Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Hudgins, Elwood Everett September 28, 1924
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Dorothy Strawhand https://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00034.html#0008405 November 28, 2020, 7:53 pm

Virginian Pilot and The Norfolk Landmark October 1, 1924

               HUDGINS DROWNED, DOCTORS DECLARE AUTOPSY REVEALS

    Oaklette Youth's Body Merely Bruised; Hunt for Slayer Unsuccessful

Results of an autopsy performed yesterday on the body of 17-year-old Elwood 
Everett Hudgins furnished conclusive evidence that the boy was drowned and 
that death did not result directly from injuries sustained when he was 
struck by an unidentified motorist on the Indian River Bridge at Oaklette 
Sunday night.
County and city police last night admitted that they were confronted by a 
wall of mystery in their efforts to trace the slayer of the youth, whose 
body was found Monday when the tide receded beneath the Oaklette Bridge.
"The boy was thrown over the bridge railing," Special County Officer Miller 
declared with conviction yesterday. "The bridge wall is three and a half 
feet high, and it isn't logical to believe that a person could be knocked 
over it."
Young Hudgins, son of Captain A. L. Hudgins, was last seen alive early 
Sunday night.  He had been visiting relatives in Berkley and had started to 
walk to his father's home about a quarter of a mile beyond Oaklette on the 
Indian River Road when he met F.S. Paxson in Campostella.  Mr. Paxson was 
driving a car and was on his way to Oaklette, where his father lives. He 
volunteered to give the boy a lift as far as Oaklette.
                  Heard Crash and Scream
When Mr. Paxson reached his father's house, the Hudgins boy got out of the 
car, thanked him and started walking toward the bridge which is on the 
outskirts of the village.  It was shortly after 6 o'clock in the evening.  
Mr. Paxson went on into his father's house.  Suddenly there sounded from the 
direction of the bridge a crash, as of two automobiles colliding, and a 
piercing scream. 
Mr. Paxson and his father ran to the bridge.  One car, bound toward Norfolk, 
passed them.  As they approached the bridge, they observed a car standing 
still.  A man got into the automobile and drove away.  The Paxsons, not 
connecting the Hudgins boy with the incident, decided that there had been a 
collision and that nobody had been hurt.
Meantime, anxiety developed at the Hudgins home over Everett's unexplained 
absence, and when he had not returned late that night, Captain Hudgins 
called police headquarters requesting that a search be made for him.  The 
outgoing tide the next morning explained the boy's absence.
                         Many Minor Bruises
At Captain Hudgins' request an autopsy was performed yesterday by Dr. Levi 
Old, Dr. R.S. Kight and Dr. E. Ray Altizer. The injuries suffered by the boy 
in the automobile accident, it was said, would not have caused death.  There 
was not fracture.  There were numerous bruises, but none of them alone, it 
was said, would have caused serious injury.
Funeral services for young Hudgins will be conducted this afternoon at 2 
o'clock at the residence on the Indian River Road, and will be conducted by 
the Rev. W.L. Murphy, of Memorial Methodist Church, Berkley.
Members of the boy's Sunday School Class - The Taylor-Webb Class of Memorial 
Methodist Church - will attend the services in a body.  They have been asked 
to assemble at 1 o'clock at the funeral apartments of E. Lee Cox & Brother 
for transportation to the Hudgins home.  Burial will be in Magnolia 
Cemetery.
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Complete article on pages 1 & 2 of Virginian Pilot and The Norfolk Landmark, 
October 1, 1924  Also an article on previous day and subsequent days 
concerning the investigation.   

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/norfolkcity/obits/h/hudgins18062gob.txt

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