The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1908-02-12
FATALLY FROZEN.
Terrible End of Youth Who Came TO
Oil City For a "GOOd Time"

From the Oil City papers, the Derrick
and Blizzard of Monday, we Gull the fol-
lowing account of very distressing af-
fair which happened in that city Saturday
night, in which young Forest county
boy lost his life:
Frank Barnes. of Whig Hill, Forest
county, died at the Oil City hospital at
1880 on Sunday, the results of lying out
nearly all night in the opsn wagon shed
of the Saltzmann brewery, on Union
street.
There are elements of mystery about
the case which the police are attempting
to unrsvel. When Barnes was found his
hat and overcost we're missing and no
money was found in his pockets, al
though il is known that he had $3.50 earlier
in the day.
His tragic and terrible death is all the
more grievous to relatives on account of
the manner in which he met his fate.
The following facts have been gathered
blythe police:
According to the story told Chief of
Police Reid by Max Barnes, a cousin of
the deceased, three of the party, Ben
Witherell, Roy Smith and Max Barnes
arrived in the city Saturday on the noon
train. The other two, Frank Barnes, the
deceased, and Guy Hilliard, came here
on the evening train and were met by
their three companions. Most Of the
o.t,, % hA and
about lO:3O started for resort up the
creek. When near the White bridge
Frank Barnes met two men and accost-
ing one of them as "Charley," stopped to
talk with him. His companions walked
on, and, looking back. saw Frank and
the men following slowly, but as the
night was cold the party ahead kept NOV
ing along at rapid pace until the house
on Union street was reached.
Some time later they were joined by
Charley" They asked him what had
become of their companion and were in
formed that Frank had decided not to go
to the rendezvous. His companions then
went out and made perfunctory search
of the neighborhood for the missing
youth without results. They concluded
that he had returned to town and appar-
emily gave the missing youth no further
thought.
1t was about l0:30 o'clock on Sunday
morning that two men who live in that
neighborhood, Kicker and Hahn, were
passing the brewery plant when they no.
ticed man crumped in heap lying in
one corner of the wagon shed and went to
his rescue. He was without either hat or
overcoat and his hands and lower part of
his legs were frozen solidly. They noti-
fled employees Of the brewery and the
young man was carried inside and a doc
tor sent for. The freezing and exposure
to which Barnes had been subjected were
sufficient to cause death and he was bur-
ried to the hospital where he remained
unconcious until death ensued.
Chief of Police Reid was notified and
spent the remainder of the day in looking
up the facts connected with the death of
Barnes. He was unanle to learn where
the overcoat and hat had been discarded,
the young men who were with him last
being rather hszy as to whether he had
his overcoat when he left the last hotel
bar. He had told them that he had $40,
but had not showed any money. His
body showed no marks of any violence
other than an abrasion on the point of the
chin, which might have been made when
he sank exhausted from the cold in the
wagon shed.
The body was removed from the hos
pital to the Paul undertaking rooms and
prepared for burial. Coroner DR.. M. l..
Battles, of Franklin, was notified and,
after viewing the body, decided that an
inquest was not necessary.
Philo Barnes, of Wing Hill, an uncle of
the deceased, arrived here last night and
has made arrangements to have the body
sent to that place this afternoon via
Hickory.
He states that the deceased was barely
past 10 years of age and had been en-
ployed in lath mill owned by Hon. N.
P. Wheeler at Endeavor, Pa, in which
the uncle is also an employe. That when
he lett Hickory, Frank had $50 with him
and wore an overcoat.
The deceased was son of Leonard
Barnes and, besides his parents, he is
survived by five brothers and one sister.
From what information the police were
able to gain yesterday, it is evident that
the companions of Barnes, with one eX-
ception, were too much under the in
fiuence of drink to know much that was
transpiring, but they are positive that
Frank was not one of the party when
they entered the Union street resort. 1t
is highly probable that the unfortunate
young man was equally intoxicated.
There was no sign of any struggle having
taken place in the wagon shed where he
was found unconscious. He wore heavy
wooden stockings, stout shoes and new
pair of rubbers. The sharp imprint of
the heels of the rubbers led from the walk
to the building and apparently showed
that he had leaned against the inside of
the wagon shed and then apparently col
lapsed and fell into the slumber that pre-
cedes death by freezing.
To-day Monday Chief Reid learned
from Jack" Finnegan that he and
friend went home on the last Housewife
car Saturday night. Near the foot of
Union street they stumbled over the body
OF Barnes, lying in the road. They pick
ed him up and after walk ing him around