The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-08-11
FIGHT PERSONS
DROWN IN RIVER
Man and Seven Girls While
Bathing in Mississippi Get
Beyond Depth.
FOUR BODIES RECOVERED
Nichael Riley Took Daughter and Six
Of Her Girl Friends Into the
River and They Waded
Into Deep Water.

Alton, Ill, Aug. S.-While bathing In
the Mississippi river Michael Riley, his
Slaughter, n six of the latter's little
flrl friends We're drowned. One child
fho was in the party was rescued.
The dead:
MICHAEL RILEY, 80 years old.
ELIZABETH RILEY, Il years Old.
ALLIE SYNER, Il years old.
LUCY PATES, 5 years old,
LIZZIE PATES, IA years old.
BESSIE BRUM, IA years old.
MYRIE BRUM, 10 years old.
RUTH MARSHALL, IL years old.
Riley lived near the river, in thu
''outhern part of the city, and was ac-
uStomed to battle on the beach in front
sf his home after his return from work.
Ills little daughter begged to go with
him, and Riley took her and seven Of
her little girl friends to the beach with
him.
When they entered the water Riley
bade the children join hands, and they
I'll waded into the river and walked
along a sand bar which stretches out
INTO the stream at that point.
They had gone some distance from
The shore, when suddenly the whole
party disappeared beneath the water,
having In the darkness stepped from
The sandbar into the e"ep channel.
Fought Desperately for Life.
The children struggled and screamed,
lighting desperately to reach the sand
par. where the water was only a foot
lr SO In depth. Riley. who Is said to
rave been a good swimmer, is thought
% have been made helpless by the girls
!llnging to him and hampering his ef-
.orts to a V them.
The only n of the party to regain
.he sand bar was Mary Timiny, s years
I'D. The child Is unable to tell how
she saved herself. beyond the state
nent that Il snatched my hand loose
rom the grasp Of the little girl next
20 me, and soon found that I could
stand up, and that the water only came
70 my knees"
The beach where the accident oc-
cured is practically deserted after
lightfall and the screams Of the little
timiny girl failed to attract any one
20 the scene
After Riley, his daughter and her
playmates had disappeared beneath
The water she ran from the beach and
teached home screaming at the top of
her lungs. She was so hysterical that
t was some time before her parents
Iould gather an account Of what had
occurred.
Immediately Mr.. Timiny organized a
'escue party, but when they reached
he beach there was no sign of Riley
tnd the eve little girls whom Mary
had seen sink.
Four Bodies Recovered.
Boats were hastily secured, and in a
hort time four of the bodies had been
recovered. Searching parties worked
ate into the night.
According to the account given by
Pc little Timiny girl, after she had
leen in a measure Gained by her pa
ents, the drowning was caused by the
excitement incident to the passage Of
large river steamer.
Mary says that they had waded soma
distance into the stream, keeping care
hlly to the sand bar when the wash
rg from a steamer caused wave Of
considerable height to come ashore.
Before entering the water Riley had
instructed the little ones to maintain
tight grasp on each others hands, he
taking a place in the center. The wash
rom the steamer created considerable
confusion among the girls Mary ex-
plains, INK in the darkness they lost
heir bearings n before they We're
lWar Of their danger two or three
IF them had stepped off the sand bar
nto the channel, dragging the others
With them.
Mary was at the end of the line, and
when her companions dragged her from
he sand bar she was the nearest to
shallow water, and to that fact she
yves her escape.