New-York tribune., 1910-08-13
HE GAVE LIFE FOR FRIEND.
Little Fresh Air Hero Stood the
Supreme Test of Worth.
HENRY SWAN TO ANGELO
Both Sank in a Deep Hole OF
Lake-Grief in Two Homes
Inexpressibly Deep.

Inexpress1bly Deep.
An Italian boy A few days ago proved
that Fresh Air children are worthy not
only of a brief summer holiday but of the
best that a generous American public can
do for them. He gave his life for his
friend and a great prophet two thousand
years ago declared that to be the supreme
test of worth.
The people of Warwick, n. Y, have for
several years been providing for the enter
tainment of parties of fifteen boys obtained
through The Tribune fund. Each summer
they ask to have only Italian boys sent to
them, but stipulate that an Itahan care
taker who can speak both Engl1sh ana
Italian, shall spend the summer with the
children. The people by their ASSOCIATION
with these boys have come greatly to re-
spect people of whom before they had
but vague notions.
The Rev. Ia Der. Knox is the head OF the
Fresh Air work In Warwick. and usually, IN
conjunction with the caretaker. takes per-
sonal charge of the boys. In his absence
from the town recently he turned over MS
share of the work to the Rev. William NJ
Picksley, brother clergyman of WARWICK
who was to look after the boys during the
'iiiic tHdt MT knOx was away
Last Tuesday the boys went to nearby
lake to spend the day. Eight OF the boys
crossed the lake to the picnic grounds with
Mr P1cksley and the rest were to follow
with the caretaker Boy like the first
party rushed pellmell to prepare for swim
as soon as they got ashore. Unwilling to
trust the youngsters alone in the water
their supervisor started in more leisurely
m TO I,,&- IT. tI,tyx O.
fore he was ready for the water he no
ticed that one of the boys, Angelo Fac
ciola, aged twelve years was caper1ng
about little too friskily. He asked Henry
Crapullo, another twelve-year-old boy, to
go In and tell Angelo to be more careful.
Having seen Henry enter the water he
turned again to his undressing for a min
ute or two before he looked once more
toward the boys in the water.
When he did look again he saw that the
two boys were struggling in the water as
though in trouble. and Immediately started
to their assistance. But before he could
reach them they had disa appeared. The
man dived for them repeatedly and after
fifteen minutes succeeded in getting one
of the bodies. The other was recovered
later. Henry had done what he was hidden
to do but was not strong enough to get
his companion out. The place where the
drowning occurred was the one where
former parties had been accustomed to
bathe and where Sunday school picnics
are held, and thought to be safe It
was discovered after the accident, how
ever. that hole, of which apparently no
one knew, existed where the bows were
drowned
The bodies were prepared for burial by
local undertaken and brought to the city
tc be buried by two women. members of
the Fresh Air Committee. The funerals of
the little hero and his friend were held
yesterday.
The scene at the home of Angelo Fac
cola. in Mulberry street. near Hester
was pitiful almost beyond imagination
The casket of the little unfortunate stood
in one of the two tiny rooms that form
the home of the family in a gloomy rear
house. In the same room, on bed near
the only window, lay the mother who had
been utterly prostrated by the blow The
only other mourners were a brother about
fourteen who bore in his arms a little
three -months-old sister. and a few neigh
bors The husband and father of the
family is mentally infirm and is confined
in asylum. The only other room of the
nome WIllcn was almost enJlrelN nlIed Dy
a bed. looked out through a two-foot
square window at a blank brick wall six
inches away.
The family has been supported by the
mother, who up to the time of her illness
earned pittance at finishing clothing She
was looking forward to the day when
Angelo could get his Board of Health
papers and help in the task of keep
ing the little family together. That there
exists in the little circle a deep love that
cries out against the breaking up of the
family the present condition of the mother
is sufficient proof.
On the top floor of a five story tenement
house at Mott and Delaney streets the
service for Henry was held. Here also
the grief, while restrained, was inexpres-
sibly deep. A company of his boy friends
from the Broome Street Tabernacle sang
a favorte hymn. The service. which was
in Italian. was conducted by the assistant
pastor Of the Tabernacle. After the SER
vice the Rev Dr. John Bancroft Devins
the manager of the Fresh AIR Fund, added
a few words of comfort to the parents
and friends who could speak English.