The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-04-01
|D|ED OF THE CHILL
STORY OF THE DEATH OF GEURGE
BROOKS, THE HERMIT.
His Boat Was Swamped and For a
FlOundered in the Icy Water;
Rescue Craft. Is Lashed By the
High Waves; Desperate Struggle
in Swan Lake.


High Waves, q Desperate Struggle
in Swan Lake.
From fridays Daily.
The particulars Of tie death o
George Brooks at Swan lake, Which
occurred Wednesday afternoon, show
THAT he was not drowned, but that he
died OF chill and exhaustion from be
ing in the icy water of the lake 50
long, at the mercy of the waves.
IT appears tiIdt Mir. Brooks, who wa.
seventy years old and w j. Burton o
Nicollet, who had been trapping witt
Mr.. Brooks, walked to Nicollet Tues
day evening, crossing the lake on TIT
ice and dragging a small hunting boa
with them, as the ice gave indications
Iof breaking up. They remained Owe
night, and started back to Mr.. Brooks
,island home after dinner
Boat Stuck in Mud
Both men roWed along the shore
got to Philip Poehli2s farm and Mr.
Brooks got off there to get Me Klein
schmidt's steel Mullen boat, which h
he'd promised to take to the island
Mr. Burton rowed out to Beams islam,
nearby and waited for Mr. Brooks, an,
the latter after awhile rowed by il
| Mr. SKleinschmidt' boat. The wave
were running high. and when near tn,
island the boat was swamped. Th'
air chamber in one end immediately
filled with water, and that end of TN
boat sunk and stuck in the mud, %
else tile boat would have flOated Mr.
Brooks to shore IN a few moments, a.
the wind was blowing directly tOwar'
the island. e''>
Mr.. Brooks chung to the boat in waite
nearly to his neck. and Mr.. Burtoi
trOwed out and tried to rescue him
but was unable to make any headwa,
against the fierce wind and was obliget
| to row threequarters of a mile, t.
Philip Poehlin9's, where he notified
Theodore Poehlin@ and Others.
Rescue Boat Swamped.
Daniel Cross, a bricklayer Of Nortl
Mankato, who has been trapping OF
tho lake, rowedf to Mr.. Brooks assist
ancel With his limiting boat and sue
ceeded in getting Brooks in,o his boat
After rowing a short distance tQwar,
thctf shore, this boat also became
,lswamped, and Sunk, and both men were
thrown into the water, which wa.
about five feet deep over a muddy hot
tom, making il impossible to walk IT,
thc Shore nf2rty rods away Mr. Cross
| who is powerfully built man. hel'
Mr."Brooks above water for tlree-quar
tiers of. All hour. by which time Theo
dorc Poehling, having heard of the see
ond' accident, ''e.imn out in a boat. tow
ing another 9jehfhd him. Mr.. Brook
V az, gotten into one OF the boats, bu
died moment" litter, from the effect
Of his terrible EXPOSURE iii the wateI
| foi iali hour arid Il half Mr. Cross was
| taken into the other boat and Mr.
Poehling rowed ashore. Mr. Cross wa
taken into the house and cared fo
and was about again as usual ycster
day.
Coroner Holds No Inquest.
The body Of Nh Brooks was KEEP
at Nj poehlng's house, and Coronel
Merritt of st. Peter WAS sent for. an'
he arrived yesterday and decided thai
mo inquest was necessary. Mr. brooks
watch was found to have stopped a
,3:45 p. M He had only fifty cents
lin his, pockets. He was taken from
the water about 4 p. m.
| The remain swere brought to Thu
city last evening by Philip Poehlhls
and We're t;keh to he undertaken.
rooms of S. NJ Morris, from whiel
place the funeral will be held tomor
row.
While Mr.. Brooks was clin9n9 tt
Mr.. Mcttler's boat the waves woult
raise his feet from the bottom anc
use his head to duck under the water
He held to the boat will
such a death grip that it was will
great difficulty that his hands coul'
be forced off from it, The Mettlel
boat is still sticking in the mud, will
one end above water.
Advised Against the Trip.
Mr.. Burton lad advised. against try
ing to row to Brooks island, bat -.-r
Brooks said that he had rowed many
/ a time in as high wind, and pushed
on While Mr.. Cross was holding
him up the weight was so great thai
he had to continually change Brooks
from one arm to the other.
The interment will take place "a
Glenwood cemetery. The hunters VIII
,frequented Brooks. island will see tha'
he has good burial. He has no rela
tives living, SO far as is known, an'
1T is understood that he left q will
leaving the island and his other prop
erty to his friend, c. J.. Benedict
who has had hunting cottage on thu
island ever since Mr. Brooks locates
there about fourteen years ago, an'
who helped Mr.. Brooks perfect hl'
title, from the government A famil,
will be put on the island at once t.
care for things.