The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-06-18
DROWNED IN THE DARK.
The Sad Fate Of Frank Canary.
Whe Meets Death in One Of Its Most
Awful Forms.

ulllSDOrO M6rDl0 anu 0r8nlC0 WOrkS, |
net with q sad and sudden death by
on Sunday evening. Canary,
in company with John German, who
worked with him at the marble shops,
and Robert Culhane, who drives dray,
went out to bathe in the pond at Hick.
les saw mill, nearly opposite the on.
trance to the cemetery, between eight
and nine o'clock. The pond was for.
merly used for supplying the boilers at |
the mill, and, though not very wide, is
said to be over twenty feet deep in places
and to be over a mans depth in almost |
every part. After the extreme heat of |
Sunday the upper part of the water was
warm and pleasant, but below the depth |
of three or four feet was cold and chill
ing. There was an old skiff lying at the
pond, and the bathers used this
to row about the pond and to leap from
in diving. The old thing was very leaky
and had to be bailed out every few min
utes to keep it from sinking. Culhane
and Canary were out in the boat near
the middle of the pond when it began
to fill and settle. The lattor cried out
that the boat was sinking, and leaping
into the water disappeared from view.
Culhane, who remained in the boat, no.
ticed that when he came up his feet
came first, and only the back of his head
rose above the surface. By the dim
moonlight he could see that he was
kicking and struggling, but as Canary
was known to be fine swimmer, Gull
hane thought nothing of this till he dis
appeared again without coming to the
top for air. He called to German, who
had gone ashore, that Canary was drown
ing, and the two swan to the spot and
dived after him, but could find nothing.
Canary never rose to the surface again.
German went down after him several
times, and some other bathers came to
their aid but of no avail.
The two then hurried to town to sum.
mon help. Lewis Holmes brought the
boat from Mr.. ]. H. Richards fish pond,
and with Oscar Lemon, Peter Hanlon
and Chas. Ruetenik and several others
drove to the pond. Soon after the word
reached town hundred people had
gathered about the banks and the
gloomy waters were lighted up by bon.
fires and gasoline lamps to aid in the
search for the body of the unfortunate
young man. Valuable service was rem.
dered by Grip" Mullenix, Harry Day
and Sam Blanton, young colored man,
each of whom dived repeatedly to the
bottom of the pond at the risk of his
own life, for the cold lower stratum OF
the water rendered the danger of being
seized by cramps very great. The two
boats were also brought into use, and by
means of them the bottom was dragged
with rakes and fire.hooks in the fruit.
less search. About one o'clock the
moon went down, but the work was
continued by the light of the fires on the
banks until five o'clock in the morning,
when the point of one of the long fire
hooks was felt to catch upon something,
and by a slight pull the lifeless bodp OF
Canary slowly rose to the surface.
The body was Immediately removed
to Holmes undertaking establishment.
kilograms were sent to the father of the
young man at East Dorset, Vermont, and
to cousin who is a member of the fire
department in Cincinnati. Coroner Nc
Nulty was sent for, but after viewing the
body he decided to hold no formal in
quest, being satisfied that death had re.
suited from drowning.
Canary was only twenty.three years
old, was of fine physical development
and apparently in the enjoyment of per.
feet health. The mystery of his death
can only be accounted for on the suppo.
sition that he was seized with cramp in
the arms and chest the instant he
plunged into the water, and was thus
rendered utterly helpless to raise his
head to the surface. This is borne out
by the fact that he was seen to kick and
thrash the water with his feet while he
appeared to have no use Of his arms. 1t
was also observed that after the body
was recovered his arms were drawn up
in rigid manner and in a peculiar posi-
ton indicating eramp. No marks of any
kind were found on his person so that it
is not probable that he could have struck
on any obstruction when diving which
would render him unconscious or help
less. As he lay upon the stretcher at
the undertaker's room the natural life.
like expression that is peculiar to
drowned persons was very marked.
The strange dignity of death was finely
illustrated in the impression produced
upon those who gazed at him, by the
manly chest, broad shoulders and quiet
face, all seemingly full of sleeping life
and power.
At noon n taloOrarn vas roco;vod from,