The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-05
Madison Harper, Aged Seven,
browns on Way From School.
Ice on Central Park Lagoon
Gives Way.
HE COULD NOT SWIM
His Little Companions Gave the
Alarm.
Fireman Drags Body From Lake
With Rake.

Madison Harper. the 7-year-o old
son of Mr.. and Mrs. J. w Harper of
1917 Western avenue, was drowned
when he broke through the ice in the
lake at the south end of Central park
about noon today. Art Dangerfield,
1aborer, made an Intellectual attempt
TO rescue him. The boys father is
employed in the freight auditors de-
partment at the Santa Fe offices. The
parents came here from Kansas City
in August. 1911.
The lad was under water for forty
minutes. until recovered by Dan
Waidelich, captain at fire station
No. ..
Little Madison was a pupil in the
third grade of the Central park
school He was on his way home after
school with John Davis. jr-. of SIG
Euclid avenue, William and Eugene
humphreys. The boys were passing
through the park. They started to
slide on the edge of the ice in the
lake at the south end. Young Harper.
holder than the others. left them and
was about twenty feet from the bank
The Davis boy warned him of danger,
but his playmate called back:
'Aw, go on"
A moment later he broke through
the ice. At this point the water is
about ten feet deep. Into this depth
the child sank, struggling He could
not swim.
Then the Davis boy and others ran
for help. The Davis boy ran to Ar
thur Dangerfield, employed IN gas
pipe ditch just southeast or the park,
and told him OF the accident. Danger
field ran to the lake and jumped in.
He was attired in heavy clothing ana
wore big top boots. Half way to the
spot where the boy sank, he gave up
He stated he could get no further.
In the meantime fire station No. D
was notified. The firemen came over.
They took a boat from the north lake
In the park, carried 1t over to the
other lake.
Body Is Recovered.
With a long rake Waidelich and 9TH
ers dragged until the teeth caught in
the clothing of the boy under water.
He was raised to the surface. The
dripping body was carried to the
basement of the home of L. c. Ried,
lust south of the park. Here DR.. L. NJ.
Powell, who had been summoned,
made every effort possible to save his
life. For over an hour every means
of resuscitauon was applied Ihen
the doctor pronounced the boy dead
Wrapped in bed clothes the little
body was carried in an autonobil to
the home. The mother, grief stricken,
supported by friends, followed on foot.
The parents were not at home this
noon, being out to dinner. AS soon as
they learned of the accident they came
running to the house where their child
was lying. The boy was their only son.
He was q remarkably bright child, and
was the pet of the neighborhood. He
was daring and his daring was his
death
The tragedy was within half a block
where several negroes were working in
g sewer ditch, but a white man, Dan
gerfield, was the only one to try to
rescue the boy. He Waded until the
water came up to his shoulders. It is
said that he was taken with cramI
and could scarcely regain the shore.
Companion Tells of Tragedy.
We were corning home from school, q
said Davis. When passing through
the park we thought it would be fun
to skate on the ice at the edge of the
lake But Madison is a little dare
devil and kept on going. I yelled al
him and the others to come back, but
he only answered. AN go on and kept
on going Then he broke through the
tried to swim. We all ran for help
ran as fast as I could to where some
men We're working and told them that
a boy was drowning in the lake. One
of them came back with me and got
into the lake. Then 1 ran home and
told my folks and came back again.
Fell in Once Before.
Last spring Madison was nearly
drowned in the same place He was in
a boat and fell out. Some one got him
that time. That didn't scare him a bit
although every one told him TO be more
careful