS questioned BY Marshal
Grow and Lieutenant Harlan and stated
that he lett home last week with a
young man about 22 years oil, who
wore two suits OF clothing, and had
number OF rings TO sell. lie sol they
had diamonds" IN them, and that
last Friday the man attempted to make
him, the boy. go out and sell ono Of
the rings for IS. and when he refused
TO do 1t, drove him away, and that he
had not since seen the man.
He admitted that he ran AWAY from
home and said he lived at 1918 Spruce
street, Sc. LOUIS. that his father was
a house wreckor, and that he had an
uncle named Jim Reed on snagboat
somewhere. HIS manner, and the evil
dent uneasiness he displayed caused
the police to doubt his story and Mar
shall Grow telegraphed the chief of 20.
lice at st. Louis for information.
The boy was told TO remain in the
marshal's Office until reply was re-
ceived, but he slipped out when no one
was watching him. He said before he
left that he wanted to go back home,
and that he tho usht he could work
his way on the City OF Memphis, then
due.
II seems he intended TO do this, as
he went to the wharf. He got aboard
the Dick Fowler some time after she
reached the city from Cairo, and went
back in the engine room 10 keep warm.
The Waterman, Mr. Henry Counts, of
zoos South Sixth street, was Mt work in
the engine room, and after asking the
boy about himself, he gave him some
good fatherly advice about staying at
home hereafter, and allowed him 10
lie down ON the foot box and go to
sleep Il was about . O'Clock that Mr.
Counts had his talk with the boy, and
about O'Clock the boy sloopily got
up. Mr.. Counts asked him IL he got
cold, and no replied that he did. lie
tnon walked around near the pitman
hole, and was warned not TO go too far.
The Waterman thought the boy in
tended to crawl into the fireman's
bunk, where he could sleep longer,
and proceeded with his work of saw
ing some blocks. A few moments af.
Ger he saw the boy crawl through the
pitman hole. he heard splash, and a
colorod deck hand about the same time
said the boy had fallen overheard, as
he heart the splash and the boy ex-
claim "oh" as he struck the cold wa.
ter.
Mr.. Counts Immediately secured
skiff and rowed rs far as tho incline
hoping that the boy had managed to
swim to bank some where. but he
coull not find trace OF him. He says
that there is not particle of doubt
but that the boy was drowned. He
thinks the boy was possibly asleep, or
al leas, nearly 50.
Marshal Grow thinks it possible
that the boy was afraid he would be
arrested on advices from St. Louis
and simply played trick to throw or
tho police. Be does not know, howev-
or. The boy seemed to be worried
somewhat when told yesterday that
the chief of police at st. Louis had
been telegraphed regarding him.
Today his drowning was telegraph
cd to st. Louis. and more will proba-
bly, be learned about him shortly. If
he was drowned, which seems probable
from the statement of watohman
Counts, his body is near the wharf.
and will soon be recovered.