The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1910-06-22
TAKES
FOUR OTHERS
T. o. Thoen browns, HI. Neu-
enbers Falls Dead, Geo.
Patterson Taken.

Death was unusually busy last
week in Redwood Falls and vicinity,
the sad score being three cases in
which the mortal stroke came sud-
denly and without warning, and the
fourth, that of Mr.. Patterson. Who'll
ly Unexpectedly.
The saddest of all. following the
funeral of j. M. Huntington. last
Wednesday evening, was the acci-
dental drowning of T. D. Thoen, one
Of the statesmen in the Philbrick
stores.
The story as told by witnesses, is
substantially that Mr.. Thoen had
expressed wish to take a dip in the
lake with Jack Philbrick, who has
been in the habit of rowing up the
lake from the boat house to avoid
the mud and broken glass found
near the boat house shore. In COM
pany with Lester Miller, another
salesman at Philbrick's, Jack and
Mr.. Thoen went to the boathouse
about eight o'clock, and after DOM
ing bathing suits, Jack roWed the
boat to point opposite Mr.. Nc
Kennels and nearly midway of the
lake. Miller went along to pass the
time and did not go into the water,
but volunteered to stay in the boat
and follow down the lake after the
bathers. Young Philbrick plunged
into the lake and swan some dis
dance before he was halted by a cry
from Miller that something was the
matter with Thoen. Miller says that
Thoen let himself down from the
boat, after wetting himself as pre-
caution against shock, and the first
symptom of trouble was when
Thoen, at some distance from the
boat. called out Come here Miller"
Unfortunately, Miller had never
rowed a boat and could not get the
boat promptly to Thoen, who showed
signs of distress and soon sank in
deep water, re-appearing two or
three times, but too far away for
Jack to swim to his relief in time.
The latter reached the boat and soon
rowed it to the spot where Thoen
went down, but too late to save him.
There were several persons on the
shore who had noticed the actions
of Miller and young Philbrick. and
an alarm was phoned to the city
which brought crowd to the shores
by autos, teams and on foot. 1t was
at least quarter of an hour before
graphing hooks could be procured
and search for the body at the bot
tom Of the lake made. It was per-
haps fifteen or twenty minutes later
that the body was hauled to the sur
face, manifestly lifeless. A doctor
had appeared and the usual means
were used for the resuscitation of
the drowned body, but without
much hope of success, and ultimate
~ the fact was established that the
spark of life had flown, and the sad
dened rescuers brought their bur-
den to the undertaking rooms on
Mill street.
Mr.. Thoen had a brother at Tay-
Tors Falls and a sister at Minneapol-
is, and after considerable phoning.
Mr.. Philbrick got word to them, but
it was not until the afternoon of the
next day that the brother reached
here. Miller was a 32d degree Me-
son and members of that fraternity
took charge of the necessary details.
It was thought expedient to have
the coroner examine into the cir
cumstances so as to place the cause
OF death beyond question, as the
young man carried two life insur-
ance policies of three and two thous-
and dollars respectively. Coroner
Aldrich certified to accidental drown
ing, in accordance with the facts.
Friday morning, the Masons formed
an escort for the removal Of the
body to the M. & St. r. depot,
where the casket was taken on the