The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1908-07-22
DROWNED In TIONESTA CREEK.
Sad Fate of AlphOnze c. BeesOn, of
Kellettyille.

Alphonze C. Beeson, one of the best
known residents of Kellettville, was
drowned in Tionesta Creek, a short dis
tance below Mayburg, about 8 o'clock
Thursday night, July 10th, and his body
was recovered about two hours later.
Mr.. Beeson, in company with Clarence
Jenkins, the engineer, had taken a loco
motive of the Sheffield Il Tionesta Rail
way and gone to the place where the acci-
dent occurred to pull an abandoned
wooden pier out OF the water, the tim
bers of which Mr.. Beeson expected to use
in building wharf near the Andrews
store at Kellettyille. The circumstance
of their working after night is explained
by the fact that the locomotive could not
be had during the regular working hours.
Just how the accident occurred will never
be known, as Mr.. Beeson was alone on
the pier, which stood about twenty feet
out in the water. Mr.. Jenkins states that
they had made line fast to the pier and
had turned it over once or twice. Mr..
Beeson called for some slack to make
another hitch and not hearing from him
after short interval, the engineer called
to him. Receiving no reply he quickly
instituted search, holding onto the line
and wading into the water. He could
find no trace of him whatever and then
took his locomotive to Kellettville and
gave the alarm. A searching party went
to the scene of the accident and after
dragging the creek for about two hours
the body of Mr.. Beeson was found near
where he sank. 1t was in fifteen feet of
water and entangled in the branches of
sunken tree. He could not swim stroke
and probably never came to the surface
after falling in. The only mark on the
body was slight bruise on the chin.
The body was removed to Kellettville,
where physicians worked over IL for
nearly two hours, but the spark of life
was gone.
Mr.. Beeson was born near Oil City,
December 80, 1869, and was a son of Mrs,
Maggie Wilson, of Kellettville, by a
former marriage. When small boy he
came to Forest county, where he grew to
manhood, and for the past eighteen years
had been employed as manager of the
large general store of Mrs. M. Andrews at
Kellettville. He was a man of indomita-
BILE energy and enterprise and was sell
| dom idle. Mr.. Beeson was an afiabe and
agreeable gentleman at all times and
was universally respected by all who
knew him. His tragic death was a
great shock to the entire community.
He was never married. Besides his
mother, he is survived by two sisters and
three brothers.
Mr.. Beeson was member of the Ma
sonic fraternity, having reached the thr-
ty-second degree. He was affiliated with
Olive Lodge, No. 557, F. IL A. M, of Tio-
nesta, Occidental Chapter and also the
Commsndery, of Warren, Zem Zem
Temple A. A. o. N. NJ. s., of Erie, and
the Consistory at Williamsport.
Funeral services were held at the home
of Mrs. Andrews at Kellettville, Sunday
uornlnS, inc s4INlces peinB Couuuo'ou
by Rev. A.J Horner, of Mayburg, as
sisted by Rev. r. j. Montgomery, of
Kellettville. The services were very
largely attended. Among those in at
tendance we're forty members of the
Warren lodges, who were taken to Kel-
lettville and back on special train,
through the kindness of Leon Watson,
superintendent of the S. q L. Ry. The
remains were brought to Tionesta Sun
day afternoon and inferred in Mt. Collins
Cemetery, the services at the grave be-
ing in charge of Olive Lodge and accord
ing to the beautiful ritual of that order
1t was the first interment in the new
cemetery.