The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-12-03
JOHN ". MOORE'S
WIFE Saw HIM
DROWN IN RIVER
Watched Him Battle in Waves
For Life Not Knowing He
Was Husband.
FISHERMAN UPSET AS
HE EXAMINED NETS
Body Believed to be at Bottom
of River Fastened in
Fishing Tackle.

Search for the body of John w.
Moore, Cape fisherman, who plunged
to the bottom of the river Thursday
afternoon with his motor-skiff in full
sight of his wife who was approaching
in another craft, late last night had
been unavailing.
1t is believed the body is entangled
with nets that were carried down with
the boat and that both are lying with
in short distance of where they dis
appeared below the surface.
Moore's drowning was spectacular,
because it came at the end of short
struggle his boat made with waves
running from to 10 feet high in the
middle of the river His craft mount
ed to the top of one of the high roll
ers and before it could break over the
top of the wave and regain its equil-
ibrium, the little boat shot under the
surface of the water, end over end,
and going down like a plummet.
The drowning occurred about three
and a half miles below the Cape
Moore was not recognized at once by
those in the motor boat approaching
him as he lost his life, and it was after
some of the wreckage from the craft
had been recovered, that it was known
definitely that Moore had been in the
boat that sank.
Mrs. Moore, for some time, has been
living on North Main street in the
Cape, where she has been working at
the shoe factory. Wednesday she went
to Thebes, ILL.,, to look after lodging
as she and her husband planned to
move to Thebes.
More, who was known in the Cape
as "Pelleg" Moore, made his head
quarters at Gray's Point, down the
river. They were to live together at
Thebes
Thursday, Mrs. Moore was to return
to the Cape, and Moore planned to
move his nets further down the river
toward his proposed new home 1t is
believed he was engaged in this work
twhen he was drowned.
Mrs. Moore was q passenger in the
motor boat of c. F. Crews, on the way
to the Cape from Thebes Thursday
afternoon. The Crews boat stopped at
Gray's Point for Mr.. and Mrs. Harry
Harry of Bloomfield.
Mr.. Crews son, Ogle, was at the
wheel as the motor boat approached
Moore's craft. Crews said he had
dosed off to sleep inside the cabin. He
was awakened by cries of his son and
the passengers saying that the boat
had gone under
They said the boat had just darted
out from the bank and had buffeted
the waves but a few moments when it
was virtually stood on end in the river
and slid out Of sight
Crews steered his craft to the scene
of the accident and began picking up
debris from the boat that floated on
the surface He never saw Moore, he
said.
Crews twice encircled the place where
Moore disappeared and waited nearly
for a half hour but to no avail. He
subsequently told fishermen the exact
spot for them to drag, but yesterday
their work was unavailing.
When Mrs. Moore and the Hartys
watched the little boat slide out of
sight, Mrs. Moore said: That's John.
l know it is because he said he would
be out on the river today"
The others in the boat treasured
her. When Crews began picking up
wreckage that belonged to Moore's
boat, his identity was completely es-
tahliShed
The boat that Moore worked with |
was completely water-soaked, Crews |
said last night, and for that reason,
when it became submerged, it went to !
the bottom like lead.
Moore was about 35 years old. He |
had worked on the river virtually all |
his life. He is survived also by A.
year old daughter.
HORSEWHIPPING CASE is SET