The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-02-22
LITTLE BOYS TRAGIC DEATH.
NEILL McCORMACK'S BODY
FOUND IN CLAY HOLE AFTER
TWO HOURS SEARCH.
Eight-Yead Old Son of c. T.. McCOr-
mack Drowned at Brick Yard We'd
nesday Afternoon Will be Buried
Friday MOrning--Services at Gene
terry.

The body of little Nein Mccormack,
| the eight-year- son of Mr.. and
| Mrs. c. e. Mccormack, who was
drowned Wednesday afternoon at the
brick yard, was found at a quarter to
| five o'clock by Mr.. j. r. Mercer, af-
ter two hours had been spent in the
| search for the body, and was brought
on to town and left at the residence
of it's parents.
There were many persons prodding
| In the water-filled clay hole at the
| time that the little body was found in
the water only few feet away from
| the edge where he had attempted to
| wash his hands and had fallen in.
/ The body was at once removed from
| the water and the face and hands
| washed off, when it was placed in Mr..
j. "A. Schwerin's car and brought to
the city. 1t was after o'clock when
| the news Of the drowning of little
boy at the brick yard spread over the
town and in a short time dozens of
| persons responded, going at once to
the scene and doing all in their pow
er to find the body. Long poles,
hooks and prods were used in feeling
| about in the water which was between
five and six feet deep, but it was
more than two hours after he had
fallen in that the body was at last
| found.
1t was about two o'clock in the day
that Mr.. Mccormack left his home to
| return to his store after dinner. At
| this time the little boy was riding his
bicycle up and down the street in
| front OF his house. Mr. Mccormack
had told Neill not to come up town,
but to stay near the house. This was
| the last time that he was to see his
| little son alive. 1t was not more than
| half an hour later that he received
! message to come out to the brick
yard, that his little boy had been
| drowned. Neil with little playmate,
| Clarence Kennedy, went to the brick
yard and it was only a few minutes
after he reached the pace that he
| lost his balance as he was STOPPING
| over the water and he fell in. The
little boy could not swim and his
| friend was unable to give the neces-
sary assistance to save him. Clarence
| then gave the alarm and workmen at
| the brick works responded, but they
did not so into the water and could
not find the body with poles which
| they used in feeling for it. A raft was
made and launched and the search
| from this was continued. Later hooks
| were sent for and two boats were
| brought from town and launched,
but still the body could not be found
1t was after the searchers had been
| at work for nearly two hours and
the body had been in the water long
er that it was found.
The news Of the drowning Of the
little boy caused considerable excite
ment in town and there were many
TO go out to the scene in automobiles
| buggies and on bicycles. Several la
| dies were present, among whom was
! the mother Of the little boy. The
| tragic death Of little Neill Mccormack
was q great shock to the many
friends of the family, whose sympa-
| thy went out to the sadly bereaved
parents in this terrible calamity
which had beeu visited upon them.
! The brick yard has long been a
! popular, although extremely danger
Gus, resort for small boys from town.
1t has been Stunned somewhat since
the three little boys were drowned
there five years ago, but it is still fire.
quented by numbers Of them, although
! the owners Of the brick works have
! frequently warned the boys and tried
TO keep them away from the place.
! There are quite a number of these
! holes from which the clay has been
! dug and in which the water has been
| turned. In most Of them the water is
/ from four TO six feet deep and as the
banks are extremely slippery, it would
/ be hard for anyone falling in to get
out without assistance, even if he
knew how to swim.