Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-09-05
WAS BATHING OFF NORTH SHORE
OF PICNIC POINT.
UNABLE TO REACH
WIND-DRIVEN BOAT
n. v. Cowes Narrowly Escapes
Drowning While Att>mnting to
Rescue the Victi,n-Had Brilliant
Record in University as an Or
ator.

orator of unusual ability, drowned III
Lake Mendoza, about 100 yards out
from the north shore of Picnic Point,
shortly after o'clock yesterday after
noon. The body has not yet been re-
covered.
Accompanied by Ii. V. Cowles, 3l7
Johnson Court, Mr.. Olbrich went out
in a rOwboat to teke a swim. The
two men removed their clothes and
put on bathing suits. After being
in the water a short time Cowles saw
MIR. Olbrich struggling as though he
was in distress and in need of assist
ance Cowles hurriedly swan over
to Olbrich, who was exceedingly fran
tic in his efforts to save himself, anti
he grabbed Cowles by the wrist with
one hand and With the other clutched
Cowles tightly about the face. Olbrich
pulled Cowles down twice. Cowles
was nearly exhau sted when Charles
Smith, a fisherman, reached him.
Smith towed Cowles to shore with
his boat. The supposItion is that the
boat drifted away from Olbrich and
lieved that his mouth filled with wa
ter and that he was strangled. He
was a fairly good swimmer.
Drag for Body.
Word was sent to the police station
and Policeman Davenport was dis
patched to tne scene with graphing
hooks, He was assisted in Dragging
for the body by Michael b. Olbrich,
brother Of the drowned man; William
e. Ryan. a college friend of the de-
ceased; Mr.. Cowles, o. NJ. Jorstad
and Mr. Larson. The search was
kept up without interruption until
o'clock last night but to no avail. AT
this morning another searching
party started from the university boat
house. 1t consisted of Michael B.
Olbrich, Mr.. Ryan, John H. Walechka
and Max Loeb. Policeman Davenport
and Desk Sergeant Togstad will also
resume dragging this morning. The
water where Mr.. Olbrich drowned is
some IL feet deep. The bottom is
sandy.
A Brilliant Debater.
Mr. Olbrich was a brilliant debatef
and on various occasions brought hon
or to himself and the university. He
was a young man of sterling worth,
possessed of strong ambition for a
career and he certainly had a bright
future before him. He was a mau
with demeanor that won for him
many warm friends. He was a devot-
ed student and was held in high es-
TEEN and respect by his professors
and fellow students.
Had Been Appointed Instructor.
Coming to Wisconsin in 1901, he
graduated with the class of 1905. Last
June he took his masters degree in
history. He had been appointed in
structor in oratory for the coming
year and with much pleasure looked
forward to the opening of the univer-
sity. AS an orator he had bril-
liant record. Professor Rollo S. Ly-
man said of him: "Olbrich is the
best debater in the university"
He was a member of the Athenae
literary society and was closing
speaker in the joint debate in 1904.
Last December he closed the intercol-
legiate debate with Nebraska in
which the judges gave a unanimous
decision in favor of Wisconsin. He
took part in three consecutive annual
oratorical contests was a winner in
his freshman declamatory contest and
participated with honor in his fresh
man blowout debate. In his senior
year ne was elected to membership in
Phi Beta Kappa, the honorary schol-
arship fraternity. The subject of his
thesis when he received his masters
degree last June was the Study OF
the Negro, which had reference to the
18th amendment. This was declared
masterpiece by Professor c. r.
Fish.
Grandmother at Point of Death.
Mr. Olbrich would have been %
years old September 10. Besides his
brother, Michael B. Olbrich, who also
has brought honor to the university
as debater and orator, and who is
now practicing attorney in Madison,
the deceased leaves a mother and
three brothers at Harvard, III. A
stepbrother and two stepsisters also
survive His grandmother, who is
80 years of age, is lying at the point
of death at her home in Harvard.
Had Planned to Visit Home.
MIR. Olbrich had been employed dur
ing the summer by the state tax com
mission His work would be finished
tomorrow and he expected to leave
for his home for brief vacation os-
fore taking up his duties of instructor.
This fact makes his unexpected death
especially shocking to the members
OF the berea ged family at Harvard,
who awaited with expectancy his
homecoming.
Great Shock TO Friends.
The drowning of the young man
came as a great shock 10 the uniyer-
sity community and to his wide cir
Gle of friends. Judge n. S. ellison,
state tax commissioner, spoke highly
of Mr. olbrich and deplored the sad
death Of the young man. He had