Mexico weekly ledger., 1900-05-17
THOS. VOORHEES, DEAD.
W SATURDAY IN A LAKE
ON THE BLEEs MILITARY
ACADEMY GROUNDS.
VGqRYINGY 70 RESCUE A CONRADE
Deceased Was the Only Son of Nj. and
Mrs G. G. VOORHEES,, of This
City-Remains Inferred
in the Mexico Gem.
etery Monday.

At 4:3O p. m. Saturday, May
IL, 1900, Thomas Gooch Voor-
HES, the only child of Mr.. and
Mrs. O. O. VOORHEES,, of Mex
leo, who would have been
sixteen years old the thir-
teenth day of this month, was
drowned in a lake at the
Blees Military Academy in
Macon City, Mo, while saving
the life Of a companion. 4
Tom, with several other boys, was
In bathing when the older boys went
mp to another part OF the pond to
secure q raft and during their absence
young Buckingham, a cadet from st.
Joseph, Mo-, got into deep water and
was about to drown when Tom went
to his assistance with a plank, but in
getting Buckingham the plank ne got
into deep water himself. Bucking-
ham was, saved with the assistance of
the plank that Tom took him and the
aid rendered by two or three smaller
cadets who were with them. In the
meantime the boys did not realize
that Tom was drowning.
1t seems that the water gradually
gets deeper and then there is q step
OF. Tom was In the deep water and
n of the boys says he came to the
Top four or five times before he went
down the last time. The body was
recovered after it had been in the
water some forty minutes by Captain
Cook. The body was In about nine
feet Of water and when recovered 1t
was found that Toms underwear had
become loosed and his drawers had
tangled his feet up In such a way that
he could not 9 them. Everything
possible was done to bring back life,
but 1t was impossible. Toms compan-
ions say that he could swim a little
and II he had not had on his under
wear would probably have gotten out.
Mr.. O. o. VOORHEES,, father of Tom,
who was at Bement, Ill. was promptly
wired by Colonel BIees and by friends
in Mexico and he arrived here Sun
day morning at 1920. Mrs. Voor-
HES was notified by wire st 7 O'Clock
Saturday evening and was prostrat-
ed. The first intimation she had was
g telegram informing her of the
drowning Of her son, and only a few
hours before she had received q long
letter from Tom telling how well and
happy he was.
Lewis Powers went to Macon Sat-
urday night after the remains and j..
A. Glandon and r. M.-White went to
Moberly Sunday morning to meet
them.
No blame can be attached to any
one and all speak In highest terms of
Toms prompt action in endeavoring
to save the life of companion. While
self preservation is the first law Of
nature, American manhood, no mat
ter how young or how old you may
be, prompts You to render assistance
to mi who is in danger. Tom Voor-
HES lost his life In saving the life Of
his companion, Cadet Buckingham, of
st. Joseph, Mo.
Tom VOORHEES, was q bright boy,
popular not only with his compan-
Ions, but with older persons, being
gentlemanly, intelligent and of good
disposition. He had a great desire to
become q newspaper man and at the
age of twelve was associated with
Mitchell White, son of the editor of
the LEDGER, In the publication Of
the Whizzer, the only paper in the
world published by boys of that age.
Mr.. and Mrs. VOORHEES, have the
deepest sympathy Of our people in
their bereavement.
The body of Cadet V~oprhies was
escorted from Macon by the following
members Of the faculty and cadets:
Major NJ. Won Binzer, Captains e. o..
Cook, 3. W. R. Ewing, Il. K. Hinde,
DR.. e. B. Clements; the pail bearers
were Cadet Captain L. D. Bass, Cadet
Captain W. d. Marshall, Cadet First
Lieutenant W. s. Farmer, Cadet First
Lieutenant Paul Tut, Cadet Second
Lieutenant O. L. Leachman and Cadet
Second Lieutenant F. Gibson.
The floral tributes sent from Macon
City filed a carriage and were very
beautiful. The coffin was covered
with the American flag and on the
arrival at Mexico was escorted to the
home Of the bereaved parents.
Funeral services we're conducted
from the NJ. E. Church, South, at ten
O'Clock Monday by Rev. W. A..
Hanna, assisted by Rev. Fielding Mar
win, formerly pastor of the local
church. The floral offerings we're
numerous and beautiful. Noticeable
among them were those Of the cadets
and Of COLONEL and Mrs. Blees. Tho
offerings from friends in this city were
also very handsome.
The pail bearers were Lebbeus Pin
dali, Samuel Wallace, Guy Lakeland,
Norton Nelson, Xenophon Pindan
and James Edwards, who are mem
bers Of the same Sunday School class
to which deceased belonged.
Mrs. VOORHEES, was too III to attend
the funeral.