Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-08-13
TERRIBLE AGONY.
Mo:icr's fnsffactust EGorss to Teseas
Drowning Child From q wctl.
fHorneIlsv,lle ~ < snec,si,

lEornensvilie tS. ~ specisll :.
Frazer Erench and his family live on tho
old Mines farm in the town of Bradford.
this county. In the farna-yard is deep
well, with q low curb, the water being
drawn up by an oli-fashioned sweep. The
other day all the family we're absent from
home except Mrs. French and her two
year-old son. Farmer French came homo
at noon. There was nc one in the house,
He went into the kitchen. On the table
was slate, ON which was written in
a hasty scrawl:
Baby and are In tha we'll"
!. French ran to the well. Looking down
he saw his wife in the water, clinging to.
the wall, but apparently dead. Alva Nor.
ris, neighbor, was passing at the tino
and responded to the farmers cries for
help. Morris let himself down in the we'll
and fastened a rope around Mrs!
French, and She was drawn to the top.
She was alive, but unconscious. She was
restored with difficulty. AS soon as she
revived she asked for her child. The body
of the child was found ut the bottom of the
well, in ten feet of water, ami drawn to
the surface by means of rope.
"At ten o'clock in tho forenoon" said
Mrs French, 81 went to the well after a
pail of water, taking baby along. l saw
that board on the curb was loose and
ran back to the house to get hammer and
nails to fassen the board and thoughtlessly
left the baby alone. When l returned he
was gone. looked in the well and saw
him struggling in the water. Thinking
that some one might be in theshouse soon L
rushed back and wrote on the slate that
we were in the well, 81 that we could have
help as soon rs possible. then hurried to
the well again and let myself down
tc the water by the inches in the we'll
succeeded in getting the baby out of tho
water with one hand while 1 held myself
above the water with the other. / then
placed one foot in n niche on one side of
the well and the other foot on the opposite
and then braced myself so could keep
above the water, which was above my
waist. The baby was alive, and, having
the use of both my hands and arms, soon
brought him TO. | called for help as loudly
as could. Both myself and child were
terribly chilled by the water. / shouted
for aid until my voice was gone, and then, !,
feeling that we must both die from ex-
haustion and cold unless could reach the
top in some way / began to work myself
up, using one hand and my feet. Little
by ,fittls, l crept upward by aid of the
inches in the well, ard in half an hour Il
was almost within reaching distancS Sf
the top of the well. How my strength
ever held out do not know. | stopped To
rest, and thought of tossing the baby up
over the curb. If / had had strength
enough in my arms know could have
done so. but they were too tired and wet.
After resting while, 1 was feeling
around for another place to put my
foot little higher, to draw myself upi
when lost my footing entirely, md we
fell back into the water. The baby was
knocked ous of my arms, and when
| came to the surface Of the water ] could
not find bin. remember grabbing about
among the inches in the we'll, ami that
was all until came to after being rescued.
| must havo clung to the well over an
hour unconScious.O -