The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-06-28
DEATH or ROBERT H. ABRAHAM.
Ano.hsr ola Citizen Gone.

Many a heart was made sad in
this community, on Saturday last,
when the news reached here that
Robert ii. Abraham had been
drowned in the Verdigris river,
about twenty miles south of here.
Mr.. Abraham was engaged in sell
ling the Weir PIow, for which he
was agent. In the early part of last
week he went down the Verdigris
valley with load of these pIows
for sale. He sold out and was on
his return. About 3 o'clock p. m.
on Friday, the 2lst, he came to the
Verdigris, and drove into what is
known as Wasson's ford. The riv-
er was low, but on either hand there
are very deep, long holes in the
river. 1t is supposed he drove to
one of these to water his horses.
just at the edge OF the water the
banks are very steep, and the team
was Immediately plunged into water
ten or fifteen feet deep. There are
half dozen theories as to how BIr.
A. was drowned. One is that he
was thrown forward from the wag-
on box and became entangled among
the harness, or caught in the wagon
in some way. Another is that he
was drowned in the attempt to save
HE fa0 R0rf Il
known by those who were intimate
with him that he could not swim.
He had often been heard to say,
when reading of persons being
drowned, that he would never take
any risks in our streams. From
the fact that he could not swim
stroke, it is easy enough to account
for his drowning in such place as
that he got into on that unfortunate
afternoon. Some boys who came
to the place to swim discovered the |
wagon box floating, recognized it
and gave the alarm. His coat was
ON the seat, perfectly dry. The
neighborhood was soon aroused,
and after q short search the body
was found in water twenty feet |
deep. AS near as can be ascertain
ed it had been there two hours.
The wagon was uncoupled, the |
horses unIeined and lines wrapped
about them, both dead. The body |
was Immediately brough. to the
residence of his brother law, G.
ID. Humphrey, southeast of the city,
by DIR. L. j. Kunkle, A. Macy and
II: G. Van Horne, ARRIVING there
about 3 o. m. Saturday. From there
it was brought to the residence of
s. j. Smith, another brother-in-
law, in this city, from whence it
was buried Saturday afternoon.
Mr.. Abraham was born in Buck
ingham county, Virginia, on the 1st
of October, 1927, and was conse-
quentIy nearly do years of age. He
settled on Dow Creek, about four
miles north of Emporia, on the
place he has occupied ever since, in
1856. He was a man of most ex-
cellent character, just in all his
dealings, moral and upright, enter
prising, industrious and frugal. He
had occupied several important pO-
sitiOns, among the rest, that of
member OF the lower branch of the
of Kansas in 1865. lie
had little taste, however, for this
sort of business. In all respects it
can be said of r. II. Abraham, truly,
that lie was the noblest work of
God-an honest man. Were he liv-
ing he would ask for no other epi-
taph to be written above his grave
than the above. He leaves behind
him an affectionate, loving family,
and an extensive circle of relatives
and acquaintance to mourn his I'M
timely demise. Truly it is said that
in the "midst of life we are in
DEATH" Mr.. Abraham went out
from his home Monday or Tuesday,
Happy and prosperous. A friend
with whom he stopped on the YER I
digris informs us that he never saw
him in better spirits. In two or
three days afterward he was carried
home a corpse. His loss is griey-
ouslY felt throughout the county.
We extend to the bereaved family
the sympathy and coincidence of
his hundreds of friends.