The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-10-16
Remains of Boy, Dead Three
Weeks, ROtting Away.
Is Kept by Allen Free In One Room
of His Shanty Boat-1No One
Was at Home.
CORONER CROW WILL ACT

to the towhead Saturday afternoon
TO investigate the report that an old
man had the body of his son in his
house boat and refused to bury 1t.
The island to which the houseboat
had been moored is opposite the IL
linois incline Coroner Crow found
when he arrived that the boat had
been moved over to the Illinois shore
near the towhead.
He crossed over and boarded IL.
The boat is an ordinary "shanty-
boat" and no one appeared when he
shouted 10 the occupants. lie ran his
skin up to it then and boarded it.
He found il to contain two rooms,
both scantily furnished.
An awful stencil pervaded the
boat, and he could scarcely remain
even on the outside of it. There was
no one in sight. when he entered the
first room, and it soon became evi
dent that the boat was deserted The
coroner then opened the partition
door and went into the next room.
He found in there a rude wooden
box from which the sickening odor
emanated. The flies -warmed about
II, and the coroner had to pause for
breath before he could proceed.
lie lifted the lid and saw the de-
composing corpse of the boy In 1t. 1t
twas in such a condition that it was
impossible to determine from an
inspection whether it was that of
white or colored person. The re-
ports that the body had been EN-.
balmed by the father was a mistake.
Nothing Gems to have been done TO
preserve it.
Coroner Crow left the boat and
waited outside for someone to come,
and then landing on the Illinois
shore, went to hut on top of the
bank and found a fisherman.
The latter said that the boys
father was known as Allen Free, and
that the boy had been dead nearly
three weeks. lie said the cause OF
death was "black fever"
The aged and evidently insane
father and family were nowhere In
sight, and the coroner does not
know whether they were driven from.
their boat by the horrible stencil, or
whether they were only temporarily
absent. As he was not certain he had
authority to touch the remains, he
returned TO Paducah to hold a con
ference with County Judge Light
foot and ascertain what could be
done
Judge Lightfoot told him that the
county authorities had jurisdiction
to the Illinois shore, and instructed
Coroner Crow to have Deputy Sher-
in VIII Iydon accompany him across
the river aud get the body aud bring
back the father; if necessary. TO be
tried for lunaey.
Deputy Lydon was busy and Sher-
in Lee Potter. according to Coroner
Crow, said ne himself would not go
over unless he received authority to
bring the man back dead or alive"
As there rs no law giving such au-
thority as This. it could not be given.
An officer has the right to use such
force as IS necessary TO take a pris-
oner, but cannot be instructed to
bring n man back dead or alive"
Judge lightfoot. after hearing that
The sheriff refuse TO go or send a
deputy, said he did not know what
would be done, but that the coroner
has a right 10 summon help and take
the body by force, If necessary.
Coroner Grow will this afternoon
cross the river and try TO see the
father and induce him to allow the
remaius of the boy buried. If he re-
fuses the coroner has not decided
what his course will be.
Common decency and a proper re-
gard for health require that the body
be buried. and Coroner Crow viii
bury II II he finds he can legally
| do so.
Coroner Crow said this afternoon
that no would probably take over p
squad of deputies. He has been in
formed that the old man shoots a.
anyone who threatens TO take the
body. hence the trip IL not a pleasan
ona to anticipate. II has not yet
been decided when to so after tn
body.