The Savannah morning news., 1903-08-10
DROWNED OR CAPTIVE
SIEVE NY EfA R-OLD CHARLEY
SCHWARTZ LOST AT WARSAW.
FATHER AND MOTHER HOPE
THAT HE sTRAYED OFF AND WENT
TO SLEEP IN THE WOODS.

Child Was Last Seen on the Beach
Searching for Shells-TheOry Is
Advanced That Negroes Detained
the Child Against His VIII in the
Hone of Claiming Reward-An
Circumstances, However, Point to
Drew ping-Senrch for the Body
W re Continued To-day.
ChaIcy, the 7-year-old son Of Mr..
and Mrs. D. Schwartz, Of 30S State
street. west, was probably drowned
at Warsaw Island yesterday after
noon. 1t is certain that the child was
missing and could not be found, and
the most plausible theory of his dis
appearance was drowning.
Yesterday was the occasion of the
annual picnic of the Hebrew
school and B'Nai Zion, and about
300 people went down to War
saw, among them being the
family of Mr.. and Mrs. Schwartz in
GLIDING their 7-year-old son, Charley.
The child is rather small for his age,
but was of unusual intelligence. Short
ly after noon his mother asked him
if he did not want to go in bathing
He said he did not, but said he want
ed to go and look for shells. He pulled
off his shoes and stockings and, leav-
ing them at the pavilion, started for
the beach. That is the last any one
remembers of seeing him, though sew
eral are of the opinion that they saw
him come back to the pavilion later.
At the time the child disappeared there
were very few people on the beach, as
the sun was so warm, and the band
was playing at the pavilion.
Father Discredits Drowning.
Mr.. Schwartz dfscredits the theory
that the child was drowned, but rather
believes that he lost his way and was
picked up by some negroes who are
holding him for a reward. In support
of this idea, Mr.. Schwartz says that
the child had expressed no desire to go
into the water, and never was inclined
10 surf bathing, especially by himself
His clothes were not found anywhere
and his father hardly believes that ne
would have gone in the water with
them on as he had just bought a new
exceedingly proud.
The general opinion, however, is that
the child was drowned. That he waded
out into the water, and while not no
ticing a wave knocked him down,
strangling him, and he was washed
out to sea.
The first intimation that any one
had that the child was missing was
when Mr. Schwartz, who was in bath
70 ma
ing the child anywhere made inquiry
Mrs. Schwartz had thought the child
was with his father, and when 1t was
found that he was not in the pavilion
a general search was commenced.
Some suggested that the little fellow
had gone to sleep. Everyone who
could get mount of any kind secured
the island from end to end. Shots
were fred, bugles blown, and the whis-
ties on the boats kept up an incessant
blowing, and if the child had been
asleep anywhere near thA beach he
certainly would have been walked.
Believe He's Held for Reward.
Another suggestion was made that
negroes had picked the child up and
carried him off to hold him for ran
som. Willing to grasp at the slightest
straw of hope the father. with several
friends, visited every negro house in
the vicinity and searched them thor
oughly, but to no avail. Boats were
secured and patrol of the beach front
was made i'm hopes that If the boy
was drowned the body would be thrown
up by the waves as the tide was coming
in. This, too, proved fruitless.
Saddened and weary the crowd of
plcknickers boarded the boats late in
the evening and returned to the city,
leaving four or five men behind to con-
tfnue the search through the night.
Others went down later, and the beach
will be patrolled through the night in
the hope that the waves win cast the
body UP if the idea of drowning is
correct. Mrs. Schwartz was prostrat-
ed by the occurrence. and her grief at
times was uncomfortable.
This is the second fatal accident
that has occurred on the occasion of
the annual outings of the Hebrew So
cieties. Two yoTng ladies were drowned
at Daufuskie, when the picnic was
held there.
The search for the missing child will
be continued to-day, and Mr.. Schwartz
says he viii offer a reward for the
recovery of the body. dead or alive.