Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-03-21
A SAD DROWNING.
The Six-Year-0ld Son Of W. T. Rig
don Meets With a Sad Death--A
Heart Rending Sight.

the six-year-old son Of Mr.. and Mrs.
w. T. Rigdon lost his life in a most
sad way.
The facts are as follows:
Mr.. Rigdon lives out in Capital
Park addition TO the city on 18th
street, and this morning about 800
the little son Of Mrs. Bellinger, who
lives just across the street from Mr..
Rigdon's, came over and asked for
Ralph to go over to his house and
play with him. Mrs. Rigdon grant
ed the request and the little fellows
went over to Mrs. Bellinger's, and
Mrs. Rigdon thought nothing
wrong until near ten o'clock, when
she became alarmed, as the son
hardly ever staid away from home
over an hour at time. Mr.. Rigdon
returned from town about this time,
and began to prepare TO take the
train for Jefferson, in company with
Mrs. Bellinger. Mr.. Rigdon learned
of the little sons long absence, and
noticing his wife's uneasinesJ he at
once went over to Mrs. Bellinger's
and there was horrilied to see Mrs.
Bellinger's little son standing IN the
yard by himself and looking badly
scared. Mr.. Rigdon begged of the
little fellow to tell him where Ralph
was, but the child would not talk.
Mr.. Rigdon at once became
seriously alarmed and his first
thoughts were that his
son was In the small ditch that
runs diagonally across Capital Park
just about 100 yards south east of
Mrs Bellingers. He ran to the ditch
and following its course down
toward the depot, knowing full well
that II such an accident had have
occurred that the child would lodge
at the first obstruction. He ran
down the ditch until he came to 81
heap Of brush in the water just I
above the railroad and Just west of
the road leading to Turner At
first he saw no sign of the child and /,
started to leave, thinking that the
child had only wandered away, but
to make certain, he turned and |
went nearer and he was al
most overcome TO see the
white face of his child in the brush
Just out Of water, he jumped into
the ditch Immediately and soon had
the child in his arms and carried
him to the depot only few yards
from the place where he found him.
The distracted father used every
available means to restore his child
to life as he was cold and from APP
pearances dead when found. A
doctor was sent for and DR.. Smith
soon responded but careful ex-
revealed the fact that he
had been In the water ut least an
hour and all hopes were gone. The
child was conveyed home by friends
followed by distracted father and
the scene when the mother
gazed on the lifeless form, was heart
TO the coolest mortal.
Both parents are almost overcome
with grief as the drowned child was
their only son ami the father had
set much in store for his boy. He
would have been six years old the
,4th day of May.
Hardly had Mr.. Rigdon left Mrs.
Bellinger's until the little son of ,
Mrs. Belllnger broke down and said ,
hat they were playing along the ,
,ank of the ditch and all at once he .
aw Ralph In the water. He was |,
% badly frightened that he ran to !
he house and hid, not telling a :
word Of the occurrence. Some If
cen or twenty men were working ;,
'nly n few hundred feet from !
where the accident occurred and =
lad the little boy given the !,
larm the child could have I.
asily been saved, for troth on
he brush where he was found, al I
lost u quarter of mile from where !
q fell In, shows plainly that he was b
live when he lodged there. Both il
oys were about the same age. g g
Tho loss of their only son at this f.
me is a severe blow TO his parents. 8,
.alph was dutiful sou, aud the al
lother says that II is the first Ia. a,
ance where he went away without Ii
or or someone with him. pl
After the child was taken home
le parents did not feel satisfied un- in
a second doctor, DIR. Cartwright, sH 81
as called aud made another ex- nj
but all efforts were In ST.
lin. On
The child will be buried at Jefier- dc
n but the funeral arrangements st,
I'VE not been completed yet. 81,
MIR. aud Mrs. Riglon had Just got In,
to their new home and were tn
ginning to look forward for so. Ss
easant summer when they met Is
th this sad affection. They have bo