The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-18
LabOrers Nearby Would Not
Respond to Cries for Aid
and Refused Assistance.
ALL UNDER 10 YEARS OLD
Four Went into Water and IS
year.old Boy Saved Life of
One and Rescued Body Of
AnOther..CrippIe Tried TO
Help LuckIess Boys.

Three boys lost their lives this noon
while playing on the Kirscheessnev
pond in Nineteenth street, opposite
FIFTEENTH avenue. A fourth by yas
barely saved from death after he.ng
dragged from the water. He received
medical assistance ffcm School t.oa,-
missioner DR. Thomas S Mccabe. WHO
answered the cries for help aud ap-
peared in time to give heroic treatment
to one of the lads, and saved his life
The drowned boys are:
Gus Hartman, years old, of 4so
South Nineteenth street.
Louis Hartman, Q years old, of 39S
South Nineteenth street.
Leo Smith, 10 years old. of 4os
South Eighteenth street.
The boy who escaped with his life Is
Edward Rowle, 10 years old, of isa
South Eighteenth street.
Although of the same name, the Hart
man boys were not related.
hrlchgessers pond is the remnant OF
an old swamp that was used formerly
by residents Of that neighborhood fol.
winter sports. Recently the Board OF
Health ordered that it be filed. and
the city garbage carts used the pond
for throwing away the contents of their
wagons.
This morning the four boys met at the
pond, which was covered with a thin
skimming of ice, and began their bovigl,
pranks by daring one another as To
which of them could so out farthest
from the land and get back rits1ons
setting wet.
This game was kept up for some time
and the boys were flushed with thel,
success, when suddenly it was agreed
| that all four should join hands and
slide across the pond.
| The boys had barely concluded to do
this when hands were joined and the
slide which resulted in the death OF
three and the narrow escape Of one
began.
When the ice broke the air was rent
with screams. In the centre Of the
pond the ice cracked, and the boys
separated and turned to make for the
banks. but it was too late.
RoWle, who was nearest to shore
was the first to break through. This
disconnected the others. Suddenly the
Ice gave way and soon the four boys
were houndering In the cold water
Although Italian rag-piclxers and men
IN the employ of the garbage company
stood on the embankment, yet not one
! OF them made any attempt to lend .
hand
The boys cries attracted the atten
tlon of Michael ii. Healey, who keeps a
grocery store opposite the pond.
Healey is unable to walk, but the
cries OF the lads were enough to tell him
what the trouble was.
Snatching a coll of clothesline from
his counter he shouted to one of the
Italian workmen to get 1t and at the
same time directed him to throw the
rope out to the struggling boys.
Through fear or fright, or ignorant
OF what Healey was telling him, the
Italian stood in his tracks and made
no move to help the boys.
Healey shouted to arouse his neigh.
bors. but by this time three az the
boys had disappeared beneath tho
water.
Henry Blacksmith, aged is. Of South
Eighteenth street, was the first to re-
spond to Healey's cries. He, brave
young lad, saw chance to save one CT
the boys, and made after Rowlcy Just
as the little chap was sinking.
Rowley was dragged ashore, and the
medical aid was administered by 1r.
McCabe. This saved him from meet.
ing the same fate as his companions.
Young Blacksmith, nothing dauntni,
went back to the pond and succeeded
in bringing ashore the dead body nf
young Smith
Men and women and former play
mates of the dead boys were quickly
on the scene, while some others ran 10
the homes of the various boys with the
sad news. Volunteers lent hand and
in very short time the bodies OF the
two remaining boys were on the cnl-
banknent. The last victim TO be
dragged out was Louis Hartmann.
Kindly hands took blankets from
neighboring houses and the bodies
were wrapped in them and carried to
the dead boys homes.
The fathers OF the dead boys had
just returned from their work. Leo
Smiths father, John Smith, is leather
worker.
Louis Hartmanns father is Jacob
Hartmann, while the parent of the
other boy of that name is Wendell
Rowle's father is Edward Rowle, and
he is an eectro-plate worker.
When the dead bodies of the boys
were carried into their respective homes
the scene was most pitiful.
The news that three boys had been
drowned in the pond drew fully 5000
people to the scene, and reserves from
the Fourth Precinct station were called
out. Policemen Berger, Stedlan. Heller.
Connen and Schaffer responded and lent
all aid In their power.
The boys homes are within min
ute's walk Of each other, and the
greatest excitement prevailed while the
bodies of the three boys were being
carried 10 theXir homes. 1t was neces
sar.v for the police 70 make way for