Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-02-10

never have attempted to cross. Al
the same spot about four years ago,a
woman was drowned. The water is
very cold and rushes along over a
rocky bed at tremendous rate Of
speed carrying everything before it.
Mr.. Bellinger was a good swimmer,
and those who saw the occurrence
say that In their opinion he would
have succeeded in getting out safe II
he had not been injured in some
way. His head now shows several
bruised spots, and he must have
been stunned by coming in contact
with some obstacle or over-hangiDg
rock. Louis Stinson says that in
the bed of the creek where he was
last seen alive there is a post in the
water which formerly supported a
foot bridge, and as he passed over
this he seemed to raise up in the air;
up to this time he was swimming,
aud it may be possible that he
struck this and it stunned him, as
he neverIswam a stroke afterward.
The horse was almost instantly
drowned. 1t became tangled in the
harness and hoated down the creek
and lodged against a post. The
buggy hoated on down the creek
and Is lodged just above the Com
mercial street bridge.
Mr.. Bellingers bill or note book
floated on down the creek, and was
found by Louis Stinson just before
il reached the river and recovered.
He turned the same over to +. NJ.
Waite, who carefully dried the
papers and has since left them at
Ladd & Bush's bank.
The affair is one that will I've
deeply regretted all over the city
and community. Mr.. Bellinger
was q gentleman who bore a good
name among all his fellow-m men
and was possessed Of splendid ed
ucation and was well verjed in law.
He was an admirer of Salem and
has done much for its future pros
poets, and was always ready to aid i'm
up-building the city, and was ready
with willing hand for any worthy
cause. He leaves a devoted wife
and six children to mourn the sad
death of Il true husband and kind
father. lie was about 80 years old
and was born and raised near Jeffer
sou, where he resided, up to about a
year ago, when he became deeply
interested i'm Salem, and moved here
last spring. He now has under
fine residence in Cap
ital Park addition, and the same
will be completed and ready for oc-
in about three weeks.
OF AN EYE WITNESS. !
NJ. f. Pogue and wife were near
Mr. Wade's store in North Salem,
when Mr.. Bellinger drove into the
creek, and from Mr.. Pogue the fol-
lowing statement was obtained:
"As soon M | saw there was trou-
BILE, | ran to the scene; the horse !
had started up the bank and the
front wheels were clear of the |
water. The bank was very steep,
aud Mr.. Bellinger was attempting
to drive up it, slantingly, when the
buggy upset and the horse fell back |
upon Il. Mr.. Bellinger and his son
both swept on down the creek, and |
twice | saw Mr.. Bellinger stand on
his feet, but the swift water swept .
him down each time. / never wit
messed such IA sight IN all my life; it
was utterly impossible to render
him any assistance. think it was
not over two minutes from the time
he struck the water until his body
was recovered"
Mr. Bellinger was member of
the Odd Fellows fraternity under
which organization he will be laid
away. 1t was the inteu-
ton to bury the body at jefferson,
but as the trains are not running it
has not been decided NJ to the hour
Of going to press what time the fu-
neral will take place. 1t may be
decided to bury the body here in Sa-
eu,
CnLINll ~ ns-r -nni. nnnrninn IL