Evening star., 1907-09-01
LAD BROWNS IN RIVER
Perishes in Potomac While
Baby Nephew Laughs.
LEAPS FROM THE SEA WALL
Body Recovered by the Police of the
Harbor Precinct.
STATEMENT. OF TWO WITNESSES
Raymond Norris Asks to Have Deep
est Water Pointed Out and
Takes Plunge.

Seeking out the deepest water of The foot
of. 4th street southeast yesterday after
noon. Raymond Norris, eleven years old,
of 6l7 l. street southeast, plunged in and
was drowned. After dragging for some
time the police of the harbor precinct sue
ceeded in recovering the body, and it was
taken to the morgue. After Coroner Nevitt
has viewed the body it viii be taken to the
home of the dead boys brother to await
burial.
Raymond who was giving his baby
nephew, Russell Norris, ride in a small
go-cart, left his home on l. street shortly
before 3 o'clock to play in the neighbor-
hood. His slster-in-law. Mrs. Howard Nor
ris, cautioned the boy not to be away long,
and he said he would not.
Raymond, however, went almost directly
to the river A few weeks before Re had
spent some time at Benning and there had
been in swimming. 1t is thought he wanted
to satisfy a longing to repeat his former
experiences. Upon reaching the wall at
the foot of 4th street Raymond left .the
baby nephew in the cart, and. quickly slip
ping out of his clothes, he looked down
at the water.
Where Is the Deepest WaterP"
William Newman, 514 street south
east and William Mills, 1903 4th street
| southeast, were near at hand, and watched
Raymond as he passed along the wall.
| Young Norris walked over to them after a
minutes hesitation and asked
Where is the deepest water off here?
Are you going to jump in?' they asked
| in return.
Yes, where 1t is deepest" was the reply
Aren't you afraid you will get drowned?'
1nn'f MI p1Yl lNy an or ID W
| mond. and a few seconds afterward he
plunged into the water.
The dive was a long one on account Of
the height of the wall and Newman and
| Mills noticed that the boy fell fiat on the
water. Watching they saw he was limp
and motionless, except for the fact that
| n vas rising to. the surface and then
| sinking again. Quickly realizing that the
| boy was drowning the two boys made an
| ottcry.s Several persons were pa ssing and
| heard the cries. A colored man IN boat,
| who was some distance out In the river,
| rowed up. One of those attracted to the
! scene jumped into the water without stop
| ping to remove his clothes, but young
| Norris had gone down for the last time,
| and the efforts to save him from the watery
| grave w ere In vain.
| Little Nephew Laughs.
The little nephew laughed at his uncle in
the water not realizing that the latter was
| drowning.
Witnesses say that Raymond seemed to
have been frightened by the depth of the
water and was evidently unable to help
| himself after plunging in. He only a
| few feet from the wall from which he had
| jumped. and yet seemed to make no effort
| 10 get to 1t.
| Raymond was unable to swim. according
| to the belief of his relatives, but he evil
dent thought he would be able to get
| back to the wall after jumping in.
| When the efforts OF those at hand failed
to recover the body Policemen F,fe ana
| Totten of the fifth precinct were notified
of the drowing. and they quickly summoned
the harbor police launch. With graphing
! hooks, which they USED from small boats,
| the harbOr policen an dragged the river
| bottom in the vicinity of the wall and sool
| brought up the little body. The identity
| was at first not known. and the remains
were taken to the morgue.
| The three year-old nephew, Russell, still
| sat in the go-cart awaiting the return OF
! his uncle. He watched the proceedings
| with great interest, and finally he was
| asked who his uncle was. The little fellow
| the dead boy, and he was taken to the
home of Mrs. Robinson, 1892 4th street
| southeast.
Lad Was an Orphan.
| Meanwhile Mrs Norris was becoming
| anxious about her little son and her young
| brother -in-law She looked ABOUT the ne gh-
! borhood when their stay heightened into an
hour, but she could find trace of the
pair.
| 1t was more than an hour after the fatal
| plunge was taken that Mrs. Norris learned
| of the fate of her brother-in-law and her
| little
| Raymond was an orphan, his parents
| having died about five years ago. He
formerly lived with his father. John F..
Norris, at 1747 Thomas avenue. Baltimore
| Since the death of his parents Raymond
| had lived with his brother, Howard Norris
! in this city, and 1t was from his home
| that Raymond went out yesterday afternoon
| never to re turn alive. The dead boy wah
! nephew of Joshua Mewshaw, station master
| of the Pennsylvania railroad here. and it
| was near Mr. MewshIw's S home in Benning
| that young Norris had his first try at
L inn