The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-06-12
DEATH Of ROBERT WATSON
An Excellent Young an Taken in the
Very Prime Of Young Man
hood by an Accident.

hood by an Accident.
The remains of Robert Watson,
the son of Mr.. and Mrs. John Wat
son. of Prosper township, reached
Mitchell Monday evening from
Brookings via. the Omaha road, com-
ing earlier than was anticipated. The
body was taken to the Noble under
taking parlors from the train and
remained there until the funeral ser
vices we're held in the Baptist church
The services we're very largely at
Tuesday morning at 10 O'Clock.
tended by friends of the city and the
community in which the young man
lived. They we're conducted by Rev.
E. M. LETTERS, pastor of the church,
who gave a fine tribute to the life of
the young nan Appropriate music
was furnished by the choir. The
floral offerings we're indeed beauti-
full. coming from friends in the city
and country, and an exceptionally
large collection from the classes, So
cieties and the student body Of Brook
luS6 AGRICULTURAL COllo80
The honorary %pallbearers were
Carl Hoffman. Harry Ericn, Morris
Carlson. Oscar Alsene. Floyd ellis
and Harry Rowley. The active pail
bearers we're Lloyd Lane. Robert
Jones, George Phillips, John Furn-
stahl, Oliver Kramer, Charles Cough
lin, who are students Of the college
and accompanied the remains of the
deceased young man to the city. Prof.
Stoltenberg, Of the college faculty,
also accompanied the delegation from
the college.
The remains were laid to rest in,
Graceland cemetery. To Mr.. and
Mrs. Watson the death of their son
comes with crushing force, there be-
ing so little preparation for the news
when 1t came. He has grown to man
hood under their kind and watchful
care and for them he had the great
est reverence.
Robert Watson came to his death
by reason of an accident which hap
pened last Saturday afternoon at
Brookings college. He was the cap
tain of the military company at the
college, and on this occasion he had
his men out drilling them. The men
had finished scaling a wall and Rob-
ert was following them in their
maneuvers. Instead of walking
around the wall, as he was supposed
to do, he thought he too would scale
he wall with the rest of his men.
just as Robert was in the act Of GO
ing down on the other side, the last
man who had gone over the wall was
in the act Of rising up. The soldier
had his bayonet fixed, and its sharp
point struck Robert six or eight
Inches below the abdomen, making a
very painful and ugly wound. He
commenced to bleed copiously and
notwithstanding he was taken to the
college and a physician hastily sum-
moned, 1t was impossible to save his
life. An operation was performed on
the young man In the hope to do
some good, blu tit was not successful
and Sunday afternoon he passed
away.
That the college authorities did
everything possible to save the young
mans life was shown by sending for
DR.. Mayo. of Rochester, and a sur
geon from Minneapolis to perform the
operation.
Robert Watson was a freshman Of
the college and was taking a course
IN electrical engineering, an art in
which he took a great deal of inter-
est and n in which he was making
splendid progress. He was the cap
tain of the military company, and
was also president OF the Miltonian
society. n Of the leading fraternal
societies Of the institution. HIS stud
ent friends, who accompanied the re-
mains to the city, spoke In the high
est terms of their friend, and said
that he was a most excellent student,
and a young man who stood high In
the estimation of the student body.
He was q very quiet and unassuming
young man in his demeanor, but
withal thorough and fearless In what
he undertook. The death Of the
young man cast a deep gloom over
The college and the students felt the
loss Of the dear friend keenly. One
OF the students remarked that the
floral offerings which were sent from
the classes. the societies, and the
student body generally were the larg-
est that had ever been rendered to
the memory Of any young man in
that city.
Mr.. and Mrs. Watson feel deeply
grateful to the students for the MANY
k~indnesses which they exhibited to-
ward their deceased boy, and for the
many tributes Of respect that were
shOwered upon him.