The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1908-02-28
BODY Of VIM. BOCHE
FOUND N ELKAORN
WILLIAM BocHE MET DEATH BY
DROWNING IN RIVER.
WENT THROUGH HOLE IN ICE
BODY FOUND A QUARTER OF A
MILE BELOW FATAL HOLE.
TRAGEDY RESULT OF ACCIDENT

tempted to Cross River on Ice That
Was Not Strong Enough to Bear
His Weight.
William Boche, a prominent farmer
living southeast of Norfolk and
brother of Herman Boche who Is wait
| ing trial for murder next Monday, was
drowned in the Elkhorn river Wednes-
day morning He was not missed un.
til evening and his body not recovered
until late Thursday afternoon. Boche
went through the thin ice in the river
as he was trying to cross to the camp
of his cousin, Fred Boche. William
| Boche is one of the bondsmen on his
brothers $4,000 bond.
| Caught between ice and sand the
body of William Boche who had been
missing since Wednesday morning,
was found late Thursday afternoon in
the Elkhorn river near the farm of
II. Kohloff, about quarter Of mile
from the point wheie Boche plunged
through the ice. The body had washed
against a sandbank and had lodged in
the shallow water. The greater part
of the body was under the ice.
William Boche was drowned IN a
river that had been the constant COM
panion of he and his family for more
than forty years. But 1t is said that
he never viewed the river with friend
ly eyes, that he was always afraid that
the treacherous stream would some
day eat up his land and that when he
had completed arrangements to ex-
change his river farm for Knox
county farm he said he was glad to
get away from the river. Then just
as he was about to say good bye to
the river banks forever he ventured
across the weakened ice and the river
jaws snapped up his body.
Course Easily Traced.
William Boche's course as he left
easily traced. He had business in
Norfolk and had told his family that
he was going to town. Then as he
was preparing for the town trip he
made up his mind to visit the camp
of his cousin, Fred Boche, to the south
across the river. He first fed the hogs.
Then he set off towards the camp. 1t
was about 10 a. m.
BY his tracks in the snow Boche was
followed from the farm yard down to
the river bank. At the place where
: he essayed to cross to his cousins
camp beyond the river the water had
cut a long narrow slit in the ice. A
man could easily have stepped across
| the long narrow opening but for the
thin ice on either side. Boche pro
baby tried to jump across this weak
place when the thin ice gave way
e beneath him. From the marks on his
+ forehead and the top of his head he
probably struck the ice bank with his
head as he fell forward.
y. In Ten Feet of Water.
d Where Boche fell into the rive
g there was about ten feet of running
}. water. His body was swept dowl
:, stream about quarter of a mile. L
q was finally washed in on a sandbanl
and lodged in the shallow water.
e Thursday afternoon a systematic
n search was carried on to locate thu
ed in the search, among others thu
t. drowned mans brother, Herman Boch'
j whose trial at Madison for the shoot
], ing of Frank farmer has been set TO
next week
L julius Lehman, working his wa
o down the river in a boat, found tn
n body. Frank G. Moldenhauer, who o.
A. the bank was keeping pace with Lei
). man, walked out on the ice and drey
y the drowned man to the surface
Al Boche still had his gloves on. Hi
'e cap had been washed away. The bod
was taken to the home.
e Inquest Net Necessary.
il Shortly after the body had bee
n found friends and relatives of tn
y drowned man called on County Attol
'e ney Jack Koenigstein to acquaint hir
with the circumstances. The count
attorneys decision was that an inques
was unnecessary.
N In Norfolk several suicide storie
were afoat in connection with tn
,r drowning but these stories were scou
w ed by those best acquainted with tn
v facts. Friends of Boche say that h
ST has been in cheerful spirits an
m thought well of the change of locatio
IS that he was about to make. Abor
of to go to Norfolk, he suddenly decide
a to go to see Fred Boche in some ma
III ter. He misjudged the strength {
ne the river covering and in a momer
eg had fallen beneath tn ice. TIL
M seems to be the story of the drowning
V. About to Leave.
If. Had William Boche lived he woul
n. have closed a deal for the sale of h
m farm and moved to a Knox count
IT. farm near Bloomfield, having wit
Id that intention announced farm sa
ed for next Wednesday. While the Boct
Al farm of 100 acres had been virtual
ny disposed of to j. II. Conley it We
nd learned Thursday that the sale ha