The sun., 1894-04-28
SEARCH FOR ROBIN GIBSON.
DYNAMITE CARTRIDGES EXPLODED
IN 1BE CROTON RIVER.

PARTIES Out Loottug for the Fivc-year.old
| son OF tns Rev. Dr. r. T.. Gibson, wac
| Il supposst 10 Have Bren nrowned.
In the heart OF the valley through which the
Croton River leaps aud edIies stands the
house OF the Rev. Dr. II. p Gibson. the pastor
OF the Croton Falls Presbyterian Church. The
river which at this point Is hardly more than
a wide brook, makes sharp detour below the
falls. as n sought to touch this house.
Failing. however. TO reach further than the
slope Of green which descends from the white-
washed fence surrounding the house It darts
out again aud rippes of In its former direo-
tlon.
Robert. the fve.year-old son Of the minis.
ter. was playing on this grccn sopc last Tues
day afternoon all alone. His parents had gone
to visit friends in nrishborinR village. and
hIs sisters were putting things 10 order with
in the house. Robin, as the neighbors called
the little boy, was quiet child. moro often TO
be seen gazing silently into the stream than At
play with other children. lie was good.
natured child. but exceedingly shy. He was
healthy in body and mind and there was noth-
ing OF a brooding or gloomy nature about
him, but ne loved to watch the water flow.
Ills father had built wire screen fence be-
tween the house and tho water and had for
hidden the child to cross II. Robin had never
disobeyed. but for hours at a time he would
lean against this screen and watch the water.
upon thls lueAuay alteT0OOn ne Dlnyeu WIN
= little express wagon which his father had
given him. His sisters. the older OF whom IL
IA years. occasionally looked out OF the win
dow to see what he was doing. and each time
they saw Robin walking quietly up and down
the green slope. drawing the express wagon
behind him. II was getting late In the after
noon and the girls we're expecting their par
ents to arrive at any moment A the clock
struck fve-Alice. the older one. rem embers It
well-they look cd out again.
Robin had abandoned his wagon and was
standing close to the screen. his hands clasped
behind his back, gazing intentlv into the river.
Tho sun had already sunk behind the tree
tops and although the hills were still bright
with light the river was quite black except
ing where the water dashed over the rocks
The girls had long grown accustomed to the
chilis reveries. and paid no further attention
to him. At least twenty minutes must have
passed before they looked again. Robin was
nowhere to be seen.
They called for him but received no answer.
and thinking tho child had gone around the
house and started down the road. they went
out to look for him. Many times they raised
their voices and called his name. but they re-
peared or was hiding. After searching In vain
for q little while tho girls became alarmed
"a 4 any Te% one had sten Robn. with Within 20 an hour
every person in Croton Falls know that little
were searching, for him, Then his Parents
came homo and heard what had happened,
5 all n% h hsns GS SSr fs tss ss
OF the river. through shrub and bramb ble. look.
nf ef s ody sy On s side upon tn.
green slope: The ground was hard. and te
sS + ToTs sns notS
ing to do but TO search blindly In every direc-
tS The nfshSo5s were knS snd ID gym
into searching parties, but every one OF them
Mas as G"rtan ,Eat the h child % was drOwned as
the stones at the bottom Of the river
All that night they searched the neighboring
hanks. but until dnyhreak they found no trace
Of Robin. Early, in the morning one OF the
river The moment the minister saw this hat
MY poor boyl' he exclaimed. He 10
1t was Robin's hat and there seemed to be
no further doubt that tho toy had fallen into
the river How no had reached the water viii
down the road Z rcinI where sSS bank
sioped down TO the water without the inter-
oheyed his fathers inIunction and climbed
over the screen. The water along the shore 4.
the Stream ( suddSniy Becomes V deeper s and
rushes on with n force that such little child
II he had only :lipnsd into the river IT would
have heen no difficult matter for him to have
though the water foams and eddies here with
seeming iercrness. 1t is so shallow and con-
would not have foen in much danger but
with his fohdness for its rushing aud
eSdle. p and s'e eouSSs:s rSis H fe as Hpaa obia
might have been beEuiled Into venturng out
tie nSn water ate o%s SNs Silently Ha the ' middle
when Il made such rumpus along the banks.
river but he. might upon this occasion have
been tempted to hold his hand in the current.
A Nearly
yIllagers moved up and and down the stream
Of these s@archers che w" WAS NJ Iaurss Wiliian- % an
old Canadian lumherman. whose knowledge
Sas S re% Tsns PrGSsS hi. s
had spent nearly twenty-four hours wading
in the water Of the CrOton; and and, when
he he could is sardy W .tanS nd erect. At his @ suesss @
rysf wsTS Wsss In
was too deep to wade through, On Thursday
%fs but q" MhHs SS ths
Early Sestsrhry ssfntIv mo5nInS while M 6 handrsd
started down the river deter9insd 20 search
ton Lake, distance OF ten miles. They took
three boats with them. two OF which kept close
There were three men in each boat tho rest
wearIsome . or more dinicuit search could not
possibly be imagined, in many places the
danger OF cApszing. while In others II rushed
with such tumuituons force that It Was with
the greatest d difliculty that the men could keep
a boat in one place long enough to examine
the river bottom.
: Those who walked along the shore had to
night their way half the time through dense
tanglss OF shrubDery. and before their Journey
was eomyeted many OF them were bleeding
from a hundred scratches At other times
they sank to their knees Ia mArshy coil or were
Al most drowned hY the breaking of ueAch-
erous log or the slipping OF loose stone
These men believed that the childs body
had been washed far down the river and had
lodged among the oyerhanginG bushes that
DoIdered some quiet cove With this idea in
their minds. they took pains that not 40 inch
ot the rivers border should pass unexPlored.
Where the water was shallow the men in the
Where II was too deep for them TO reach the
bottom dynamite cartridge was exploded.
Several hundred Of these cartridges had been
placed In one Of the boats AMI an electric bAt-
,ery taken along to dlschaTge them. This was