The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1907-05-09
His Dead Body Discovered By
His Father
AsSUREDLY HE WAS MURDERED.
Theory Advance That Child Was
Murdered and Placed Where Pound
as the Marsh Had Been Burned Of
and Cleared Four Weeks Ago, and
Child's Clothing Bore no Evidence
of Fire.

Dover, Del, Specialize body of
little Horace Marvin, who disappear
ed from the farm of his father at
Kits Hammock, near here, March a,
was found Saturday afternoon in q
marsh In a fair state of preservation.
The spot where the body was found is
about a half mile east Of the farm
house toward the Delaware river. Kits
Hammock is between seven and eight
miles from here and is without COM
manication with any place. From In
formation brought by a horseman it
is learned that the clothes on the child
were the same as he wore on the dav
he disappeared. The body was found
lying face downward.
DR.. Marvin at the moment the BODY
was found was not ready to say
whether the body of his child was
placed where it was found or whether
he believes the child wandered into
the marsh and lost his life. The
marsh was frozen over the day the
boy disappeared.
There is a theory that the child
was murdered and his body placed IN
the marsh as the long grass where
the body was found was burned and
cleared four weeks ago. It is said
the body lay under a pile of grass
and that the clothing showed no evi-
dence of having been touched by
fire.
Hunter Discovers Body.
The body was found by Ollie Pleas
anton, a neighbor, who was cunning
for ducks on the marsh. He had
the body borne to the house and COW
cred with a sheet Pleasanton has
figured in the case since Horace was
lost, having first reported that he had
seen the two strange men who APP
peared there enquiring about the top
ography of the country three days be-
fore the disappearance.
When Ollie Pleasanton came upon
the child's body he found the cloth
ing intact. His tiny wooden REFER
was buttoned up securely about the
body n not an article of clothing
which he had on when he disappear
ed was missing. His knit cap was
pulled over his face and his mittens
were on his hands.
DR., Marvin says he searched over
the same marsh nearly every day
since the disappearance and with de-
tectlves burned the grass of the place
four weeks ago but saw no signs of
the body.
The theory that the child has been
recently placed where he was found
is supported by the fact that DR.. Mar
vim as well as detectives who stood on
the spot when they burned the tall
sage grass from it. Further than
this the marsh has been trampled
over time and again within the past
week by the neighbors and no sign
of the child was seen.
DIR. Marvin went on a run to the
place described by PIeasanton and
gently picked up the little form, pull
ing his cap from the face to make
sure that it was his boy. Being sat
lsied that it was his son, the doctor
wrapped the remains in a sheet and
carried them to the house, where he
notified the family.
Met With Foul Play.
DR.. Marvin is convinced that his
son met with foul play. Shortly af-
ter the body was found he said:
"Though I am unable to examine
Horace closely until the coroner ar
rives, I am certain he was murdered.
his body brought sack and left ly-
ing in the marsh to give the impress
sion that he wandered out there and
died. The clothing showed no signs
of being burned, as would undoubt-
edly been the case had the body lain
there when the fire swept over the
marsh.''