The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-05-06
THOS. Y. ASHBY
is SLAIN FOR
PAY FROM j. s.
Body Of Youth Found Monday
That of Government Fleet
EmpIoye Who Had $50
When Paid Saturday.

j Thomas Y. Ashby, II years old, an
8mploye of the government fleet and
4ecently a laborer on the steamer Mis-
Aissippi of the Mississippi river COM
snission, was the lad who was murdered
H5unday night and the body thrown on
zhe brink of the bayou south of Web
kter avenue between Third street and
zRayburn voulevard.
Fl. G Taylor, SS2 Arkansas street,
u fellow employe, identified the body
Hit the parlors of Mcdowell & Monte
skerde, undertakers Tuesday afternoon.
L With tears in his eyes for the boy
Whom he had learned to love as a son,
MIR Taylor left the undertakers deter
fhined to leave nothing undone to find
Ahnd punish the slayer.
n Employees of the government fleet
knew the lad as Little Red He left
The fleet early in the evening last Sat
klrday with about $50 in his pocket
.bnd is believed to have been killed late
Sunday night and his body thrown on
The brink Of the bayou some time be-
|fore daylight.
Worked on Steamboat.
\ Ashby, was a quiet unassuming lad,
according to Mr., Taylor, and others
S}vho worked with him. He spoke little
sEoncerning his people and late Tues
Hay it had not been learned where his
conducting an investigation into the
Alnurder and the police department has
kfedoubled efforts to obtain some cleW te
.the identity of the lads slayer.
4 A month ago young Ashby left thu
AHredge fleet and boarded the steamer
mississippi. \ He worked on that boa'
while it went up the river to st. Loui:
sbnd remained aboard throughout thu
Itrip down the river from, there to New
S3Drleans and had been back at his posi-
tion only few days before the TRACED!
Occurred, leaving the steamer on tn
aEeturn from New Orleans.
The dead youth had no enemies 81
Mar as could be learned by the polio
Hand others Tuesday and was homes
kand fair in ali his dealings and wa
mot in the habit of going In bad com
Il Being free from the ordinary oa
habits, having had $50 in cash Whei
Hast seen by his friends and not havin
#any money at all when found deao
points strongly to the conclusion tina
Ashby was killed for robbery and a.
Body Thrown at Rayous Il.
Hulet smith, chief OF detectives. an
several Of the members OF the fore
ARE at work investigating the murdel
u A theory of Chief Smith Is to tn
#effect thaC the poy Was hAicu oi9S
where than ON the brink Of the bayo
land was taken to the spot. In an auto
mobile or wagon. He is of the opinio
sthat the body was thrown from tn
Ecar with the intention Of it rolling int
|Ithe water, and thai the boys cap an
collar and tie, left in the automobil
were tossed out by his slayers .afte
1.-The car had gone on its way for
|Hshort distance.
While no wagon road passes direct
to the SPOT where the body was foun'
kIit is easily accessible to AUTOMOBILES.
That the boys shoes were missir
does not mean so much. according
the detectives, unless murder occurre
| in a house and the shoes were le
there. Had the shoes been pulled fro
the lads feet in the search for hide
/. money, they argue, they would ha'
= been left with the body. The sho'
could have been taken by others tha
the slayers.
|.ls In preparing the body to await idel
IA tjfication, embalmers at Mcdowell
/ Monteverde found a Yale key, IN
pocket Of the youths trousers. The X X
L IS we'll worn and Is numbered "79l2.