The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-06-11
ARCHIE ALLSBRQOk
DROWNED SUNDAY
While Bathing in Roanoke River
at Hills Ferry.
BODY WAS RECOVERED MONDAY,

.
While in swimming at Hills Fer
ry Sunday afternoon with a crowd
Of Boy Scout companions, Archie
Allsbrook, the eldest son of Mr..
and Mrs. Johnson Allsbrook, sudden
~ stepped from the shallow water
covering the sand bar near the fer
ry into the main current Of the
Roanoke, and after a few moments
Of frantic struggling with the swift
surging stream, went down never
to come up again alive.
It seems that young Allsbrook
with Jimmie Hopkins Of this place
were some distance from the rest of
the young bathers and were making
their way to the other part of the
crowd, who were frollicing in the
water with a canoe, when the I'M
fortunate boy (Who could not SWIM
suddenly stepped from the sand bar
into the deep water With his first
cry for help his swimming mates
hurried to him as he was swiftly
borne down stream. Lewis Kitchin
and Jimmie Lawrence were the first
to reach him. Putting their arms
about. him, they were able to hold
his head above the water only few
minutes when they became exhaust
ed and were compelled to save their
own lives to let him go. AS these
two boys turned the drowning lad
aloose to save themselves from
watery grave, David Bryant who
was one of the party of swimmers,
started to the rescue Of Archie; and,
would have in all probability saved
him but for the fact that after util-
izing all his effort and strength in
quickly reaching him was complete
ly exhausted when he neared the
drowning boy. With weak, futile
effort Bryant took hold of young
Allsbrook and> tried to tow him
.shoreward: but instead of succeed
ing in doing this the would-be res
cuer found his life imperiled as the
fastly stragling boy clung to him
with a death-like grip and pulled
him under several times. After a
few minutes struggling with Archie
David finally released himself from
the clutches Of the drowning boy to
find that his strength was also gone.
Then it was the rest of the bathers
who had to go into mid-stream and
aid Bryant in getting from the mad
dened current.
Archie, over the protests of his
father, met with bunch Of young
fellows Sunday afternoon who were
bound for the river for a cool dip,
and renched Hills Ferry, which is a
mile from Palmyra, about two
o'clock, and after the boys were
stripped Of their clothing plunged
in the river where they cavorted
around for few minutes. Young
Allsbrook, who had not yet learned
how to swim got in canoe with
Jimmie Hopkins and padded to the
Bertie side where they could xenjoy
splashing about in shallow Water
while the other boys, who were gooC
swimmers and learned in the ways
of the treacherous Roanoke dove
about the channel from canoes.
AS soon as the ill-fated boy wen
down his last time and was there
fore lost from sight of his compan
ions, they rushed to Palmyra an(
telephoned the people Of Scotland
Neck Of the fatal occurrence. In ;
few minutes there were fully hun
dred people from here and Hobgoot
at the river bank and in canoe
searching and sounding for the body
But it was not until about fou
o clock Monday afternoon that tn
bOdv was recovered near where i
went down.
!, Archie, who was the seventeen
year-old son Of Mr.. johnson Alls
brook, was employed III the grocer
firm Of his kinsman, Ml. j. W
Allsbrook, where he had been work
ing for several months as carrie
boy and clerk. He had lately be
come a member Of the Scotlan
Neck Boy Scouts, and was popuia
Throughout the community with tn
young and old as a steady workln
COY. He was quiet, unassumln
! and polite. He was favor,
among the customers of the fri
: for which he worked on account {
:. his promptness.
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