The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-06-13

The body OF Reuben Peachey. who was
drowned in the Little river yesterday at
4:30 a. M. has not yet been f0und, ard a
reward Of - young horse and hue buggy
has been offered by the father. Joseph
Peachey, to the person finding the body OF
Reuben.
The story of how he managed TO get into
the river has not yet been settled. Be
tween 4 and B O'Clock yesterday morning
the neighbors were aroused oy william
Bradshaw, the one man present ~ tne
scene, with the cry: "Reuhen Peachey has
drowned; come" He had fast horse aud
Fred Sewers and a man by the name Of
Emmett were soon by the waters side.
The hat of the missing man was swim.
ming in the waters whirl and by means OF
a pole it was soon fished out.
Bradshaw then told the way that Reu-
ben went under. He had got up some time
after q. m. and said he was going
to raise the fish net which was placed in
the river opposite the house. which is sit
uated about eight miles north of the city
on Arkansas avenue. Reuben said that
he would go along and though told 1t was
no use, went. While Bradshaw was rails
ing the net, he heard a splash which
turned out to be Reuben in the river.
Bradshaw jumpsd into the water and
swan to the sinking man VINO ciutched
his arm. Fearing that they would both go
and while endeavoripg to get another hold
saw him disappear under the water, since
which time nothing but the hat has been
found. Bradshaw's shirt was torn and
his arm was scratched where he said the
drowning man had clutched him.
How or why he got into the water has
been variously surmised. He was subject
to fits from childhood and some suppose
that he had one of these and fell Into the
river, but Mr.. Renshaw says he was on
the high bank, in which case he would
have had to make leap. 1t is said, how
ever, that when in one OF these hts he DID
sometimes throw himself forward, once
under the heels Of team of mules.
The probate court records show that
Feb. IA, 1894, Reuben Peachey, aged "a.
married Zella f. Wing of Sedgwlck, aged
q. The same records also show that Oct.
6, 1898. his mother bad him in the court
on charge of insanity but that the case
was dismissed.
When the license was obtained in Feb
ruary the mother said that it might do
Reuben's mind good to be married, but he
did not suit Miss Wing who resided with
him but two days at the Peachey home
and then said if he wanted to live with
her he must go to Sedgwlck where, after
weeks company, she refused to live with
him.
On these facts others have formed the
opinion that he threw himself into the
river with suicidal intent, especially as he
was gloomy the day before owing to the
receipt of a note from his wife telling him
that he must agree TO give her olvoree or
she would have him arrested.
Besides these the coroner has his susp!c-
picions and all day long yesterday from
early morning till darkness came COM
pany of neighbors, undersheriffs, consta-
bles aud the coroner searched for the body
They raked the bottom OF the river with
rakes and probed everywhere. around the
banks out in the current down the river
and back again with forks and spears and
poles and gigs and scanned the water with
a searching eye and did their work over
and over again, but all in vain. The body
could not be found.
Simeon Peachy the brother of the dead
man is in Arkansas City, but has been tel
egraphed for, and the search will be con-
tinued today.
Mrs. Joseph Peacby. the mother, offers
a young horse and a new buggy to the
person who will find her sons body today.
She is very much interested in knowing
what marks are upon it. The search WILL
start from the court house at q. IN.
The officers are apparently very suspic-
ious from their peculiar mods and winks.
They will not talk, however. 1t Is given
out that there was quite fight at the
Peachy home last Sunday over some mat
ter aud that it effected Mrs. Peachy so
much that she was heard say that she did
not want to live any longer in that house.
When the body is found searching III.
vestigation will be made.