The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-15
WAS A FATAL JUMP.
A Nichols Academy
Professor Drowned
in Dudley Pond.
WORCESTER { WEBSTER HEARING
Selectmen Discuss Matter
OF Running on Local
Tracks.
WORCESTER { WEBSTER HEARING

Webster, Aug. 14.-Theodore A. Pen
ney, aged 80 years, assistant principa
of Nichols academy, Dudley, was
drowned while bathing in Haden's pond
near Thatcher's farm, in Dudley, last
night
Mr.. Penney. who boarded with Wal
ter Cook and family, started out yes
terday afternoon with Mr.. Cooks old
est son. Frank, who is at home dur
ing the summer vacation. He is a
student at Amherst college. They had
first talked of going to camp meeting
in West Dudley, but later changed
their minds.
What is known as Haden's pond is
situated in the northeast portion Of
Dudley, and about one and one-half
miles from the Cook homestead.
Mr.. Penney and Frank walked lei
surely along until they came to the
pond, conversing about the important
subjects of the day. When they reached
the sheet of water, both had become
heated and tired by the exertion in the
| hot sun, and it was decided to cool off
| by enjoying a plunge in the cool
| waters.
| A common rowboat was procured and
the two disrobed and leaving their
clothing on the bank in full sight, they
roWed out a ways and commenced to
plunge into the cool waters The pond
had been drawn down somewhat, but
I In many places there are deep and dam
gerous holes After they had got
cooled off somewhat, the pair sat in the
boat and discussed various topics. Mr..
Penney was confirmed cigaret smo-
ker, and he averages a good many ci-
garets a day, said Prof. Collins of the
school. AS he and young Cook talked
! in the boat while it drifted, he smoked
| two cigarets.
Mr.. Penney was quite an athlete, and
after he had satisfied his craving for a
smoke, ne remarked to his companion
that he was going to beat the record for
a long jump. He kept his word, but
those were the last words he ever
spoke.
Arising to a standing position at the
end of the boat, he braced himself for
a record breaking leap. The boat shot
backward from the recoil of the jump,
but as Penney struck the water, the
agonizing expression on his face plain
ly told Cook that his friend was suffer
ing from some unknown pain.
Penney did not utter word and he
sank to the bottom of the pond as soon
as he struck the water. He did not
come to the surface again until he was
taken out dead. Cook was at once
nerved to action. He tied the rome
that was hitched to the boat, and which
is used in anchoring her. around his
| body, and diyed several times, trying to
| rescue Penney, but the body kept roll
| ing down into deeper water, and Cook
could not get a firm enough hold on
it to pull it from the bottom of the
pond, Cook says the body must have
| rolled down the slanting bed nearly a
| hundred feet A sudden and fatal at
tack of heart disease was what kept
the school teacher from rising to the
surface and struggling.
Selectmen Joseph w. Negus and
Ambrose Bigelow were notified and
they went at once to the scene and
viewed the body. They notified Un-
dertaker Coleburn to remove it to his
Main street rooms, where it now is
Prof. Alfred G.. Collins of the school
was seen at his Dudley hill home early
this morning by the Webster correspon-
dent OF The Spy, and he gave the facts
OF the case to the reporter. He said that
Mr.. Penney was rather peculiar man
and very quiet. He only had a couple of
intimate friends, and one was his com
panion of Sunday
There was no way to find out whom
to notify of Mr.. Penney's death, and the
selectmen searched his room and be-
longings for some clue They found in
an album a picture of his mother, Mrs.
Elnora r. Penney, which was dated
eight years ago in Wallace, Shoshone
county, Idaho, but it Is considered
doubtful if she is still there. She has
been telegfaphed, however, at that ad-
dress, but as yet no reply has been re-
ceived.
Mr.. Penney was one of the most
learned teachers in the smaller schools
in the country. He was graduate from
Amherst and also studied languages at
the Sauveur summer school While at
Amherst he studied & good deal with
the famous Prof. Todd, who has been
to India many times in the study of as
tronomy. Mr. Penney was the best me-
chanical drawer the school ever had.
and he used to draw the charts for Prof.
Todd's text books.
The assistant teacher was quite a
Well known athlete among the colleges.
He played three years guard on the coll
lege team and substituted another year
as center. He was, physically, a big
strapping fellow, nearly six feet tall and
weighed ITO pounds.
He came to Nichols Academy in Sep
TENDER, 1897, and has since taught the
sciences there. He taught school before
in the Boston evening schools and I'M
Newburg- on-the Hudson. He was also
an expert chemist.
The preliminary proceedings of the
Worcester & Webster road to secure
permission TO run its cars on the tracks
of the local road to the post Office and
the lake was commenced before the
honorable board of selectmen this
morning.
Those present We're: Selectman Mau-
rice P. Glare, Henry Brandes, John j
Love, John Flint, Hon. Charles Hag-
gerty, ]. F. Francis of the local road
Town Clerk l.. J. Upfam, Edgar S. Hill
Of the Worcester road and the local
newspaper men.
The meeting was called to order by
Chairman Clare who read the petition
of the Worcester road.
Mr.. Hill. who represented the Wor-
cester road, stated the circumstances Of
the request, etc, in comprehensive
manner He said that the selectmen
could only grant permission to oper-
ate on the local tracks, and which was
not final by any means If the town
fathers said Eyes" before any cars