The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-05-21
Young Man of Mayfield Found
Beside Railroad Track
With Hole In Head.
Tells Conflicting Stories and,
Carries Loaded Dice.
HELD HERE by CITY POLICE

Blood-stained and lying PROSTATE
on the side OF the Illinois Central
south yard tracks, Dea fhItchcraft. a
white man, was found early this
morning by a negro woman. who noti
fed police headquarters lie had
been there all night and said at first
that he had been injured while trying
To "hop" a fast moving train. Or.
L. r.. Young. county physician. went
out 10 where Hutehcraft was found
and had him brought to the city In
the patrol wagon at 1880 O'Clock.
First reports said IIutchcraft had
the bones in one leg and one arm
broken In several places, but a later
examination showed that a long deep
scalp-wound was his only injury.
This was sewed up and he is being
held In the city Jail pending an in
vcstigatlon of the many conflicting
statements he has made about him
self
To Patrolman Caspar Jones. Hutch
craft said he was colored man.
while to other officers and spectators
he fald be was white man. lie APP
fears to be a white man and said his
home was In Mayheld, where his
father. who is now dead. was
butcher. Hutchcraft is 25 years old
and was dressed IN fairly neat
brown salt. His hair is brown aud
curly.
While his wound was being dressed
he told a reporter for The sun that
he received the scalp wound In tight
at Mayncld He professed not TO
know the name OF the man who
struck him. but said an Iron bar was
used by his opponent. Last night
he left Mayheld on a freight train
and jumped on az the south yards
hero. lying where he fell until dis
covered This contradicts his first
statement that he was injured in at
tempting to hop a freight train.
His Property.
Hutchcraft was In a surly humor
at police headquarters this morning,
though he did not seem weak from
his wound aud exposure. In his
pockets were found a number of let
tcrs. postcards. receipt book and a
small picture Of white girl. No
knife or pistol was found.
one pair OF dice, so made that II
would he impossible TO throw any
thing but Z or II. was found. These
interested the police greatly and as
they are used only by crooks among
crap shooters. Hutchcraft will be
asked what purpose they served him.
His wound may have been received
in a crap game fight,
Love letters were evidently his
long suit. as they formed the bulk OF
his correspondence. One was signed
Pearl" and was from Hickman. and
another was from an owensboro girl
They we're extravagant in protesta-
lions of affection. Other letters indi-
Gated that Hutchcraft has been in an
around Paducah for several months.
and City Jailer Wade Brown said
that Hutchcraft was In Jail here In
February.
Dr. l.. y. Young asked him why he
did not have his wound dressed after
the fight, and Hutchcraft said he
didn't think II was serious enough.
He said he was struck the day be-
fore yesterday and as the wound was
clotted with blood. that statement
may be correct. II extended clear
across the top of his head, requiring
man ystitches to close IT,
Hutchcraft will be given an oppor-
tunity in police court tomorrow
morning to make still another state
ment of his case.