The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-07-26
Police Investigate
Strange Death
of Young Girl
Start Inquiry Into Drow ming of Miss Margaret
Cuvrean, Aged II, Who Lost Her Life in the
Bay Yesterday While Taking Boat Ride With
Young Man-Were Members of Picnic Party

The body of Miss Margaret
Clara Cuvrean, II years old, lies
at the Buckley & King rndertak-
ing establishment today and John
Flynn, who was her companion at
the time her death occurred last
evening, on the east eide of the
bay, is held at the city police sta
tion, while the. circumstances lead
ing up to the mysterious drowning
of the girl are being Investigated
by the police.
Miss Cuvrean and her mother
were members of a party that Sc
cured a launch yesterday and went
for an outing at a point opposite
the Flyer dock. While the others
were enjoying themselves, the girl
and Flynn got into small skiff
and started to row towards the
head of the bay. They were out
of sight of the other members of
the party when, according to
Flynn's statement, the waters got
rough and the boat was swamped,
throwing the occupants into deep
water.
Tried Hard to Save Her.
Flynn is a good swimmer and he
says that he made every effort to
save the girl from drowning, but
failed. He managed to get her
body to the tide flats, where he
made efforts to resuscitate her,
but being alone he was unable to
do SO.
The overturned skiff drifted to
shore in the course of time and
Flynn placed the body of the girl
in the boat and rowed back to
camp, where he told his story.
The body was brought to Buckley
& Kings undertaking establish
ment last night, that fiji m having
been notified of the drowning at
1890.
Coroner Starts Investigation.
DR.. Shaver, county coroner, was
notified of the drowning Of the
girl last night and he at once
started an investigation into the
cause of her death. Captain of
Detectives Fitzgerald detailed De-
tectives d. o. Smith and Huckaba
on the case and they brought
Flynn to the station at noon to-
day. He appeared to be greatly
worried over the sad occurrence,
but maintains that he is in no way
responsible for the accident. Flynn
is a laborer 23 years old and lives
on the East Side. The dead girl
resided with her parents at '2523
South G street. :.
Flynn Known to Family.
j. Curvean, father of the dead
girl, stated to the Times today
that the family had known Flynn
for some time and he had fire.,
cquently gone out to picnics with
them. He said the accident might
have occurred through the boat
encountering rough water at the
point where the Puyallup river
empties into the bay. A slight
wind caused quite a sea at the
point and II small boat shipped
one of them 1t would quickly
swamp the craft.
The mother of the girl has
swooned several times during the
day and 1t is feared that should
she see the body 1t might prove
too much for her in her over
wrought condition.
The face of the girl is badly
bruised. Flynn said to Captain
of Detectives Fitzgerald this ar
ternoon that 1t was necessary for
him to beat her OFF to keep her
from pulling him down into the
water. She was in the water but
a short time and 1t is thought
that had the young man under
stood how to resuscitate her she
might have been saved.