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It
was cloudy, a cool
October day and a brisk
wind was bIowing across
the cemetery; the tent
was set up around the
grave site, the casket
lowering equipment,
artificial grass, and
chairs for the unknown
family were in place;
the Littleton Funeral
Home hearse approached
the grave site and
stopped. Personel of the
Sabina Cemetery,
Spurgeon Vault Co. and
Littleton Funeral Home
acted as pall bearers.
As
the eight men present
removed their hats, Dr.
F. M. Wentz, local
Methodist Minister had
the committal service. .
. . . . and, "Eugene"
was buried.
It
was a simple but
dignified committal
service and was the
concluding chapter of 35
years of mystery, this
21st day of October,
1964.
June
6, 1929 was the
beginning of the story,
when the body of a man
50 to 80 years old was
found on the 3C highway
near the Borum Road. The
Littleton Funeral home
was notified and the
late Dr. C. E. Kinzel,
then coroner, was
called. He said the man
had died of natural
causes. The only
identification that
could be found on him
was a slip of tablet
paper with the address
1118 Yale Ave.,
Cincinnati written on
it. The Cincinnati
police checked the
address and found it was
a vacant lot. The
closest man to this
address was a man named
Eugene Johnson and for
this reason the unknown
man was given the name
of "Eugene." Those who
gave him the name have
since passed away; Mr.
Olin Moon, mortician at
Littleton's for over 40
years; and the present
owner's, father and
grandfather, Roger and
Harry Littleton.
Several
years ago the late Mr.
Moon related the story
that the regular method
of embalming was used in
preparing the unknown
African American man for
burial, after he was
found dead. His burial
was delayed while an
effort was made to
locate his survivors.
None ever could be
found, althogh Mr. Moon
recalled that one person
who came to see this man
appeared to recognize
him, but did not say
anything and his
identity is still a
mystery.
Several
people of Sabina
recalled at the time of
having seen the man as
he slowly walked through
town the evening before
he was found dead. Among
those who saw him was
Mr. J. C. Phelps. who
lived at that time on E.
Washington St. Mr.
Phelps says he was
sitting on the front
steps that evening when
"Eugene" passed by. For
many years Mr. Phelps
has lived at the comer
of Elm and Jackson Sts.
across from the Funeral
Home and has witnessed
the many thousands of
people who came to see
'Eugene."
In
the 35 years since, a
conservative estimate
would be that over a
million and a half
people came to see
"Eugene" where be lay in
state at the Funeral
Home in his own little
house in the side yard
of the Littleton home.
Nearly a million signed
the many register books
being kept at the
building, a remodeled
upground cellar. Many
famous celebrities names
are to be found among
the
signatures.
"Eugene"
received a new suit
almost every year and
after a few years it was
necessary to build a
wire screen across the
room to protect him from
curiousity and souvenir
seekers.
Frequently
on holidays and summer
weekends there were
lines of people waiting
to pass by the bier of
this unknown man. Many
large chartered buses
passing through this
town found their way to
Littleton's and paused
while the groups passed
through the little house
to see
"Eugene".
As
time passed "Eugene"
became the object of
pranksters and was taken
from the building a few
times, but was always
quickly recovered. One
time he was taken as far
as the Ohio State Campus
in Columbus.
Barth
Littleton, present owner
of the Funeral Home said
Wednesday they just felt
it was time to bury him.
All the good reasons for
keeping him having been
fulfilled, and
pranksters were
detracting from the
dignity of the home and
"Eugene".
He
was not buried in
potters field. Mr.
Littleton purchased a
lot in the Sabina
Cemetery and bore all
the expenses incurred in
the burial. "Eugene was
fitted with a new suit
and will be furnished
with a
marker.
Article
as it appeared in the
Sabina News Record -
October 22,
1964
Copies
of this article can be
obtained at the Sabina
Public
Library.
'Eugene'
was later given a nice
grave marker. Flowers
appear on the marker
from Spring through
Fall.
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