INVERNESS, Fla. -- Ted Williams' oldest daughter is urging former Sen. John Glenn and President Bush to help stop her half-brother from keeping the body of the baseball great in deep freeze.

State Checked In On Williams In 1998, Saw No Abuse

HERNANDO, Fla. -- Four years ago the state of Florida investigated charges that Ted Williams was underfed by his son, forced to sign memorabilia, and trapped in his house, a detective said. The state Department of Children & Families sent investigators to look into the charges against John Henry Williams in 1998, said Citrus County sheriff's Detective David Wyllie, who accompanied the investigator to Williams' house. The state worker talked to Ted Williams and determined the complaint -- filed by an aide -- was unfounded, Wyllie said. No charges were filed. The slugger did not appear to be in physical or emotional distress, Wyllie said. The commercial-sized kitchen was well-stocked. "He told us he liked signing bats,'' Wyllie told the St. Petersburg Times for Friday's edition. "He said it gave him a reason to get up in the morning, that there was nothing going on that he didn't approve of.'' The state destroys all unfounded case files after one year, said agency spokesman Greg Gershowitz. -- The Associated Press

In an open letter released Wednesday night, Bobby-Jo Williams Ferrell said her father wanted to be cremated, not frozen at a cryonics lab in Arizona.

Ferrell has accused her half-brother, John Henry Williams, of having their father's body moved to Alcor Life Extension Foundation in Scottsdale, Ariz. Ferrell has said he wants to preserve their father's body for possible future financial gain.

Williams, the last major leaguer to bat better than .400 in a season, died Friday in Florida at 83.

"I need anyone and everyone, famous or not, if they have knowledge about my daddy's wishes to be cremated to stand up and be heard at this time,'' Ferrell said.

She called on Glenn, a former senator and astronaut who flew with Ted Williams when both were fighter pilots in the Korean War, and Bush and his father, the former president, to help her fight her half-brother.

"John Glenn appreciated my daddy's being his wingman. I want John Glenn to come forward now and come to his friend's aid,'' Ferrell said. "President Bush and his father need to come forward and 'work in this campaign' for your old friend -- liked he worked for you.''

Glenn issued a statement declining to get involved in the family's affairs. "Ted Williams above all else loved his family and they loved him as well," Glenn's statement said. "I am confident the bonds of family will guide them to resolution of this very painful issue.''

Attorneys for Williams' estate plan to ask a judge to decide what should happen to the body when they file the will in Florida court by Monday.

Whether Williams specified in his will that he wanted to be cremated is crucial since Alcor, on the application it gives prospective customers, said that a will with provisions contrary to the "goals of cryonics'' will invalidate any agreement with the company.

Kay Munday, who managed Williams' household from 1989-1995, said Thursday that she believed John Henry took advantage of his father, forcing him to sign endless memorabilia and documents that the elder Williams didn't understand. John Henry has not returned numerous calls for comment.

"When I was there, I saw him push many documents in front of him ... He didn't know what he was signing,'' said Munday, whose husband, Bill, also worked as a companion to Williams.

Another former Williams employee, Jack Gard, said Williams had told him that he wanted to be cremated and have his ashes scattered with those of his Dalmatian, Slugger, in the Florida Keys and Fenway Park.

Gard, who worked as a health aide for Williams between 1998-2000, said Williams in his later years often wasn't lucid enough to understand what papers he was signing. Gard said he didn't know if Williams had signed papers agreeing to have his body frozen.

"Anybody in their right mind would know he wasn't capable of signing any papers,'' said Gard, fired by John Henry after the younger Williams accused him of trying to sell Ted Williams memorabilia.

But a doctor who treated the Hall of Famer at a University of Florida hospital said John Henry wanted to freeze his father's body out of love and respect, not for financial gain.

"My sense of John was of a kid who adored his dad and would do anything and everything for him,'' Dr. A. Joseph Layon told The Gainesville Sun. "I never got a sense of an exploitative relationship, or that he saw his dad as a meal ticket.''

Meanwhile, a longtime friend of Ted Williams said John Henry also wants to be frozen and revived in the future with his father.

"He wanted it for his dad and himself,'' Bob Breitbard, 83, told the Boston Herald for Friday's editions. Breitbard said he opposed the plan.

"I told him, absolutely not,'' Breitbard said. "These weren't his dad's wishes. That's (cryonics) something John Henry got into, it's not something Ted got into.''

Also, a nursing aide who was fired by John Henry last year said he heard the son and slugger talk about cryonics, the Herald reported.

"John Henry said, 'We've been thinking that you oughta be frozen when you die.' Ted said, 'You're crazy.' And John Henry said, 'Well, we don't have to freeze your whole body, we can just do your head.' Ted said, 'No, I don't want to be frozen. I want to be cremated. You're nuts!'' said Frank Brothers.