The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1904-08-05
AN ATROCIOUS CRIME.
Young Man Found in Mutilated
COnditiOn---Stake Driven
Through His Throat.

/
so atrocious that nothing In recent
Kentucky history approaches 1t, was
revealed at the fair grounds at 6
o'clock last night.
The body of an unknown young
man or fine physique, apparently not
over twenty-six years OF age, was
found In the concession stand, west
of the amphitheatre. In a state Of
mutilation almost beyond human con-
ception.
A huge splinter, nearly three feet
long from plank, had been thrust
through the young mans throat and
on into the ground to depth OF sew.
eral inches and then Bonded back and
nailed securely to the side OF the
board wall with large nails.
His skull had been crushed. his
face battered into pulp and his broad
chest mangled by heavy shoes until
it was as blue as indigo. A portion
OF his brains had oCzed from the hole,
three inches long In his head. His
arms bore the marks OF a struggle
and his hands were covered with
gashes. He had probably been try
ing to ward of the murderous blows
until he sank to the ground In an un.
conscious condition. 1t was then
when the fiends who murdered him
were seized with the thought OF pin
ioning him to the ground. Nearly
anyone of the blows on his head
would have resulted In his death.
The splinter, probably broken from
the plank with which he was hit
over the head, was brought into use.
lie was found on his stom ach, with
his head turned on the side and the
splinter stabbed directly through his
jugular vein and windpipe. 1t had
been pulled back and several eight
or ten penny nails driven In It.
la this pinioned position he was
found by George NJ, White and Joe
Chamberlain.
White tells a rather strange story.
He says he and Chamberlain were In
the iair grounds yesterday morning
and he saw the man In the doorway
and thought he was drunk. He
went TO sleep under a tree on the
grounds and did not 90 home until
40 o'clock In the afternoon. To.
night he and Chamberlain were go.
Ing through the fair grounds, and he
suggested to 60 and see II the drunk
en- man was still there. They went
to the eating stand and found the
dead man. The officers we re inform
ed aud the body was removed to the
undertaking establishment. White
was arrested tonight on an order
from Judge Stlrman and Is held pend
Ing the inquest In the morning.
The officers are after Chamberlain.
there is great indignation over the
crime.
LATER.
Greensboro, Ky, August a.
The body of the man who was found
with a stake driven through his
throat and otherwise mutilsted at the
fair grounds last night was identified
this morning as being James Coomes,
OF Webster county. Coomes was In the
city Sunday visiting a relative. He
purchased a quantity of liquor and,
escorted by Roy Green, a negro. went
to the tenderloin district In the neigh
borhood of the fair grounds. When
he left the house Of woman the ne
gro was waiting for him and the two
were seen to 60 toward the fair
grounds together. In about half an
hour the negro was seen running
from the fair grounds. Monday at.
ternoon he told negro woman that
he had had trouble with a white man
at the iair grounds. Nothing has
been seen OF the the negro since Mon.
day afternoon. The men who were
arrested pending the investigation
were released this morning.
Gov. Beckham will be appealed to
to offer q reward for the arrest of the
negro. The crime has aroused the
citizens OF Greensboro, as the nature
of 1t was 30 revolving. The room In
which Coomes was killed was covered
with blood. The stake which was
driven through his throat aud then
nailed to the wall was broken OF In
the ground before the body could be
removed.