Morning journal and courier., 1882-05-29
NEW ENGLAND.
Vermont.

Sad Drowning Accfdent-The Noted BassO Conly a Victim.
 BRArTLEBoRo, May 28.-G. A. Conly, the noted basso, and Hermann Rietzel, pianist in the Clara Louise Kellogg concert company, were drowned Friday evening in Spoford Lake, Chesterfield, N. H. The Kellogg com pany came to Brattleboro Thursday after noon. They were to remain here at the Brooks House over Sunday, Miss Kellogg alone in the meantime going to Burlington to sing and returning yesterday. The company were to give concert at the town hall here last night. Friday afternoon about o'clock Messrs. Conly, Rietzel, Summers and Crosby, members of the company, accompanied by Professor Alexander and l.. K. Willis, started in carriage for the lake, favorite summer resort, which is about twelve miles from Brattleboro and equally distant from Keene, N. H., and off the line of the railroad. They arrived at the lake about half past p. m. Conly and Rietzel engaged common row boat and immediately started out for brief TOW, after failing to induce anyof their eempan- ions to accompany them, the latter preferring to go to small brook short distance from ths boat house, where they were to fish for trout and where they remained about half an hour
 They then returned to the boat house. After waiting some time for the return of Mir Con- ly and MT. Rietzel, the owner of the boat
 with Mir Willis, concluded to go in search of the missing men, who were last seen about a mile from the place of starting and just of the head of large island nearly centrally located in the lake. They were unable, how ever to get sight of the missing boat, but
 lad fhatn f6 Ina ind rough water the men had gone ashore and would probably return by land. Therefore | there was but little apprehension felt for 1 their safety. Afterward messenger with a | team was despatched to Factory Village, | little place some two miles on land from the | house and at the extreme north end of the | lake. No tidings from that direction having
 been obtained general search was begun,
 resulting in finding Conly and RietzeI's boat l bottom side up at the north end of the lake,
 where the wind had undoubtedly drifted it.
 In the search for the bodies the under and
 overcoat of Conly, together with the hat of Rietzel and the oars belonging to the beat
 were picked up, the two coats floating in the
 water about fifty feet apart, while the hat lay | imbedded in the sand on the shore with an
 oar. The appearance of these garments led | to the belief that Conly, who was pronounced
 a fine swimmer, had partly disrobed himself | and lost his life in his effort to save young R1etzeI, who may have fallen overheard, or possibly both may have been overturned by
 the waves, when Conly succeeded in getting
 off his coat while in the water. A strong at
 tachment is said to have existed between
 the two men for each other, which
 strengthens the theory advanced as above
 The affair has caused the most profound sor-
 row hereabout, where some members of the
 company are known and highly esteemed.
 Conly was several times on the day of the
 drowning overheard after his arrival at the
 lake expressing great delight with it's sur