The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-07
A PENNY SAVES A LIFE
FOR THAT SUM A CHILD PILOTS A
MAN TO DROWNING BOYS.
He Was Just i'm Time to Save One, but
Herman Crabb, Eight Years
Old, Is Drowned.

A penny given last evening to little
boy, scarcely able to walk and talk. was
probably the means of saving the life of
another little boy, playmate. Another
playmate, Herman Crabb, eight years old,
however, is dead from drowning, and had
it not been for the gift of the penny
Charles Znbenski would probably also have
been drowned, as the man who made the
present arrived just in time to see the lad
going under the ice. Yesterday afternoon,
about 4:3O, Mrs. Znbenski, 10 North Black
ford street, went to market and left her
son at home in charge Of Casper Roman,
a boarder. The boy played about the
house for some time, and then went to the
home of John Crabb, bartender, living at
16 North Blackboard. The boys frequently
played all day together. and Mrs. Crabb
thought little of the fact that the children
went out on to the street together.
They had been out but a few moments
when Roman missed the child which hao
been left in his care. and went to the Crabb
home. They were not there, and he went
outside to look for them. Soon Emmett a
little son of Crabb's nephew, came toddling
up to him and made some remark about
the ''wibber,' as he called the canal, which
was but a short distance away, probably
200 feet. Roman asked where Charley and
Herman were, and the little fellow, in al
most incomprehensible language, said:
Charlie in the wibber." Roman asked
more about the boys. but little Emmett
did not seem able to explain so he could
understand. Roman then took a penny
from his pocket and offered it to the little
fellow, saying he would give it to him If he
would show where Charlie was. Emmett
took the proffered coin and toddled up the
street. turning the corner and making his
way toward the canal. AS soon as Roman
realized where the child was going he
started and ran. arriving at the edge Of
the water just in time to see Charlie. who
was struggling in the water, go under the
ice, which was broken in several places.
He jumped in and caught the lad by the
coat just as he was disappearing from
sight. The water at that point is about
eight feet deep. and the broken ice
made it very difficult for Roman, who
is not an expert swimmer, to keep himself
above water He did, however and after
much struggling succeeded in raising the
boy above the water and getting him to
the bank. The child was at first apparently
toned indicated that Herman Crabb, with
whom he had been playing. was also in the
canal. Search was at once begun, and a
few moments later the body was found at
the bottom under the ice few feet from
where it had been broken. DIR. Parson and
DR.. Eisenbeiss were quickly summoned,
and, though they worked with the boy for
several hours, were unable to revive him.
Several times they thought their efforts to
restore respiration were going to be sue
cessful. the boy indicating feeble signs of
life. The mother and the father were
frantic with grief. and last night Mrs
Crabb was FRUSTRATED. Their home was
filled with kind and sympathizing neigh
bors, who did all they could to comfort her.
The place where the drowning occurred
was right at the end of the canal at Mar
ket street, where the water is turned into
the fumes for the excelsior mills and the
water works. The ice there, on account of
the water being continually disturbed, is
never thick as at other parts of the
canal, and it is thought the little Crabb boy
got on to the ice where he had probably
seen other boys play, and where he, per-
haps, had often played In colder weather,
and broke through, after which his play
mate, in his efforts to help him out, fell in.
The bank at that point is rather steep,
though not high, and, being wet, was slip
perry.
Saturday Frank Watkins, twelve years of
age, living with his parents at 132 North
Blackford street, was pulled from the canal
just as he was about to go under the ice
| through which he had broken.