The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-09-12
DROWNED FROM A ROW BOAT.
FRED KNIGHT, A s-YEAR-oLD Roy
THE VICTIM or tue ACCIDENT.

THE AtAAbN4NNs
with Three Companions Had Gone
10 Hutchinson Isiand-In Attempt
ing 90 Anchor the Bant Fell over
board-wns Caught at the First
Time He Rose-Rose Again Three
Times hut out of Reach OF the
Baat-The Body Not Yet Recovered.
Fred knight. the s-yoar old son Of Mrs.
Laura +. knight was drowned In the sa-
yannah river yesterday afternoon shortly
after O'Clock by falling out OF row
boat In an effort to anchor il. The acct
dent occurred of Hu,chlmon's Island
where len company with three other boys
young knight had gone 20 get refuse iron
20 sell to the junk dealers.
The three boys who with knight made
up The party are Edgar Thonnesen. Harold
Mcdonald and Charles Green. OF these
the two hrst named are "A years old. while
Green Is only 3. Two Of the boys. Green
aud Thonnesen. were seen last night
shortly after the accident. but they tell
widely divergent stories. According to the
story told by young Green. who was in the
3
the four boys had met shortly before the
accident occurred. and going 10 the Mont
gomery street dock. had gone across the
river for the purpose OF getting old iron
which was afterwards to be sold 10 the
junk dealers.
The boat they used. he said. was ono
that had been captured while adrift about
three days ago by Thonncsen who swan
out in stream und got Il. They had
neither oars nor oar locks. he continued
but had padded across with sticks. When
they reached the other side he with young
Knight. was left in the boat to hold q
near the bank while che two larger boys
went ashore for the purpose OF gathering
the iron. There was chain IN the boat
and the youngsters left as caretakers de-
cided TO anchor the boat by throwing che
chain over the bow This knight under
took to do. and threw IL overheard
but in doing 50 lost his balance on the wet
and slippery floor OF the boat. and fol-
lowed the chain headnrst into the water.
Green says that is knight rose for the
first time he reached out 10 catch him.
and. indeed. the toy's hands touched his
arm, but being wet ana slippery and
probably also weak from fright he could
not grip the arm outstretched to save
him. and went down for the second time.
lie rose three times after this. he says.
the last time only the top OF his head
showing above the water.
After his first effort 20 catch the boy
had failed. Green screamed for help. and
the two older boys hearing the call came
on run 20 the bank. Mcdonald stripping
of his clothes as he ran. but they reach
ed the bank only In time 20 see the drown
ing boy go down for the last time. There
was a raft Of logs. and also a steam
dredge near the place where the victim
OF the treachefous water rose for the last
time. and Il Is thought that he may have
been swept under either the boat or ;he
legs
Two negro men came BY Ia n boat Just
after the boy went under for the Hast
time. and hearing Green's story one Of
them offered 10 dive for the drowned boy
but was prevented by his companion. who
said that he hadn't time 90 wait. and
rowed on. Green says that there was a
white man also close by on the island
painting a boat, but that he took no no
tice OF the call for help. not even TO the
extent OF coming 20 the bank 10 see what
the matter was.
The boys stayed In the vicinity OF the
turned 10 the city They reported the
matter TO the Morning News Office. but
did not tell their parents until nearly an
hour had elapsed when Green made
clean breast of the matter 10 his mother,
upon whom devolved the painful duty OF
telling Mrs knight, her near neighoor,
the painful udings.
Young Thonnescn-s story differs from
that OF Green IN many particulars. To
commence with. he says that he did not
go 10 the island IN the boat with the 9TH
crs, but THAI he went over some half an
hour ahead In the boat OF a colored man
that he knows though he Is not able TO
give his name. nor does he know where
he lives. He further says that the boat
In which the boys made the Grip does not
belong to him. but was captured after the
manner stated above By young Melon
aid He said also that he had repeatedly
warned Green not To take along with him
young Knight as he was unable TO take
care OF himself. and would probably be
drowned. The reason thas he advised that
the matter not be told 10 their parents.
he said. was, because he had been IN
various scrapes himself previous 50 this
and knew tkat they always caused his
mother considerable worry. His object
10 visiting the News ofiise was that
story OF the boys being drowned might
be printed and the mother Of knight thus
notified of the occurrence.
The coroner was notified Of the boys
death shortly after o'clock, bus was I'M
able to do anything looking to the re-
covery OF the body. Friends OF the fam
ily however. spent the greater part or
the night az the riverside hoping that
the moonlight would be bright enough 10
enable them TO find the boy should he oe
on the surface OF the water. while one
young man went across the river with che
purpose OF diving ct ting scene of the ac-
c.dent hoping to find the body by that
means should Il have sunk. Coroner
Goette is OF the opinion that the body will
be found this morning somewhere Ia the
marshes above the city, as the tide WAS
coming up ~ the time Of the accident aud
probably swept che hoy along with Il.