The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-04
DEAD BODY IS FOUND
FLOATING IN River
Identified as Negro Who
Drowned Two Weeks Ago
MYSTERIOUS TRUNK FOUND
But When Opened It Contained Moth
ing But Clothing and Books
Other News of Selma
and Vicinity.

Selma, July 3.--(Special.) EARLY yes
terday morning while on the river bank
near the Louisville C Nashville railroad
bridge two white men saw floating down
tie Alabama river the dead body of a
negro man. They went further down the
bank of the river and secured skiff
and caught the body and brought it to
the city wharf and notified the under
taking establishment of Jud Brislin
and the police authorities of their dis
covery.
The body had been bleached perfectly
white by its long stay in the water and
1t would have been hard to have told
1t from that of white man il it had
not been for some of the kinky hair that
st.ll remained on the cad. William King,
the father of the boy who had been
drowned just above the city Wednesday
afternoon two weeks ago. was sent for
and after examining the body identified
it as that of his son, Colonel King. The
father was able to establish the identity
of his son by peculiar shaped toe on
the left foot.
While bathing nearly two weeks ago
at the mouth of Beach creek the boy,
Colonel King, who was about seventeen
years old, with several others, got up
among themselves a swimming match
frcm the mouth of the creek to place
just above the river bridge called Green
Bank. This place is about half mile
form the mouth of the creek and the
young negroes started for the spot as they
G,.f.I fl4,a mo ah
the place had almost been reached King
gave out and before help could reach
him he sank beneath the water and did
not rise
Later in the evening several negro fish
ermen attempted to rescue the body OF
the boy, but they were unsuccessful.
The river has been watched since then,
but 1t has been so long since the boy
was drowned that his parents ha'' about
given up all hope of recovering the body
oil their son. 1t is thought that after the
boy sank that in some way his clothing
caught on snag in the bottom of the
river and prevented the body from rising
again.
When the body was first discovered by
the two white men they saw it just about
ffty yards from the place Wii'ic ~ - s,NP-
nosed that the boy sank. The body had
evidently just arts n from the bottom OF
the river when they discovered 1t. The
father of the boy took charge or the
body and it was prepared for burial and
during the day was placed in a grave.
Trunk Is Found. sfl
Yesterday morning the fact was report-
ed TO Officer Walker that there was
trunk on the bank of the Alabama river
among the bushes near the round pier OF
the county bridge. Officer Walker immedl-
ately went down the wharf and had look
at the trunk which had been found there.
TIe then went and looked up Eugene VIII
liams agent for one of the STEAMBOATS,
to see II he knew anything of the trunk.
Mr. Williams did not know how the
trunk came to be placed on the wharf, ana
soon the fact of the finding of the trunk
hecame noised around and many who
heard of 1t thought that at last there
lhad been unearthed in Selma a trunk mys-
terry. Many were certain that when II was
onened there would be found in II
hacked and mutilated body, which had
been placed within it to conceal the crime
until the perpetrators had time TO elude
the officers of the law.
Helm was secured, and the trunk was car
ried to police headquarters. where with
great care 1t was opened. But instead OF
there being found within the trunk a
mutilated body 1t was found to contain
n quantity of clothing and books. Both
fine clothing and books were marked X.
Js stanton, Selma university.
After the trunk had been opened and by
the police found to contain no evidence
of any crime having been computed. II
was set to one side until 1t was called
for Early this morning a negro called
at police headquarters and told of the
hatpnuod 40 q student at the nut-
versity. and last week he had been hired
to carry II to the Louisville and Nash
vile depot so that 1t could be shipped
to the Students home down that road.
But the negro who had been hired to
carry the trunk to the depot had misun-
derstood the directions, and instead OF
carving the trunk to the depot he had
carried 1t down to the wharf and left. 1t
1t for the boat to take. There the trunk
had remained most of the week, and had
only been discovered yesterday morning.
The trunk was turned over by the police
to the man. and today 1t was shipped to
its owner.
Elkdale Pavilion Opened.
The Abbott Rifles will be the first organ
ization to Use the splendid new pavilion
which has just been completed al rlkdale
Park. The Rifles gave n prize drill upon
the floor of the building at 3 o'clock to-
night After the drill dancing was INDUCED
In by the members of the company and
their friends.
Personal and General.
Col b. r. Ellis of orrville spent the day
In the city
Mr.. Paul W. Stewart returned yester-
day from a weeks business trip through
Monroe county lie reports crops in that
section to be In very good shape, but
that continuous rains sas, week have
again thrown the farmers somewhat be-
hind.
Mr. Jack Goodwin came down from his
home In Admission this morning. and is
being greeted by his old friends in the
city.
A telephone message from Summerfeld
brings the news that Mrs. Mile Cody
of that place lost her infant daughter