Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-22
ONLY CHILDREN OF MR.. AND
MRS. FRANK JOHNSON DROWN
IN DEEP HOLE.
VICTIMS BOTH BOYS,
AGED 8 AND z YEARS
60 in Creek to Wade, and Are swal-
lowed in Fifteen Feet of Water -
Youngsters on Bank See Lads Dis
appear, "But They Didn't Dive llp
Aeain"-Bodies Are Recovered.

"If you won't tell my mamma we will
go in and wade a little" was the re-
mark of 7-year- old Leonard Johnson
to his playmates as he began stripping
preparatory to wading into the murky
waters of Linn creek, back of the Mar
shall Oil Company's plant, at 5:45 Mon
day evening A few minutes later
Leonard and his older brother, Carl,
aged s, were dead at the bottom of fif-
teen feet of water.
The two sons of Mr.. and Mrs. Frank
A. Johnson, 1O9 May street, with three
other little fellows of the neighbour
hood, went down to the creek and were
lying on the bank. Little Leonard
wanted 7-year- old Henry Folk, son of
Hugh Folk, 105 May street. to go in
the creek to wade.
Afraid Mamma Would Whip Him.
The Folk boy, however, was afraid of
his mothers switch, and replied, mo,
my mamma will whip me if l go in the
water" Leonard, more daring, then
made the remark about going in if the
other boys would not tell his mamma.
Woman Warns the Lads.
Mrs Mary Heffner 116 May street,
who was hoeing her garden, overheard
the conversation, and went to the
creek bank. The two johnson boys had
then stripped and We're entering the
water Mrs. Heffner told the boys they
had better be careful, for she thought
the water was deep. She told them they
had better come out, but the older boy
replied Were not afraid
Awful Stiffness StartIes Her.
Mrs. Heffner heard the boys as they
played and splashed about the water
for few minutes, then became startled
at an awful stiffness. She FASTENED to
the creek bank, and the expression in
the big blue eyes of little Henry Folk
told the whole story. The lad could
not speak, and presented a picture with
his long light curls hanging to mis-
shoulders, and his eyes cleaning as
tho horror stricken at what had just
passed before them. A little Barker
boy. years old, and a mere babe of
We're also dumb with terror, Mrs.
Heffner scanned the creek, saw nothing
of the Johnson boys, and screamed for
help.
"They Didn't Dive UP Again"
Henry Folk told the story as an eye
witness of the tragedy. He said that
the boys We're diving, which is ex-
planned that they merely squatted dow.l
in the water and splashed it about
them. Carl dived," said the little Folk
boy. and Leonard was about eight feet
behind him. Pretty soon Leonard
dived, but they didn't dive up again.
Not an cutlery of any kind came from
either of the lads, showing the sudden
ness Of the enc . both The older boy,
in the lead, stepped off into the deep
hole. ana the other boy, supposng that
his brother had dived," kept on wading,
not knowing of the danger. Neither cs
the lads came to the surface after dis
appearing in the water.
Men Dive For Bodies.
The police We're notified shortly after
Mrs Heffner learned of the drowning
and the officers sent in an emergency
call for Coroner Jay. in the hope that
the lads had not been in the water too
Long for resuscitation. Frank Solomon
got the body of the oldest boy Carl,
after it had been in the water about
twenty minutes. The body of little
Leonard was recovered by Roy Weaver.
Both men dived fully fifteen feet, and
the bodies We're in the same hole, lying
on sandy bottom. DIR. Jay worked
over the bodies for some time, trying
to bring back some signs of life, but
too much water had been taken into
the lungs.
Parents Frantic Over Loss.
Mr.. and Mrs. Johnson We're frantic
over their loss, and their condition was
pitiabe. They had lost their all-their
two boys-and there seemed not much
left in life for them. This morning both
the father and mother had become more
resigned, and Mrs. Johnsons condition
was much more favorable than on
Monday evening, following the tragedy.
Mr.. Johnson is a driver for the Marshall
Ice Company, and for some time was in
the employ Of the Gregory Coal, Coke
and Lime Company. He is a son Of
James Johnson, of Gilman.
The funeral will be held from the
First United Evangelical church We'd
nesday morning at 10 o'clock, conducted
by Rev. William M. Force. 1nterment
will be in the Timber Creek cemetery.