The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-02-26

DROWNING AT
WAKEFIELD.
Graphic Story Of Bravery and and
IIeroisn iii laws sol q asss
Death.
HEART .R .I::I 4 NJ s SCENES e
Tie Drawing of Of tic Water
From the Pond Caused
the Ice to Break.
Especial 10 Tho rime..D Dispatch

tspeclal 10 The Times. Dspatch.j s1&
a# WAKEFIELD, VA, Feb. 25.--Last sun
days iaslo OF your paper Eave IN formar
ton OF the drowning in 4 Brittlc's NH
# pond, near waksficld, OF John aud shir-
lev owen. There arc many reasons why
thc facts should have full.r and
n more clrclmstantial mention than your
/ worthy correspondent could have given
the nj bile when the drowning vas first
reported.
Both tho dear boys were good, bright,
manly. hish.toncd. amiabsc souls; hold
&int not only tho esteem. but also the
love OF tho community. Somehow, their
ways and characters had won and hcld
# Tie respect and affection OF tho coioorcd
people OF the town. as well and truly hs
mat OF the white people. This is a rare
5Ethinr for d town boy to achieve. There
were many touching instances and proofs
81 az this devotion Oh the part Of tho col
IF ored peoplc Ono Instance Is worthy Ct
more honorable record than can gly 9 y y.
this paper. The search for the body o.
fS 10hn beneath twelve feet Of water and
,,n,ar the Ice, was n6st difficult and dis
@5couraging. After long, fruitlesa, toilsomc
efforts sornc one remarked that perhaps
III Il would be best to give up the searcn
until next morning, when they would pc
better prepared for the work. Instantly
sG a colorod man. who was asslstins' sa ~ y,
@5l''No! no! II there's nq other wa t ~
3,ll ropc around me. and let ME go down
under the ice and look for him"
And this man meant every worn thaL
"a he said. and, withal, he was no swim
g. fs' Jill BOYS AND GIRLS. ~
.t~,fo ,SpCu n
shirley about thirteen Boil, were very
fond Of skating Some OF their young
lady or girl friends were also fond Of this
Fascinating pastimc. They had been
,nncl, on the ice together this winter.
and the bond Of miadeship--w hich only
& the skater can ne'-hhd peen ",
~ crcasingly strengthened. On that iatal
afternoon the two boSs Invited these
Girls to accompany them tn the pond,
Tor what they all regarded as the last
skating OF the scason. They put them
selves and the girls in the charge or M.
Gray Rowell. warn, hearted Souhs
friend OF the boys And here would
say Mr.. Rowel pobly accepted and non.
orcd that trust even 10 the extent OF
thrustlng his life knowingly into the
very Jaws OF death In the attempt 70
snatch thercfrom his dear little boy
sSfrlend.F# i,
f5 When the party reached the pond and
s had tried the ice. Mr.. ~ Rowcll decided
that II was not safe to venture on It,
Scxccpt at the edge Of the pond among
the trees. But hare. where IT was safe.
II the ice was so rough that tho skating
was no pleasure. Just as slney n ..,, ~ ~
tided to leave the pond and return 20
their homes, and part Of the them were
taking off their skates, Shirley unex-
lectedly glidcd out from the shore lor
a 4 goodbye spin. He was the ilShtcst
81 one 0rl their party, and he had no doiib
"a, 1>at, ctr ntrvfo
TO hear him. In fact, he had been skat-
5siIig over that same route during Inc
4 morning But unknown to him. and I'M
known to Mr., RowelI also. the gates
had been opened to relieve the pressure
II, the dam, and the water was peiHg
lowered away from the ice. The ice, up
Held at tho shores on both sides. was be-
ing lowered and tensioned towards the
middle OF the pond. Shirley had reached.
perhaps n hundred yards down the pond,
when, with q startling, cracking and
crash, tho Ice gave way beneath him.
John, seeing his brothers. peril, started
at once to his rescue. Mr. Rowell Inn
lnedlately sped to the woods, II little dis
#tnrce away. and soon returned with a
q icng pole.
tie RARE BRAVERY
5s Meanwhile. Shirley, seeing Ills brother
coming, and knowing that 1t meant two
sons in peril OF drowning instead OF one.
young, and with heroism that rose to
heights sublime. cried out In tones US
firm and tranquil as Il lie had been In.
no danger;"Go back! go back! You can
mot get to me, DO not get excited any OF
@ you; I'm all right. Get a pole and get
IL to mo in somc way. 2
His tones. his appeal, his sensible sug-
gestion. halted John until Mr.. Rowcllt
approached with the pole, John had adj
vanccd to within twelve feet OF Shirley.
and Mr.. Rowell, or Gray as his boy
friends call him. had advanced to within
fifteen feet OF Johns position. when !!
n became evident that Grnys 174 pounds
was weighing the leo dangerously for
them ~al. He Immediately called to John
TO take the pole and pass 1t to Shirley.
by the time he had transferred tho poic
to john Gray went through the Ice. And
las he was receiving the pole from Gray
and was reaching It to Shirley John also
s went down. That Shirley would have
thrust tho pole back to John II he could
IS have done 50 is an assured fact The
&unsclfshness of these courageous, heroic
souls Is seen In the fact that the pole
was the only visible hope If ono broke
through into the treacherous 4epths, And
vet, knowing this, each ono tried to pass
IL from his own imperiled life into me
hands most feeble and cold,
ME GIRLS HELP.
The girls had not heen Idle during these
tragic moments. Recalling that a tired
had been cut down and trimmed OF It's
branches not far from the pond but q
e few days before this, they ran for u,
carried It on the pond and out towards
the imperllled ones, Seeing that their
weight, combined with that Of the sap-
fling would soon carry them through the
1cracking Ice they returned to safety, d.
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