Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-05-31
CHILD DROWNED
INSPIRING CREEK
LITTLE SON o FMR. AND MRS,
F. e. SMITH LOSES LIFE
WHILE PLAYING.

Spring creek claimed another vic.
tim Monday afternoon, when little Ar.
thur Smith, the 3-year-old son of Mr..
and Mrs. Frank E. Smith, fell into its
waters in front of his home, at the
corner of Boulevard and Second ave.
nue., and was drowned.
1t appears that shortly after 4
o'clock, the little fellow was in his
play house. in the rear yard, and a
little later his sisters, Nathalie and
Eloise, both older than he, went to
water the horse, leaving Arthur in the
yard. He went into the house, where
Mrs. Smith was engaged in her house
hold duties. When the other children
returned, about quarter of an hour
later, they missed the baby and asked
where he was. All at once started out
in search of him, and In few min
utes lad named Percy McHugh ran
up to Mrs. Smith and told her that
the child had fallen into the creek and
drowned. Immediately before this,
some boys, Will Berkin, Gustave
Grupe and Percy McHugn, had noticed
something floating in the stream about
SO yards above the lower foot bridge
at the end of the Boulevard. They
thought it was a piece of flannel at
first, but little later, when the OBJ.
ject caught in the grass and sand at
the end of the Boulevard, they saw it
was a child, and quickly rescued it
from the water. 1t was Immediately
following this that Mrs. Smith was
informed, and moment later she was
on the spot, Mr.. Smith, in the mean
time, having been notified and Dr.
Peasants summoned. I'he physician
was soon on the scene, and his first
examination showed that life was ex
tinct, all the indications pointing to
the fact that the child was dead when
taken from the water.
Efforts at Resuscitation.
Nevertheless, the doctor lost not a
moment in attempting resuscitation
first following the usual method to ex
pei any water from the lungs, and
then resorting to artificial respiration
These efforts, although persisted in
for fifteen minutes, had not the slight
est effect, and Mr.. Smith having, In
the meantime, arrived, the child was
carried to the home, only a short dis
tance away, where DR.. Peasants re
newed his efforts, persisting for near
ly an hour longer, and still without
any result. The doctor felt that the
case was hopeless from the start, but
resorted to every method known tt
medical science in order that no chance
should be overlooked, and for the sat
isfaction that this would naturally
give to the distracted parties. Aftel
] he left, neighbOrs continued to worl
on the body for two hours longer, but
| to no avail. While no one actually
saw the child fall into the stream
the supposition is that he lost his bal
ance and fell in. The current IN IRON
of the Smith home is quite swift, ant
] the water rather deep. The chllt
doubtless was carried along quickly
yet the distance from the point wher'
he fell in to the place where the bod!
was found is probably 400 yards, AM
he was in the water not less than Ii
minutes, it is believed. me mothe
thinks that the child could not nave
been out of the house more tnan Il
minutes before he was missed, an'
it is therefore probable that ne wen
directly from the house TO the stream
just across the road, and fell In almos
Immediately.
Is a Dangerous Point.
| Snring creek runs along the Boule
ward at this point, close TO the ROAD
and there is no fence to protect an
one from walking right into II. II
the neighborhood, the pace mas ion'
been considered dangerous, ana Uni
is the second child that mas iost IL
life in this locality.
| The funeral of little Arthur wa
held at 8 D. m. this afternoon iron
the Catholic church, the lhlernneh' oe
ing at the Catholic cemetery.
i The sympathy OF the "hoie oon'
munity will go out to the Dereave' e
family, and with it the prayer tna
Gods peace may come to the strickel
ones, realizing. as do all their iriehus
how futile is human sympalhv III suc'
an hour as this.
Willie Wiedeman, John Crowle.
Earl McGinniess and Randali Vroe
man acted as pail bearers.