Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-16
IT WASA FATAL SWIM
Mr.. SAMUEL WHITE, OF MANCHESTER,
DROWNED WHILE BATHING.
Body Not Tound-Grand Jury After Liquor
Dealers-OII-Worss Plant-Othcr
Manchester Items.

Mr.. White at the time but had no idea that
be was in danger until he failed TO respond
when his name was called. and then the
awful light dawned upon them that he had
been swept beneath the current never
again 10 rise alive.
| During the greater portion of the night
and all day yesterday willing hands were
| at work, and dilgent though fruitless
efforts were made to recover the body:
/ Deceased was a popular young man. and
| the sad occurrence has cast gloom over
| the entire city.
HOW IT OCCURRED.
! After attending church Sunday night
several young gentlemen decided 20 90
/ over TO the river and take bath, AS tho
weather was warm. and passing by the re-
sidcnce Of Mr.. John }. Bailey. corner oil
/ Twelfth and Bainbridge streets. they IN
vited Mr. White. who boarded with Mr.
/ Bailey (his unclc), 20 join the party, which
| already numbered eight. The invitation
was accepted and the young men proceed
I ed TO the Belle-lslc bridge, where they dis
robed and plunged into the stream
Between the pillars OF the bridge there
| is q very strong current. and not TAR above
/ the bridge and at the head # this sluice IS
a rock which projects out OF the watorand
/ from which the bathers would dive INTO
/ the rapidly-ruuning Stream 10 be borne
/ down to the bridge with great velocity.
just below the piers this current diverges.
and il was the custom Of the swimmers 10
/ take the weaker current and dIlft INTO
the shore. The swimmers went INTO tne
river about quarter before 10 O'Clock,
and a half-hOur later, when they had
been over the course some fifteen or
twenty times they concluded TO make one
more trip. and proceeded 10 the starting
! point. Six started of together with hlr.
! White. the most expert swimmer IN the
| crowd. among the number lhe NAN
! dozen kept well together until they
reached the point Of divergence, and mere
the other five took the right and went to
/ the laudug-pOint, Whle Mr.. Nhte kept
in the main stream. whether through pre-
! ference or necessity is not known. lie may
| have intended TO 90 a short way further
! down stream and come back TO show ms
| proves. but il il mOre-likely that he was
| either seized with cramp or struck against
| q rock or piece Of iron. partially dazng ms
senses and disabling his arms. At any rate,
none of his companions either those VINO
! swan down with him or the three VINO Ie-
NAMED for minute or two before follow
inc. even saw him again. One Of the young
men thought he saw him some da-
tance down the stream, but the
others think he must be mistaken, as me
night was dark and in rough water mans
/ head could hardly be seen at any consider
/ able distance.
LOOKING FOR THE BODY.
! After the unfortunate young man had
passed out of sight for few moments one
! or two of his friends nearest where he was
/ last seen began to call him. bat no response
| came All hands at once went TO work 10
/ look for the BODY Some Of the strongest
and best swimmers ran down the river
| bank several hundred Yards and then swan
ont TO the current, hoping TO eaten the
body should 1T be floating down the stream.
The whole stream was searched, but to no
avail.
At few minutes after midnight a mes
/ sepgcr was dispatched 10 convey the sad
intelligence to Mr. Bailey, who at once
went to the scene Of the accident. The
! search was kept up for several hours. and AZ
an carly hour Yesterday morning large
! crowd Of persons gathered along the bank,
some engaged in and others watching. the
! work of searching for the body. Atl1 O'Clock
! there were some twenty or thirty persons
| aiding in the search. Several boats. hooks,
ropes. and poles were brought into use,
and many persons made the necessary pre-
paration and got into the water and made
the search as best they could.
Joe Edwards and several other protes-
| sional divers from Richmond were sent for,
and they, too, labored earnestly, but were
| entirely unsuccessful. Edwards has per-
haps taken more bodies from the river and
dock than any other man about Richmond.
Personal.
Deceased was twenty-five years old and
had been a resident of this city for three
years. He came here from Henderson, \.
c.. where his parents still reside. HIS
father was telegraphod 10 yesterday morn
inc and will probably come here.
Mr.. White boarded with Mr.. Bailey and
| WAS employed on the Richmond and Dan
Vile railroad as fireman. He was formerly
employed in the machine-shOps. DR.. Isaiah
White of Richmond. was an uncle of the
| deceased.
Mr.. White was a worthy and popular
young man and had hosts Of friends who
| deeply mourn his death.
AFTER TIE BABKEEPERs.
The grand jury is after the barkeepers
| with a hot stick and that element Of Man
chester businessmen is greatly stirred up.
When the July term of the Hustings
Court opened Yesterday morning Judge
Ingram delivered his charge TO the grand
| Jury, calling attention 10 the criminal
statutes OF the State and directed especial
attention TO the law against selling liquor
on SUNDAY and TO minors. The latter Of
fence is punishable with a fine ana the
former NAV be construed by the Court as
| 30
addition TO imposing fine
The grand jury was in session until late
in the afternoon, and the whole day was
devoted to the investigation OF alleged
violations of the liquor law. About fifty
witnesses were examined, and as a result of
their testimony the jury gave to Common
| wealths-AttOrney Page the names OF
several, perhaps a half dozen or more,
| barkeepers against whom 10 prepare IN
| hpfnU
last night and will he laid before the jury
| when il meets this morning at 10 o'clock.
No other matter has yet been inquired
into. but there Will perhaps be some nul-
| sance cases to-day.
The following gentlemen constitute the
grand Jury: Messrs. A. G.. Evans fore
mani. G. NJ. Walker w. A.. Bradshaw A.
W. Fahr, G.. w. Meredith, Wellington
! Brands. Charles w. Harris. A. ID. Shot
| well. Joseph G.. Perdue, j. w. Jenkins, Z.
l.. Clary. Alexander Reams, William ID. An
| derson, A. Knorr. Thomas 4. King, and
Joseph Il. McCann.
OTHER COURT MATTERS.
In the Hastings Court yesterday applica-
! tion was made to condemn the land neces-
sary TO open Bainbrldge street from
! Fourth TO Fifth. Continued until this
morning IN the absence OF City-Attorney
Clopton.
lhc cases or tlc COMMONWEALTH d-dliot
| Messrs. VashOn, Cohn, Guigon, and john
ston, charged with selling coupons with
out license, were continued until the
October term.
II. $. Shackleton qualified as administra-
| tor of his son, who was recently killed on
the Richmond and Danyille railroad.
In the Mayors Court yesterday morning
T. Gus Rains, colored boy. charged with
stealing a lot of cigars from William Hell
den, was sent TO jail for thirty days.
j. G. Mann, of Matoaca, guardian OF
james Railey, little boy about twelve
years Of age, made application TO Mayor
| Attkisson for the recovery Of his ward,
whom he alleged had been taken from his
possession without due process OF law.
Mr.. Mann exhibited certificate from the
clerk Of the County Court of Chesterfield,
showing that he had been legally, appointed
| guardian. The Mayor ordered that the
! child be turned over to Mr.. Manu-.
DELEGATES CHOSEN.
The Democrats of the Second Ward met
M the Mayors Court room last night for
l.