Rock Island Argus., 1909-08-03
RIVER GIVES
UP THE DEAD
Remains of Two Boys Who Met
Death in Water Are Recov-
cred from Stream.
ANOTHER IS A VICTIM
Passengers on Steamer Helen Blair
Witness One Tragedy and Re-
moval of Two Other Bodies.

The passengers on board the steamer
Helen Blair had more than their shate
of the sad spectacles in life yesterday,
when they Witnessed one drowning
| and the taking from the water of two
more bodies which had been drowned.
/ Just about the time the boat left here,
4 the body of Edward p. Cobb who was
Edrowned at the foot of Twenty-fourth
kssreet yesterday afternoon, was taken
from the water and when the boat
pulled in at Buffalo, the remains pf
Danny Defenbaugh, the lad who
[drowned Sunday morning at Betten
! |dorf, were being taken from the river.
| The body had been carried rapidly
{down the river by the swift current
land had reached Buffalo before it came
1 to the surface and was discovered.
About three miles below Buffalo, the
/ third of the drowning incidents took
place when Charles McVey, a young
button cutter and prize fighter from
|Muscatine, fell overheard and WAS
! drowned. McVey had been visiting in
Buffalo and had boarded the steamer
for home. He was a little under the
Influence of drink and this fact brought
about his death. He leaned too far
over the side of the steamer in at
tempting to attract the attention of
some one ON an upper deck and lost
his balance and fell into the stream.
He sank after coming to the surface
once and his body could not be found.
Cobb Boys Body Found.
The body of Edward Philip Cobb,
1858 Thirteenth avenue, who was
drowned yesterday afternoon at 3:5n,
Twas taken from the water 20 yards be-
low the place of the accident a little
less than an hour after it was last
seen
The boy has gone in wading near
the old mill below the railroad bridge
and had been chased away from there.
He then went across the slough with
several other boys and went in near
the last pier of the viaduct. The cur
trent was too strong for the lad and
soon carried him beyond his depth.
He was not able to swim a stroke. and
none of the other boys could give him
any assistance There were several
witnesses of the accident and they BE-
gan an Immediate search for The body
and it was but a short time before i
was recovered.
Two Give Evidence.
The remains were taken to the
Wheelan undertaking parlors, where
Coroner ]. F. Rose conducted an in
quest The first witness to testify WAS
John Miller. the man who recovered
the body He said that he was on the
Hattie Darling when he noticed the
men dragging for body and he went
at once to their assistance. Just as he
arrived there he saw the body on top
of the water. He rowed to ii and re-
covered it before the current could
carry it away.
The other witness was George w
Coltman, a step-brother of the boy who
was drowned. His evidence was what
he had heard from men who had seen
the accident The jury returned yer
dict of death by accidental drowning.
Born i'm City.
The unfortunate lad was born /
Rock Island Jan. IL, 1890. lie went t;
the public schools for short time, bu
owing to his physical conditieIl he wa
unable to complete his education. He
was employed at the Blake Specially
company for short time. He is sur
vived by his father, Edwin Cobb, two
sisters, Beatrice at home, and Mrs. NJ
Modde of Moline, three brothers, Mar
shall Grant and Row and two SteD
brothers, George Coltman and Harr,
Millman.
The funeral was held from the home
at o'clock this afternoon. Rev. r. 3
Williams, pastor of the First Meth
odist church, conducted the services
Burial took place at Chippiannocf
cemetery.