The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-06-19
Drowning.
A BROTHER AND SISTER THE VICTIMS

A BROTHER AND SISTER THE VICTIMS
Again we are forced to chronicl.
one of those fatal accidents 10y drown.
ing which carries distress and sorrow
to the family and friends of the de-
ceased, and brings state of gloom ani
melancholy over a community. A
young man and Young lady, in attemp.
ting to ford an angry, surging little
stream, find their death in an instant
beneath its turbid waters. The par
ticnlars of the sad occurrence are as
follows: Mr.. Joseph Bates, whose
family has lorg resided at Eden, a
small town near Sparta, Randolph
county, Ill.,, some time ago started a
little store down in Jackson county,
but his family still remained at Eden,
he coming home occasionally on a
visit. In the early part of last week
lie came home, while his son Horace,
aged about twenty years, remained to
keep the store in his absence. On
Thursday he went back, taking with
him his daughter, aged Is years. On
Friday, bout noon, Horace and
Emma, the son and daughter, started
home in a one-horse top buggy, and
not arriving that night, as the mother
and rest of the family expected, the
next morning, Saturday, a neighbor
of the Bates family, Mr.. Chas. Hind
man, went to make inquiry concern
ing them. On his coming to small
creek, about six miles south of George
town, he fonnd a dog which had
accompanied the young man and young
woman lying on the creek bank, with
the young mans hat and overcoat, and
his sisters cloak beside him. The dog
refufed to leave the articles, and it is
supposed that he had taken them from
the stream after the accident took
place. About 8 o'clock Saturday Mr..
Hindman found the horse which they
had been driving lodged against tree
short distance below the fording
place The alarm was given, and soon
large numbers of willing hands were
engaged in dragging the stream to re-
cover the bodies of the victims. But
their search was fruitless until 6 o'clock
Sunday morning, when the body of
young Horace Bates was found lodged
about so feet below the ford, having
been caught by means of a graphing
iron, and that of his sister, Emma
Bates, about 90 feet farther down.
The body of Horace exhibited bruises
on the breast and right shoulder, and
his nose appeared to have been broken.
There were no marks of violence on
his sister, except that her nose, like
his, was bruised. His watch had stop
ped at a quarter of 6 o'clock, about
the time they are supposed to have
reached the fatal ford. At the ford the
bank is very steep, and the stream, on
the evening of the sad affair, is said to
have been swollen by rains on its
upper course, so that it's depth at the
crossing was IS feet. 1t is supposed
that the horse made a mis-step on
going down the bank and fell, which
threw the occupants of the buggy out,
and that all were instantly drowned.
On the recovery of the bodies, on
Sunday morning, they were taken to
Georgetown and laid out, and soon
after removed to the family residence
at Eden, where hundreds of persons
came to view them. Their funerals
took place at 8 o'clock yesterday morn
ing, and were largely attended. The
occurrence is particularly distressing
as both are said to have been much
respected and loved by their associates,
both being just on the threshold of
manhood and womanhood.-[St. Louis
Democrat.