The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1915-08-09
Meets Death in Lake Marquette While
Endeavoring to Rescue Child
Who Had Fallep in Water.
WITH FRIENDS ON
Jumps From Running Laun.
Tot Falls Overheard and H.,
Failure Interrupts Heroic Efforts

ASV q eSAAO. VVSAOO 0Au III
Failure Interrupts Heroic Efforts :
Realizing that delay meant the
death Of his little two-year-old daugh-
ter who had fallen into the waters
of Lake Marquette, John Ziegler, IS,
for six years prominent in Bemidii
business circles, lost his life by
drowning at noon Sunday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Ziegler, with their
daughter Dorothy, just two years and
half old, and Mr.. and Mrs. Herman
Stitch, had left Bemidji, in a launch
and row boat for the shores of Lake
Marquette where they were to spend
the day picnicking. The women and
little girl occupied the row boat,
which was being towed, and the men
were riding in the launch, a craft
sixteen feet in length.
Mrs. Ziegler Calls for Help. -
The happy party had passed
through Lake Irving and up the Mis-
sissippi river to Lake Marquette. They
had travelled some distance out in
the lake and were headed for a point
on which they were to eat their
lunch, when Mr.. Ziegler's attention
was attracted by the frightened calls
of his wife. He quickly observed
that little Dorothy was missing and
glance revealed her tiny form float
ing in the water a short distance
back
Swims to His Daughter.
Mr.. Ziegler's only thought was to
save his daughter and he jumped
from the moving launch, swimming
to Dorothy. The women assert that
they heard him cry several times for
help.
Stitch had shut the power off when
he saw his employer jump, but mo-
ment later he started the engine and
turned the boat around as quickly as
possible. AS the boat neared the
baby, only the top of her head being
above the water, Stitch observed that
the father could not be seen. AS the
boat passed the spot he reached for,
Dorothy and his, finger tips just
caught in her clothing. A second
more and she would have been
the victim of a double tragedy.
Think Heart Gave Out.
1t is generally believed that Ziegler
came to his death not by drowning,
but by heart failure, his strength
giving, out after his energy had been
expended in the attempt to save his
daughter. He had not been feeling
we'll for several weeks, and had plan
ned the Sunday recreation trip in
the hope that his health would bene-
fit by the rest.
His Auto Failed.
Had Mr.. Ziegler's automobile been
in perfect running order it might not
have been necessary to relate the sad
story of his death today. The ma
chine was giving Mr.. Ziegler much
trouble yesterday and he arrived at
the conclusion that the day would
prove more enjoyable if he used his
launch.
For several moments Stitch caused
the boats to float in the vicinity in
which Mr. Ziegler was last seen, the
hope being that he would come to the
surface, but not until the graphing
hooks caught in the clothes of the
body, five hours after the tragedy,
was it next seen.
With the women practically help
less and Dorothy's condition appear
ing critical, her lungs having par
TALLY filled with water before being
rescued, Stitch directed the boat to the
shores of Frank Gagnon's farm. From
there messages of the affair were
phoned to Bemidji friends. It was
later necessary to secure doctor to
relieve the condition of the little
girl, and today she had entirely re-
covered. -
Lake is Dragged for Body.
News of the sad affair spread rap
idly and in short time large mum.
ber of people had gathered at the
lake, boats and automobiles being
used in reaching the place of the
tragedy. Every boat available was
pressed into service and with crap
ping hooks and quickly constructed
hooks the lake was thoroughly
dragged.
At 4:3O the graphing hook of p
X. Anderson caught, and wher
brought to the surface the body Of
Ziegler was found attached. A glance
at his watch showed that it had stop
ped at four minutes past twelve. Hi!
expression indicated that he had made
no struggle for life and that his deatf
had been sudden and not one o.
strangulation. He was found in wa
ter between 20 and 80 feet deep.
Body Brought to Bemidji.
The body was brought to Bemidj
and taken to the undertaking room
of Huffman & O'Leary where it wa
embalmed by II. N. Mckee.
At 3 O'Clock this afternoon ser
r IL of GQfhnI1