UNKNOWN YOUTH'S BODY EXHUMED AND IDENTIFIED

Unknown Youth’s Body Exhumed; Identified Tuesday

Was Son of Mr. Cash W. Boatwright of Bacon county – Left Home Only Few Days Prior to His Death

Many heavy hearts were made lighter in Cartersville Tuesday morning when it was learned that the body of the youth who met with a tragic death on the railroad near Allatoona nearly a month ago, had been identified as Cloney Boatwright, 20-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Cash W. Boatwright, of Coffee, Ga.

Mr. Boatwright, accompanied by two brothers, came up from their South Georgia home early Tuesday morning.  They requested Coroner G.W. Hendricks to disinter the body because of a strong belief that it was his son.  Mr. Hendricks having already shown a heartfelt interest in the case making desperate efforts toward identification for several weeks, readily complied and upon completion of the task the body was identified beyond question.

The young man came to his death near Allatoona on May 9^th.  The body, having no mark of identification upon it, laid in state at the funeral parlors of Cummings-Long-Owen for three weeks while Messrs. Joe Owen and Pope Weems made every effort to assist Mr. Hendricks in locating relatives.  

At the end of this time, after several hundred people had viewed the body, Cartersville citizens contributed liberally for the burial of the youngster, and he was accorded an impressive funeral about two weeks ago.

Mr. Boatwright, the boy’s father told authorities here that his son had left home the second day of May and not been heard from since.  A neighbor in Baxley, also had a boy missing.  When he learned of the tragic occurrence in Cartersville, he hastened up to see, if by chance if it were his son.  The latter part of last week, Mr. Boatwright learned through this friend of this boy, although he did not know it was Mr. Boatwright’s son.  Mr. Boatwright promptly got in touch with Coroner Hendricks Monday, and came up Tuesday with his two brothers and identified the body.

Many in Cartersville who were touched by the tragedy were made much happier by the identification, for had the boy always remained unknown, it would have left a lasting sad memory in the minds of them all.

The body was shipped to Coffee Tuesday evening for burial in the family lot.  Mr. Boatwright accompanied the remains, expressing before he left a sincere appreciation for the kind interest shown, as well as the laudable efforts of local authorities and Cummings-Long-Owen in trying to identify his son.  He carried with him the heartfelt sympathy of many unknown friends.

Citation:   

The News Tribune, Cartersville GA, Thursday June 6 1935

UNKNOWN YOUTH DEAD OF INJURIES RECEIVED ON RAILROAD

Unknown Youth Met Tragic Death Late Wednesday

Young White Man Found Dead Of Injuries Received On Railroad Near Emerson – No Trace Found of Relatives

An intensive effort is being made on the part of local authorities to find the identity of an unknown young white man who was found dead early Thursday morning of injuries apparently received from a train sometime Wednesday night.  The boy is estimated to be about 14 or 15 years old, but no clues or papers were found on his badly mangled body pertaining to his identity.

The youngster is about five feet, four inches tall, has dark brown hair and blue eyes.  His face and neck are covered with a wealth of freckles, and his only possessions included a home-made horseshoe nail ring and a miniature photograph of a baby girl about three years old.  He was wearing a pair of trousers of blue-gray checked material, boots and two shirts, one of which was blue and the other brown, over which he wore a brown suede jacket.

The body was discovered Thursday morning by a Southbound freight train crew, who came on to Cartersville and reported seeing the body at 7:35.

Coroner Hendricks was summoned and hurried to the scene later ordering the body transferred to Cummings – Long – Owen funeral parlors where a coroner’s jury composed of Dr. Stanford as foreman, Messrs. W.D. Ross, L.R. Brown, J.B. Lewis, Smith Mansfield and C.G. Darnell who gave the following decision:

"The young man met his death by falling from a freight train sometime Wednesday night or Thursday morning.”

An appeal was immediately made to Rome and Atlanta broadcasting stations to seek relatives of the young man and as The Tribune News went to press, Knoxville, Tenn., authorities were investigating the disappearance of a boy answering the description of the particular youngster.

It is thought that he had been traveling only a short time, since his clothes were not especially soiled or had the appearance of being travel worn.

Citation:   

The Tribune News, Cartersville GA, Thursday May 9 1935