The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-04-06
WAS FRANK M'KAY
MURDERED OR NOT?
Coroner Probing Mystery of
FlOater in Ohio
Inquest Under Way Today Shows
That There Was Trouble On
Steamboat Trip.
SOMEBODY HEARD LOUD SPLASH


&c on any excursion, furnishes the
l. basic clew for the theory that Frank
. Mckay, Jr., was murdered and his
body thrown into the Ohio river. Sun
: lday night, March II, when he was
returning from an excursion to Cairo
THE inquest, which was started at
the city hall yesterday afternoon, ad-
journed unity this morning when Off
GERS Of the Dick Fowler were exam
ined, and is in progress this after
noon.
Friends Of young Mckay, who were
with him on the boat, testified that he
was not drinking much and was or
derby. Several people testified that
the mate elected someone from the
cabin, and witnesses said the man
detected was behaving all right while
1.-THE mate had hold of his collar. Some
Stated that they saw the mate, or
someone they supposed to be the
mate, beat and kick PROSTATE man,
land they identified McKay's picture.
The mate said he and the policeman
of Metropolis elected a disorderly
drunken man from the cabin and
slapped the fellow for struggling.
A Waterman heard a splash. but
Thought it was a chair being thrown
into the river. One witness heard
tine mate tell Detective Moore of
striking fellow, answering to Nc
IKay's description, but on being
shown McKay's picture at the inquest
1.-THE mate said it was not the likeness
LOT the man he elected from the cabin.
THAT man, he has learned, lives at
Murray.
Testimony to the effect that
lgroup OF excited young fellows, said
they would not have it occur for
Anything" as they stood at the wharf
latter the Dick Fowler came in.
Elects Man From Cabin.
This morning Coroner Frank Ea-
lker had the employees of the Dick
Fowler to testify as to what occurred
on the boat on Sunday. March II,
when the Fowler ran an excursion to
lCairo.
| Captain Mark Cole was the first
lcalled and his Testimony ran as fol-
lows: He remembered seeing a young
man about six feet tall, wearing a
dark gray suit of clothes. being TAX
en- by the mate down the steps to
1.-THE deck. The man had been dlsor-
lderly in the cabin and the marshal Of
metropolis and the mate took him
to the deck. where he might be taken
lcare of. as he was drunk. Captain
lCole said he was in and about the
boat and noticed some drinking on
1.-THE return trip Not until week
latter was he informed of any one or
thing falling overheard by the roof
watchman.
Pete weldon, the mate on the boat.
was called and testified that tall
man raised a disturbance in the
cabin and kicked against the door,
land he, with the assistance OF the
Metropolis marshal took the fellow
down the steps to the deck and told
the Waterman to watch him lest he
Ian overheard. After talking to him
la few minutes Weldon returned to
the cabin As he came down the
steps he said he slapped the fellow
with his open hand, because the fell
low was struggling to free himself.
and when the deck was reached he
gave the fellow side kick to make
him get around. He heard nothing
of man being lost then.
Night Waterman Cunningham was
next called and his testimony brought
out that something was thrown or
pushed into the river He was on
the deck when the tall young man
was brought down and talked to
him for some time. He took the man
back to the deck room aud had him
sit down. Joppa was reached some
time about s o'clock, but It was not
until approximately half way between
Metropolis and Brookport that any
thing out of the ordinary happened.
He was standing on the left side Of
the boat on the lower deck when he
heard splash and he stepped to the
edge to ascertain what 1t was. A
railing fiye feet high is at this point.
bnt he distinctly remembered seeing
nothing arise as wood or life pre-