The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-08-02
Sad Accident at Madison
Lake Last Evening.
J. C. MILLER is THE VICTIM
Prominent Business Man of st. Louis
Goes to His Death; Had Been Fish
ing; Boat Capsized.
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
A sad drowning occurred at Madison
lake last evening, that has cast a
gloom over Point Pleasant and tfe vii
lage. For the first time i'll twenty-siN
years guest at the Barclay hotel met
his fate in the waters of that beautiful
lake. j. c. Miller, one of the most
prominent merchant tailOrs of St.
Louis, No. and man who was well
to do and had been Il guest at Point
Pleasant for three or four years past
during the summer season, was the un-
fortunate victim.
Entangled in Weeds.
The accident happened at about six
o'clock last evening, north of }. ii.
Spencer's landing on Stony Point. Mr..
Miller. accompanied by his father-in-
law, C. w. Baker, of San Antonio,
Texas, was fishing about seventy-fve
yards from the shore, and one of them
succeeded in hooking very large fish.
In the excitement of trying to land the
fish, the boat became overturned. Both
men chung to the boat, and called Tor
help. but after few moments MIR.
Miller thought that he could swim to
shore and struck out. He was fairly
GOOD swimmer, but after passing per-
haps one third of the distance, he seems
to have become entangled in the weeds
and exhausted, and sank. He rose to
the surface five times in his struggle
for life but finally went down to APP
pear no more.
1t was terrible moment for MIR.
Baker. He is about seventy-fve years
old. and had not the strength to have
swum ashore himself, let alone being
of any assistance to his son-in-law. He
chung to the boat, and was rescued
few moments later by Mr.. Nippolt of
Springfield. who was fishing about
quarter of mile away, and who heard
the cries and at once rowed to where
the overturned boat was.
Worked Over Body Long Time.
Mr.. Nippolt at once took MIR. Baker
proper treatment. and then returned
with James f. Hart of this city and
r. W. Griffis of Omaha, to where the
drowning had taken place. They sue
ceeded in finding the body without de-
lay. 1t was at the outer edge of the
weeds, in seven or eight feet of water.
In the meantime J. NJ. Barclay had
gotten his launch out, and with his
two employees, Guy Moore and Henry
Rochek, accompanied by w. NJ. Steel
of Rolla, n. d., he fastened to where
the boat was, arriving there couple
of moments after the body had been
found. The body was at once lifted on
board the launch, and Mr.. Steel got
down on the bottom and allowed the
others to work the body of Mr.. Miller
over him the same as they would over
a barrel if they had had one. 1t is
thought that the body was taken from
the water not to exceed fifteen minutes
from the time of the drowning, and it
was worked over for two and half
hours, but not sign of life was de-
veloped.
Physician Was Called.
As soon as the body had been placed
on board, the launch was headed for
the Point Pleasant landing, and be-
fore it reached there DIR. Bigelow, the
village physician, had arrived, and was
conveyed to the launch. The launch
was anchored off from shore to pre-
vent a crowd congregating about the
body, while the work of attempting TO
resuscitate it was kept up under the
direction of DIR. Bigelow.
The deceased was about fifty years
of age. He arrived at Point Pleasant
July Z, accompanied by his wife and
little daughter, and his wife's parents.
The party intended to remain until
next Thursday. Mr.. Miller was well
liked by all. He was fine gentle
man, who made friends of all, and his
death is greatly deplored. His wife and
daughter are Frustrated. He also had
grown son and daughter at st. Louis,
both single.
Remains Taken to ST. Louis.
The remains were taken on the
Great Western passenger train this at
ternoon for st. Louis, accompanied by
the members of the sOrrowing family.
The accident was one that could have
been avoided if Mr.. Miller had chung
to the boat, for it was large enough
to sustain the weight of both men, but
he may not have been aware of the
fact that assistance was approaching.
Everything possible was done to save
him, after he had gone down, and those
who worked hard to this end are GER
tainly entitled to great credit for their
prompt and persevering efforts.
Mr. Barclay has always said that if
any of his guests should drown it could
not be said that the unfortunate one
did not have fair chance, and Mr.
Barclay exemplified this last evening
The villagers turned out and offered
their services freely, and all took an
interest in trying to bring the drown
ed man back to life.
Coroner Kennedy was notified at nine
o'clock last evening and at once drove
out to Madison Lake, although he had
only Just returned from Mapleton, where
he investigated the death of Oscar
Dencker. He looked into the facts and
found that no inquest was necessary
and was brought back this morning il
Robert Lamm's automobile.
Possibly Heart Failure.
When the body was found, it was
standing upright in the water, the toI
of the head being only about eight
inches under water. This fact, ant
the further fact that no water cam;
out of the lungs when the body was
rolled, leads to new theory-that Thu
unfortunate man came to his dealt
from, heart failure rather than drown
ing. 1t is suggested that the exertioI