Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-08-27
THE CITY in MOURNING.
TRAGIC DEATHS CAST a GLOOM OVER THE
COMMUNITY.
YoHnE Man and Woman Drowned In the Mississippi
River While Enjoying Holiday Their Sad Fate
Brings Sorrow 10 Every Heart

This community WAS terribly shocked
last Sunday evening upon receiving the
intelligence that two Young people wh0
had left the city in the mnrDiug with
a happy party of excursionists bad heei.
drowned in the Mississippi river ~
Battle Island while bathing. The un
fortunates were Fsutus Wymsp, only
remaining son of Mrs WvmSn Of this
city aud Miss Freda Wul6ng of Kansas
City, who was here visiting with rela-
tives. The news of the aceia lent reached
the city about five o'clock by telephone
and spread very quickly among the
people, c using the deepest sorrow in
| the hearts of all, Never, perhaps. in
the annals,f Viroqua has an accident
Of this nature caused such widespread
sorrow and stirrt d such deep and SYM
| pathetic feeling in the breasts of the
] people for the relatives of those who
| aad met such tragic fate. The young
man was the on Y living son of widow
| ed mother. She had already suffered
| under two terrible afllictions-the loss
of her eldest boy Bernard by drowning
! at Hillsboro six years ago, and in the
| desCh of her beloved husband in the
yigor of his manhood but two years
since. When news of this last disaster
came the people took it to heart and the
| b est sorrow has cast p gloom over
tue entire community. Such comfort
and sympathy as lies in the power of
! the people has been extended the
| stricken mother and sister and they
| have the assurance that whole COM
munity mourn as one over their sorrow
| and bereavement.
The particulars of the accid mt, which
we have gathered with care and from
| those who wera In the vicinity at the
time, are as follows Opposite Battle
| Island toward the Minuesot9 side. lies
q sand bar mostly covered by shallow
water, where numerous parties of
bathers had a,9used themselves in per
| feet safety dur. & the assembly. Several
parties had been over on the bar ahead
| of the last number which consisted OF
the Misses Emma Plough, Helen and
! Hope Munson and Freda Wulfing At
/ the same ticle further MP was r party
! consisting of l. r. Arlington and son
| Earl, Bert johnson and Fantus Wyman
( Of this city, and Oscar Roherg Of La
! Crosse, who were also bathing. One of
! the party suggested that they go down
and teach the girls to swim. The sug-
gestion was acted op and they went
down and spent some time ia giving the
others instructions and assistance in
1 learning TO swim, until all We're tired
| and stopped to rest The water had
! been only waist deep and SO far az any
| Of the party knew they W re no where
near dangerous depth Mr.. Adliugton
| thinks, however, that in sporting in toe
water without any landmarks TO guide
them in keeping one 10 .ation. they un-
consciously worked their way down
stream until they reached the lower
end of the bar At this point there was
stra,. hit drop off into deep water, and
here it was that the girls with the ex-
ception of Miss Plough, who stood fur
ther back in shallow wates, stepped of
without warning 1t IL thougL ~
some that the edge of the sand bar had
been undermined by the current and
gave way while the hatbers were stand
ing on it. Miss Plough says at this
time shs did not -ealizo the danger of
the others, sup osing that they were
merely enjoying themselves in the
water as they haG been doing. II is
here, jast after the plunge into deep
water, that it is difficult to abtain a
correct narrative Of just what happened
The men made strenuous efforts TO save
the girls and succeeded in placing Helen
and Hope Muuson in positions of safety
In the meantime Fantus Wyman was
making heroic efforts to rescue Miss
Freda and shouted ''All right. boys,
hurry mp with the boat" As Mr.. Ad-
Iineton and Bert johnson were rushing
for the boat they heard Fantus cry out
that he had cramps and for them 10
save the girl After the boat had taken
up Mr.. Roberg and Miss Helen nothing
| L. - ~ Tn fha 0ya
bausted condition of the party 1t was
impossible to do anything further than
to try and attract some outside help.
A passing launch was hailed and help
obtained, but it was fully an hour be
fore the bodies we're raised from the
bottom of the river. Amid all the
comment heard since over the affair
there is no question of the fact that all
of the participants did their whole duty
as they saw II best in the attending ex-
citeluent. Undertaken Jos. Pulver took
charge of the bodies and conveyed them
to Viroqua.
! ,ntus Wyman was promising
Young man, II years of age. He was
, the only remaining son Of the late judge
: 10. B. Wyman and Mrs Wyman of thii
eitv. and was born and reared here
. He leaves his mother and one younger
3 sister. This young man had a happy
T and a sunny nature and disposition
that won for him many friend
D and endeared him to all. He was in
dnstrious and ambitious and woult
. have graduated from the Viroqua higl
. school next June had hs lived Th
9 Young man will be sadly missed from
d among his schoolmates and in the Con
l. Vregational Sunday school where b
was secretary and an interested worker
+ Services were held at the Wymai
z home at ten o'clock this morning, con
! ducted by Revs. John A. Stemsn, Wm
}, HauQhtOn and John Treseder. Tn
q floral offerings by friends and neighbor
were beautiful expressions Of tende
II svInuathy. Almost every home in th
+ city was represented by some membe
3, at this last sad tribute Of regard, an
q nearly All accompanied the proc 10
II to the eemetery, where the body
ii Fantus Wylnan was tenderly laid
rest beside bis father aud brother.
n Miss Freda Willing. whose trag
q, death comes with such crushing etfe'
10 to the writer and his family, was sevel
ye teen years old, the eldest daughter (
az the late Judge WulG9g. who died son
m gssrz ago in South Dakota. leaving
is widow and three small caildreo. Free
e had lived with N auDt. MIS-. !.
nt Brent. st Kansas City since ChAldhoo
She was bright young woman, traln'
in 70 all the gra"es Of noble Chr1stii
no life. and woula have graduated fro
ke ne high scbool Of that city 1T the a