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Boating PartyEnds ineathCharges FiledfCAIRO, 111. (AP) — Charges of reckless homicide have been placed by Kentucky state officials against two Cairo men involved in the death a week ago of another man in a boating incident near here Raymond Crump surrendered Friday on the charges at the Ballard County Courthouse in Wickliffe, across the Ohio River from Cairo The other, Eddie Herndon, was picked up by police in Alexander County and refused to waive his rights to extradition, authorities said.The body of Ernest L Jones, 25, was pulled from the Ohio River on the Illinois side the night of May 27 after a boating party with Crump. Herndon and another man. Dicky Bauer olf Cairo, authorities said Two witnesses at a coroner’s inquest in Alexander County on Wednesday. Robert Johnson and Hubert _ Pirtle, testified that Jones appeared to have been thrown from the boat by Crump and Herndon, Coroner Thomas Bradshaw said. He said, however, that the witnesses said it was difficult to see the incident from their vantage on the Kentucky bank and they were unsure of exactly what happened.About 100 persons attended the inquest. Jones was black and the other three are white.Bradshaw said that Crump testified at the inquest that Herndon picked up Jones playfully as if he intended to throw him into the river and that Jones appeared to slip out of his arms into the.water The coroner ’s jury returned a verdict of death by shock at the hands of one or more persons in the boat, Bradshaw said. He said, though, that the jury was unable to determine if the death came by accident, homicide, suicide or natural causes.Officer Tom Throgmorton of the Kentucky Transportation Department said that the reckless homicide warrants were issued in Ballard County because the death evidently occurred in water that is legally part of the State of Kentucky.Throgmorton said that Crump is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on July 11 He said that no court date will be set for Herndon until after action by a Ballard County grand jury.Crump was the only participant in the boating excursion to testify at the coroner's inquest. He and Herndon are linemen with the Cairo Public UtilitiesCommission. Jones was a meter reader for the commissionBradshaw said that when the occupants of boat were questioned on the night of the incident. they said that Herndon had been swimming in the river and that Jones leaned over to help him aboard and slipped overboard into the water He said they changed their story after they were asked about discrepancies.Bradshaw said that Crump testified that the men had been drinking before the incident He said that a pathologist's report showed that the level of alcohol in Jones’ blood was measured at .24. The level at which an individual legally is regarded as drunk is .1. he said.Missing PersonsA. missing person report has been filed with the Terre Haute Police Department on Edward E. Miller. 40. 2045 N 21st St. Miller reportedly has not been seen by his family since 4:30 p.m. Tuesday He is described as five feet nine inches tall, weighing 130 pounds with blond hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion He was wearing a beige sport coat, yellow shirt, gray pants and black shoes.rtfdrSPA¥hittlP
Newspaper Details
Terre Haute Tribune
Terre Haute, Indiana, US
Sat, Jun 04, 1977
Page 14
Full Page
Clipped by
Mount P.
IL, USA 08 Jan 2020
Other Publications Near Terre Haute, Indiana
Western Register and Terre Haute Advertiser
Terre Haute Wabash Courier
Terre Haute Tribune Star
Terre Haute Tribune
Terre Haute Star
