The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-07-16
Believed That He Fell Off
The Railroad Bridge
The Deceased Was A MuSi'
clan Of Much Skill


will never be known, Paul Fry, son of
Pennsylvania Agent and Mrs. D. L.
Fry, Of this village, lost his life by
drowning Sunday night, the waters
of the kokosing near the Pennsylvan.
la railroad bridge finally yielding up
his body yesterday afternoon at 3:45
o'clock, after process of dragging
the river with graphing hooks had
gone on for nearly four hours. Cor
oner J. M. Humphrey of Mt. Vernon
viewed the remains, Investigated the
circumstances of the case and pro-
nounced death due to accidental
drowning.
Paul, who was a graduate of Gam
bier high school and a pianist of un-
usual genius, was accustomed to TAX
ing long walks each day. 1t was not
unusual for him to walk to Mt. Yer
non in the evening and spend the
night there, so when he left home
Sunday evening, stating that he was
going out for walk, no particular
worry was experienced when he did
rot return at the usual retiring hour
of the family. His father, however,
thought he had seen his son in the
railroad tower at about II o'clock
Sunday night and walked over there.
Paul had not been there during the
evening and Mr.. Fry returned home,
rot particularly alarmed.
1t was only when Monday came
with no word from their son, that
the parents of the boy became wor-
ried. Mt. Vernon was called up and
people with whom he usually stopped
were questioned, but the boy had not
spent the night there.
Inquiry revealed that Messrs. Sher-
man Woolison and Fred Hunter had
seen Paul at about 1880 o'clock Sun
day evening on the railroad bridge
and that he was evidently returning
home. These were the last people to
see him alive.
The supposition is that the boy
stumbled while walking on the bridge
and fell off into the water and was
drowned in that manner. He was not
a good swimmer. 1t is also thought
that the whistle of an approaching
freight train might have frightened
him and, in his haste, to get off the
bridge, he might have made the fatal
misstep.
Early Monday morning, q searching
party of 25 men of Gambler was or
ganized and an exhaustive hunt was
made all morning for some clew OF
the missing boy. The railroad track
was traversed for several miles each
direction from Gambler, together with
abutting land. Not the slightest clew
could be found and at noon the partJ
returned to Gambler.
Shortly after the noon hour the
party, increased in numbers, returned
to it's labors. This time the river was
dragged by means of graphing hooks
The work had continued for Ovel
three hours when, at a point abou
100 feet below the railroad bridge, thu
body was brought to the surface from
about 10 feet Of water. Mr.. Pete
Hardin made the discovery and liftet
the body from its watery grave.
The remains were taken to tn
home of Mr.. and Mrs. Fry and ther
prepared for interment by Undertake
s. r. Martin. The deceased was II
mis- twenty-second year and is SUI
vived by his parents and two sisters
Daisy and Marjorie. The funera
Wednesday morning at the Gamble
Methodist church, Rev. Virgil I
Turner officiating.
The deceased was musician c
exceptional calibre and his playing {
:he piano was marvelled at by mi