The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-04
SANK IN THE DARK.
Contractor Mysteriously
Drowned i'm the Lake.
THE BODY CANNOT BE FOUND
L. Henry Won ROM Meets Death at Madi-
son Street-yain Effort ut Rescue
Theory OF the Cause.

Henry Won Roun, a contractor and builder
living at Yesler, was drowned In Lake Wash
ington near the Madison street landing, In a
mysterious manner late Wednesday night, and
his body has not yet been recovered
Captain A. r. Lake, VINO has charge OF HARDY
& Halls boatDouse and lives on the shore al the
entrance to the float. heard some one come
down the walk and go upon the float about 1885
O'Clock that night He put his head out OF the
window and cried out:
/s.Who is that and what do you want?
II at is /, Henry" came the reply. 81 am going
to take Franks boat over to Yesler."
"Hold on a minute" said Lake, 81 Will come
down and help YOU
'.Neyer mind" replied Won Roun, u can han
die her all right
Captain Lake fixed the fire and got pail OF
water, then started up stairs to bed. When he
reached the top OF tine stairs he heard cry out
on the water. Rushing down stairs he opened
the door ana went out upon the float. The nrst
thing he heard was gasping. muftied sound, as
ii some one was choking III the water. Then
came the cry, lake, Lake" from the lett to-
ward Union bay. The captain answered, Hold
on, am coming" and jumping into boat
pulled for the place whence came the cries Tor
help. After this not sound was heard, nor
was the captain able to discover any trace OF
the man, who was evidently ia the water when
he called for help.
After rowing around for some time but dis
covering nothing, Lake returned TO the shore
and called up Isaac b. Rockenfeld. who lives
near the turntsble OF the Madison street cable
road. and started out again to search Tor traces
OF the man or his boat. The wind was blowing
from the north, and it was dark as pitch, but
close to the shore, under the bushes, opposite
Camp Sunrise, was found one oar. Mr.. Rocken-
fed was unequal to the task of continuing the
search, and went ashore Thomas Dutton
"a Nv
started out with Captain Lake. Before
they were on the water ten minutes the boat was
found. Ii was capsized, and the seat, which
was sliding one, was gone. The other oar was
also missing. The closest search Jailed 10 re-
veal any part OF the mans wearing apparel. He
always wore a soueh hat, but that Jailed to re-
veal Itself. The search was continued until
midnight, ana then Lake aud Dutton rowed to
Yeser, waere Frank Cooper, with whom Won
Roun lived, was found. The three men re-
turned to the Madison street landing and made
preparations TO drag the lake for the body. At
the first dawn the work was commenced and
continued until about noon, when the lake be-
came too rough TO work.
l. Cohn, who owns q cigar store on Front
street near Madison, saw Won Roun before he
started Tor the lake, and says that he is positive
that Won Roun was not under the Influence of
liquor. The unfortunate man came to town
from Yeser in the afternoon ana completed a
contract 10 build II house for Henry Bode. In
the evening Won Roun was at Cohns store and
met several friends. He started for the lake,
| but came back In about fifteen minutes alter
| some papers he had left The second time he
started Tor tae lake was about 10 clock.
! Thomas Dutton gives his theory of the acct
| dent as follows: The Kirkland lumber pile is
on the point some 100 yards from the boat house.
| plank sticks out over the water and OF such a
| height that ii would strike an oarsman rowing
| under il in the back OF the neck. Won Roun
| was strong oarsman, his boat was very hght
! and he would consequently have gone rapidly
| through the water. Had ne come il con tact
! with the plank he would have been knocked in
| sensible from the boat and rendered helpless BY
| the water. The cold water, no doubt. revived
| him but not until he was pewerlsss.
| Again it is argued that Won Roun ran into the
| bowsprit of the sloop Guy, which was anchored
| of the point where the eapsizsd boat was found,
| and was thrown into the lake. This theory is
| substantiated by the fact that the wind was
| from the north and faced the sloop toward the
| boat house. The height of the bowsprit above
the water is such that 1t would strike q rover in
/ the head.
Efforts to recover the bodv were resumed at
| o'clock yesterday afternoon, but without
avail. Dynamite will be used today Tor the pur-
| pose of making the body rise to the surface.
| l. II. Won Roun was q native of CaGenberg,
| Germany, unmarried and without relatives in
this country save 4 cousin, ]. bert, who lives
in san Francisco.