The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-03-04
SAD DEATH
BY DROWNING
ERNEST GARY LOSES LIFE
IN POND AT T-LEXINGTON
VA, SUNDAY AFTER
NOON
SON OF Chief JUSTICE EUGENE B. GARY
Buried at Long Cane Cemetery
Tuesday Afternoon, Hosts of
Friends Pay Their Last
Tribute to His
Remains


day in the month being communion Sun
day at the Episcopal church, he had taken
communion and then after dinner, had
read his Bible for about half an hour. leav'
ing it open at the place where he had stop.
ped reading. He then went out for walk
into the country with Cadet Smith OF the
V. NJ. T., who sang along with him in the
Episcopal church choir. They walked al
most in direct northerly direction out on
the old James ). White place, on which is
pond named the Reid Pond, after Mrs
James J. Whites father. This pond Is
down in deep hollow, high hills sur
rounding it on every side. The pond is
pear shaped, about $50 long and about 200
feet wide in the widest place. 1t is known
around Lexington as a 'bottomless pond,
because in the lower end no one has ever
been able to find bottom with a pole OF
twenty foot length On the day before,
which was, Saturday, they had been cut
ting ice which was about two and half or
three inches thick. During Saturday night
the space from Which the ice was taken
froze over again with ice about half an
inch to an inch thick. When Gary and
Smith came to the. pond. about p. m.
Smith continued his walk around the edge,
while Gary walked out on the ice. The ice
held all right near the bank so he continu-
ed his walk further towards the middle
Hodat Sp,;tb yuoc NOT 1ooLipo In Carve di-
rection when he heard him call, and turn
ing, saw him breaking through the thin
ice, WHARF the cutting had been done, near
the middle Of the pond. He at once got a
plank from a nearby fence, and going out
on the ice handed the end Of it to Gary,
which he grasped and Smith began to pull
him towards the banks, the ice breaking
away in front Of him as he came. Then
suddenly the ice gave way under Smith,
and he was precipitated into the water.
Not having on any overcoat, as Gary had,
and Gary's was very heavy one, he man.
aged to get back and out on top Of the ice.
He then made a second attempt to reach
him, by lying down with his whole body
on the ice, and succeeded In reaching
Gary's hand. Again he began to pull him
in, and again, largely due to the weight
Of the saturated overcoat, the ice gave
way, and Gary grabbed Smith around the
shoulders. Smith told him to let loose and
he would get hold Of him again on. the
firm ice. Gary had presence of mind
enough to do so, and Smith, almost ex-
hausted, succeeding in getting on the ice
again, and turning round again to reach
Gary, found he had sunk out Of sight. He
did not come up again. Cadet Smith again
tried to reach him with the pole under the
water, but he could not find him. He
waited till he saw that it was impossible
FOR him to come to the surface alive, and
then ran to the nearest farm house which
was about quarter of mile away. There
was only young boy there at the time.
This boy Immediately went down to the
pond a d Smith went in to Mrs. Preston's g
where Gary boarded, giving the alarm as
he went.
1t was not very long till every one in
town knew Of the accident and large
crowd was on the way to the pond which
is about mile away.
DR.. Henry Louis Smith, President OF
Washington and Lee, was among the first
to get there. The place where they had
broken through was already frozen over
again. so cold was the day. However, II
was marked enough to see where he prob
ably went down, and they first fished fol
the body with a ten-foot pole and could
not find it. Then President Smith him
self, got longer pole and went out on the
thin ice, and succeeded in his first attempt
in hooking the pants Of Gary, and thus
brought the body to the surface about IL
p. m. 1t had remained in the water prob
ably an hour and half.
The remains were at once taken to the
| residence Of Mrs. Preston, and after being
carefully prepared were placed in the bee
room of Mrs. William Dickinson and ten
derly watched by her they were started
homeward under the escort Of two frater
nifty men, Mr.. Geo. D. Shore, of Sumter
S. c., and Mr.. F. F. Malloy, of Asheville
N. c. Mr.. Malloy, a freshman, had beer
taken into the fraternity recently, tht
same night that Ernest Gary was initiated
Mr.. Shore is finishing his third year at tn,
University. Funeral services were held a
Mrs. Preston's, conducted by the rector 0
the Episcopal Church, Mr.. Randolph, as
sisted by DR.. Graham, Mrs. Preston's pas
tor, of the Presbyterian Church. The re
mains left Lexington at SIS a. m. Monday
arriving in Greenville at 1:3O a. m. Tues
day morning and at Abbeville at II As am
The following from DR.. Henry Loui
Smith, President of Washington and Le
University, is Indicative of the esteem il
which Ernest Gary Was held there:
Your son was universally beloved an,
admired. He took coP1nunion yesterda,
morning, read his Bible half hour afte
dinner, and leaving it open on his table
went to walk, to be called q little later
unexpectedly but prepared, to his eterna
reward. Such a pure and ennobling life
aprecious heritage. The whole Universit,
lhonors his memory and mourns his loss.