The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-10-29
UNDERTAKES WAR
OVER DEAD BODY
Claim and Delivery Papers Taken
Out Against John +. Floyd by Wild
DIV for her Husbands Corpse.

Spartanburg, Oct. ACCOMMODATION
that the undertakers have to resort
toSlegal methods to decide which I'M
dertaker Is entitled to the possession
of a dead body in order to prepare it
for burial. Yesterday afternoon claim
and delivery papers were taken out
against John f.. Floyd, by relatives,
requiring the delivery of the corpse
of VIII Anderson, a negro, who died
in a local hospital in the morning.
VIII Anderson, a negro employee of
the Southern railway, vas hit by
freight train No. 81 neal Granting
Tuesday afternoon while walking to
Spartanburg, sustaining a fractured
shoulder and crushed skull. He was
brought to Spartanburg last night on
train No. 10 and placed in a local
hospital for treatment. He died
there yesterday morning about s
o'clock.
Wanted BObo to Bury Body.
The relatives of the dead negro re-
questcd Mintcr w. B0bo's undertake
ing establishment to get the body
and prepare it for burial. Mr.. Bobo
said he %tclephoncd the hospital and
n of the nurses said the negro was
dead and the body was there. About
$50 o'clock he sent his ambulance
for 1t. Upon reaching the hospital,
it was found that the body had al
ready been taken by employees Of the
Floyd undertaking establishment.
Mr.. Bobo said he and the father-in-
law of the dead negro, l.. II. Sims,
made four separate verbal REQUESTS
over the telephone to Mr.. Floyd's
employees for the delivery of the
body, but each request was refused,
the employees claiming that Mr.. Bobo
would have to see Mr.. Floyd. Mr..
Bobo said he hen got the attorney
or Hattie Anderson, the lead ncgro's
WIFE, to write out an order for the
delivery of the corpse, which was
signed by the father of the omar
l.. III. Sims. as agent.
Mr.. Bobo claims that he gave this
order to his driver and sent him to
the Floyd undertaking establish
ment; that the driver returned with
out the body, claiming that the pa
per had been delivered into the hands
OF John T.. Floyd, who said:
The paper is all right; but he'll
stay here"
The relatives Of the negro then
about 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
vent before Magistrate CAN'T and
swore out papers of claim and deliv-
cry for the dcad body. which we're
served on Mr.. Floyd by Constable
Cunningham. According to Mr.. Bobo.
the body was lying in a burial cas-
ket; was taken to the negro's resi-
dence on Saxon avenue by one of
MIR. Floyd's ambulances and placed
In the yard. where it was transferred
TO an ambulance of the Bobo under
taxing establishment, which was
waiting at the house. Mr.. Bobo said
that Coroner Turner told him over
the telephone yesterday afternoon
that he had given Mr.. Floyd neither
verbal or written instructions to take
the body from the hospital.
When communicated with last
night Coroner Turner said that at
the inquest over James McBeth an
other negro, Wednesday morning. one
or the employees of John F.. Floyd
told him that VIII Anderson was at
a local hospital and would perhaps
die that afternoon, and asked per
mission 10 get the. body. This re-
quest, said the coroner, was granted
VIII Anderson died approximately 90
bours after this.
Mr.. Floyd denied last night that
ne mad received a request from rel
attives for the delivery of the body TO
the Bobo undertaking establishment
saying that the only order that he
got was the claim and delivery pa
perS from Magistrate CAN'T. He
showed an affidavit from Coroner
turner which swore that permission
mad been granted him to get the body
from the hospital. Mr.. FLOYD said
mat, after a body is placed in his
morsue to he held for an inquest.
ne mas no authority to give it TO
anyone except on order of the cor
Oner without viOlatinn a..