The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-07-13
Carnival Men Lost Their Lives in the
River, One While Attempt
Ing to Rescue the
Other.
BODIES ARE RECOVERED
Boy Drowning and Friend Went to
Help Hin But Sank While
Trying to Extend
Aid.


Two men were drowned in the river
at Hannibal yesterday. the Courier
Post telling of the tragedy as follows:
William l.. Crosby, AZ years old, OF
Jacksonville, H., "speiler' employ
ed by the WorthalnAllen Carnival Co.,
sacrificed his life at 1880 o'clock
this morning in an effort to rescue
Morris Blackburn. aged 10, who
drowned when a log on which he was
floating in the Mississippi oyerturn-
ed. Blackburn lis also member of
the carnival company, having been
employed by the Human Butterfly
show as an electrician.
Blackburn could not swim, but
Crosby is said to have been an expert
having been in the navy for a num-
Der of years They and few other
men connected with the carnival
were bathing, end according to doc
tors and eye witnesses, Crosby died as
the result of heart failure
William T. Cavanaugh, close
friend of Crosby, who was standing
on the bank, was an eyewitness to the
TWO drownings. He was standing near
Crosby when they saw the log carry
ing Blackburn overturn. The young
man shouted Help" and Crosby
plunged into the water in an attempt
to rescue him. When about twenty
feet out, Crosby was seen to sink. He
rose to the surface but went down
1af "a 10 nf
him until his body was recovered
shortly afterwards.
Crosby's body was found by George
and William Plat short distance
from the place he drowned. The body
of Blackburn was also found within a
few feet of where he went down, but
not until after Crosby's body had
been fshed out. The bodies were car
ried into a tent and Coroner Thomas
O'DonnelI was Immediately notified
He hurried to the scene and the bod
les were removed to his undertaking
establishment on Broadway.
Crosby was employed by Ed MI
gent, proprietor of the Little Doll
Lady, show. He joined them here
Sunday afternoon and was acting as
.speiler.e He was member of the
order of Eagles. holding a card with
the aerie at Jacksonville. where he re
sided. Hesh daughter, Miss Cutie
who is employed as head bookkeeper
for the Clark Bros, distillers at Pc
oria, Ill.
Few of the people connected with
the Carnival company knew Black
burn by name. a Though he was one
Of the best liked boys with the show
1t is understood thathe was an orphan
and that the principal reason for hi:
not giving his name was because o
the fact that he had run away from
the Jewish orphan home at Cleveland
0. few weeks ago. He Joined The
Wortham-Allen company at Danvill'
Ill, and worked in the Human But
terfly Show as an electrician.
kilograms were sent this Afternoon
to the head of the Aerie of Eagles a
Jacksonville and to Miss Cutie Cros
by at Peoria, Ill.,, a daughter, notify
ing them of the death of Crosby
OilnildT5 I6l6SFdiliS aWSic SSHt W III
Jewish Orphans home at Cleveland
telling them of tie death of youni
Blackburn. William Rice, of the Rice
Silk Dry Goods Co., at st. Louis
who is president of the Clevelan'
home was telegraphed to.
Meanwhile the bodies will he pre-
pared for burial and kept at the III,
dertakiDg establishment of Corone
O'Donnell
1t developed that there were nun
Der OF eye witnesses to the drownin
and numerous theories are giver
Some claim that Crosby did nc
plunge into the water until Blacl
burne had drowned and that he wen
in only in search of the body. 1t
the concensus of opinion, however
that Crosby did not drown because {
his inability to swim, but because {
heart failure. This was the theory az
vanced by the doctors who were cal
ed. Crosby. 1t is said, had been drinl
ing heavily of late.