Morning journal and courier., 1881-09-15
Sad Drowning AccIdent

A son of Judge John c. Hollister, Willie H aged about 16 years, was drowned yesterday afternoon at about 4:3O o'clock, at a point of in bathing with Robbie Ward, aged about 12. grandson of Mayor Robertson The boys went down in the Mayors carriage with the Mayors wife and two daughters Arrived at the bathing houses below the old light the boys went in the water. The Hollister lad got beyond his depth and there was strong current which carried him out. He cried for help and was heard by the Mayors coach man, who started after him, but could not get to him. The boards of selectmen of New Haven and East Haven happened to be in the vicinity ten minutes after the sad af fair, looking at the dividing line between the towns. They drove to the scene on the call of the Ward boy, who came to the carriage and told them. They spent about two hours looking for the body. It was found by grap- bling with oyster tongs in about five feet of water about ten rods from where he was seen to go down by Mir. Leonard Bradley and his son Arthur Bradley and First Selectman H. B. Forbes of East Haven. They took the body ashore No inquest was deemed necessary. Mir. Buell. and Mr. Forbes brought the body to Judge Hollister's residence, Olive street.
 he coachman John, the colored man, did all he could to save the lad and launched a boat on the shore, but the boat was old and leaky and there were no oars in it, and he did not know how to swim. Mrs. Mayor Robertson was much affected by the sad occurrence She was sitting in the carriage at the time the boy cried for help, and the other two la- dies were in the bath house preparing to en- ter the water. The father of the deceased was notified in short time by telephone of his sad loss. Elizur Thompson and family and Mrs Capt. Pierce
 i'd all in their power to render assistance. Mrs. Robertson and the other la- dies remained at the scene for some time sadly deploring the misfortune Returning at last they stopped at Judge Hollister's Mayor Robertson and son, J. B. Robertson, jr., were at home when the sad news came and quickly started for the scene Arrived at the East Chapel street bridge they found the draw open and drove over to Fair Haven center and then around to the Cove, the carriage containing Mrs. Robertson and party having come, however, by the Tomlinson Bridge road.
 The story of the drowning is thus told by the coachman John I was sitting in the box of the carriage. Mrs Robertson was in the carriage and the boys were in the water Suddenly I heard cry for help from the older boy, and sprang from the carriage and threw off my hat and coat, ran to an old boat on the sand and showed it off, I then saw that there were no oars in it or near it, and knew not how to swim. As I reached the boat the lad had sunk and risen again. The men brought some oars. from the time I heard the cry. We rowed out, but the boy was not to be seen. The boys in their sport had gone away from the sand beach of the rocks where guess the water was deeper. A man said there was more current there, and Q strong current. The boys throat seemed to be filling with water when he cried for help. He could swim just little. Robbie was about 40 feet from him and cried out that Willie was drowning. The boys were about 15O feet from shore I should think There was crowd soon gathered, and three priests who had come down to go in bathing hurried and went in and tried to find the body. There was another man who looked like priest-he was an old man-who tried to find the body also, and he staid in the water so long that they had to send the boat ont and bring him in. We tried to telephone to the city from down there, but could not then drove the horses very fast to Buell's, but the telephone did not work good, and I then drove to Mr. Charles L. MitehelIs, who was ct home and at once had his team hitched up and drove down to Mrs. Robertson. When got to Mir. Mitehell's the news had reached the city by telephone.