The Cecil Whig., 1882-10-28
A Sad Drowning.

Wesley Ricketts, DR., a sceond cousin Of
George Ricketts,. Esq, Of this town, ans,
prominently known in Baltimore Us a meln-
hcr of the fruit and commission firm of
Wesley Tickets 4 Sons, was drowned on
Monday morning last. Shortly after six
o'clock. Says Il Baltimore daily.
Charles T. Grossly, watchman On board
TIE steamer Joi:n I;uigianu, lying at Smiths
dock, wa. startled by hearing II splash III
the wafer between the boat and wharf and
running 10 the side looked over and saw IL
IInan III the water. Hastily calling JAMES
Stewart, Il workman on the boat, who was
asleep, Grossly ran TO the wheel and, pushing Z
through the paddles, looked and Saw tl:
man sill floating but fast disappearing.
Grossly called 10 his COMPANION 10 pass hlm
ii plank, which waS done He reached the
plank and just as he had gotten the plank
near the head OF the u4an the body sank
below the surface Efforts were made by
Grossly TO recover the body, bui Was unable
to do SO. He informed the police of the
drowning, and Policemen McCduley, Moore
and Dunn went To work to recoyIs the
body. They had the steamer moved Il short
distance in order 10 see if the body had been
carried under the boat AbOut half past
nine o'clock the policemen : efforts We're re-
from where it had gone under. Cuon its
recovery the body was recogniZed by The
I wltChnan and others as that ut Mr.. Wesley
lIckettS, Jr., IA member of the firm of W es-
ley Ricketts, * Son, and part owner of the.
steamer JOHN Bolgano. The body WAS i'm
mediate ely removed to the office OF thn firm
directly opposite to The spot where 1!l'.
drowning occurred, No. IS Smiths wharf
Mem bers of the family We're 1T once norfiet
! Il Il. 10
/ father Of the drowned man, am'i Il Number
of relatives arrived the ui:ice. All were.
deeply shocked at the manner OF the death
| DIR. Alexander Tinsiey, coroner, was noliti-
| ed who summoned the jury of inquest
Charles /. Grossly, watchman On board tbs:
| boat, was the first witness. lie testified
that he had hardly awak ene,i at & o'clock
| in the morning VIXEN he WAS start led bv
| hearing Il cry Of some one rs if terribly
! alarmed. Insanity Sprineing mp he ran 10
| the side of the boat and gazing over saw Il
man struggling i'll the water just between
| the boat and the wharf. | pom seeing the
| state of affairs he ran towards the wheel nj
! the same time calling to awake fellow
companion who was asleep on the boat. Go
| ing into the wheel he worked his WAY
| through the paddles ami looked out, scLing .
| the man still struggling i'll the wafer. He
| called to his companion 10 bring him plank
| anu stewart DIOuSHb MN u piece Oi DDaTtl
about four feet long. With this Crusty '
reached OUT and attempted to touch the MAJ.
and il possible buoy him up. BuJ Just al
| he had succeeded i'll getting the plank to the
man : head lie sank and did not rise again.
! In the few moments from the time CroSt Y
| had heard the scream till the disappearance
of the body not word was uttered 10y Mr..
! Ricketts,. His face could not be seen 10y
| Grossly, as il was turned the other way.
| The body was taken in charge after the
/ inquest by the relatives and removed to the
residence Of Mr.. Wesley EickrttS, Sr., No.
1870 Eutaw Place. The supposifion is that
/ Mr.. Eckctts, shortly bctnr,. u clock. Mon
( day morning, lad gone down 20 Smith :
! wharf 10 20 oil board the steamer John BOl-
/ giano, which was partly owned by him. IN
attempting 10 board the steamer by the for
ward gangway he must have slipped, and,
+ unable to recover his balance, fell into the
/ water. Mr.. Ricketts, waN thirty years ut
/ age and WA never married. His mother, Il
f., very estimabie lady, is at present absent
/ from the city on II visit to Dubuque, Iowa.
! The news WAS sent her by telegraph