Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-06-30
DROWNED In A POND.
THE SAD FATE WHICH BEFELL TWO
LITTLE BOYS.
Brave Bing Brier Goes to the Rescue
but Finds Only Two Little Corpses-
Parents Frustrated With Grief.

Three small boys, Thanie Jetford, Berti
Cook, and Johnnie Miller, the eldest o
whom was thirteen years of age, boarded
one of the dirt. carts employed on the Capt.
tol grounds, yesterday afternoon, and rod
with it ont TO Sixteenth snd streets
where the laborers are excavating earth TO
use in Capitol Park.
An amateur ball game was in progres,
near by, and after watching ii fo- few
moments the three little fellows strolleC
back 10 where the excavating was going on
Some distance from where the laborers
work is a deep excavation, made some
time ago, and which is now filled with
water from the late rain and general
seepage.
We'll have swim" suggested BERTHE
Cook, and Thanie readily assented, as ii
was warm and bath in the pond struck
him as being Just the thing.
Young Miller, however declined to Join
them, but sat on the bank and watched
his companions while they splashed about
| n the pond.
Lets go out further where its deeper, "
| suggested one of the infant bathers, and out
they started. Young Miller watched them
enviously, and had Just made up his mind
| TO take oil his clothes and Join them, when
he was Mortified TO see both of his compan-
| ions disappear suddenly beneath the slimy
surface. After waiting several minutes, in
the hope that they would reappear, Miller
cried loudly for help. But nobody within
hearing seemed to understand what the ex-
cited little fellow meant.
He then became frightened and ran
| home as fast as his little legs could carry
him. At first he was afraid to tell any one
about the terrible fate of his companions
but finally went to his father, John Miller
the undertaken. But even then the moor
little fellow was in such a state of mental
excitement that he could not remember
the names of his companions, and It was
with difficulty that he could direct Bling
brler, the Well-known stenographer, who
is neighbor of the Mlllers, to the place
where Thsnie and BERTHE went down.
Bing, who is an expert swimmer. ran
over to the pond as fast as he could, and on
his way induced a COlOred bow named
NaSsels 10 accompany him.
Arriving at the pool Brier saw the cloth
ing OF the poor little fellows lying on the
bank, where they had left them, and for a
moment the stout hearted fellow was par
alyZed with horror But it was only
temporary, and in few seconds he had
stripped and dove headlong into the stag
nant pool. The colored boy also took off
his clothing but waited with the crowd
which had now gathered about the place.
for Bing's temperance.
Presently the head of the brave Young
man rose to the surface, hut only for a sec
ond. He took deep inhalation and dis
appeared again.
Again he rose, and again he sank after
the necessary respiration.
Fully six times did he repeat this, but
the last time it was seen that he had some.
thing in his arms. Several vigorous kicks
brought him TO the bank and he deposited
the stiff and cold little form of Thanie JEFF
ford on the grass.
The spectators stepped back horror
stricken.
Go down for the other" gasped the ex-
hausted young man, reckoning to VaSsels.
He's over there" pointing to the other
side of the pond.
Vassels obeyed with alacrity, and in a
few moments re appeared with the corpse
of poor little BERTHE Cook.
As soon as possible word was sent to the
Coroner's office, and Deputy Coroner Clark
went out at once and took charge of the re-
mains of the Inflated little bathers.
The families of the drowned boys are
Frustrated with grief from the sudden and
horrible taking away of their children.
Young Cook was the son of T. H. Cook,
the well known J.street grocer, and Thanie
Jettord was the son of T. J. Jetford, who
lives on Thirteenth street.