Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-01
WILLIAM TOTEM.
SEIZED BY CRAMP
BROWNS IN RIVER
Calls 20 Companion to Bring Boat as
He Sinks Near House of Island
City Boat Club.
PROMINENT As BUSINESS MAN
introduced the Piano Player and Was
First to Start Taxi Line i'm
Rock Island.

Death put a tragic end to a pleasure
marty last night. when William Chris
tan Toiten. head of the TOtten Auto
company. was drowned in the Missis-
yippi river. He was seized with cramps
while swimming a short distance north
OF summer home OF the Island City
Boat club. five miles below here His
death came on the day following his
18th wedding anniversary.
MI Tutten had anchored his boat,
the Corona, on "A sand bar near the club
house T.. j. Mueller. manager OF the
New Harper. and Arthur Garwood, an
empIoye NJ The Totten garage, had &c
compan.ed him ON the trip They left
Rock Island about $50 in the after
noon and stopped at The island about
$50 o'clock
Mr. TOt,cn douned his swimming suit
and had been swimming for quite
awhile before he was seized with
cramps. Suddenly he shouted:
Art I'm sinking. Bring the boat"
GarwOod. who was addressed. was
in a rCwhoat about 100 Yards below Mr.
Totten. He had been padding around
in the river with the Skiff. He FASTENED
as fast as he could 10 the rescue Mr.
Totten arose once but never came up
a second time. GaTwoOd kept the boat
near the spot where he had gone down
and had an oar ready to extend to him
should he come up the second time.
Il appears that MI. TOtten had start
ed from the sandbar to swim TO the is
land. The distance is not great.
Start Search.
Alarm was Immediately sent out
Relatives in Rock Island were notified
III a short time Within an hour there
IL,
dragging for the body. Mr.. Totten
numbered his friends by the hundreds.
Everyone Of them who possessed a boat
was at the scene assisting in the
search.
The hunt for the body was continued
all night Dragnets and graphing
irons were used and the river for hun
dreds Of feet around the spot where
the body had gone down was dragged.
This morning all efforts having failed,
the river was dynamited in the hopes
of giving up the remains.
The Corona is q 45-foot launch 1t
was recently purchased by Mr.. TOtten
and was considered one of the finest in
point Of equipment on this section of
the river. Mr. TOtten used it as pas
senger boat and it was for hire by
parties for trips either up or down
stream.
The party which he had yesterday
when the accident happened was a pri-
waite one. He had gone out of his own
accord, inviting Mr.. Mueller and MIR.
GarwOOd to accompany him.
Mr.. TOtten was a lover of the sport
which claimed him as a victim. He
was always considered a good swim
mer.
Native of Rock Island.
In the drowning Of Mr.. TOtten there
passed from Rock Island a native of
this city, who for years has figured as
a leading business man.
He was born Oct. Is, 1874, the son Of
Mr. and Mrs William A. p. Totten.
He attended the public schools here
and in 1892 graduated from the Rock
Island high school Completing this
course and having shown an inClina-
ton for music, his parents sent him to
the New England Conservatory of
Music in Boston. He graduated from
this school in piano and pipe organ,
four years later
On returning to Rock Island he
opened a music store in the Robinson
building, which he conducted until he
entered the auto business. He was an
artist al tile piano and pipe organ. He
had appeared al various times at many
churches in this city in pipe organ
reCitals.
Seven years ago he founded the Tot
ten Auto company of which he was
sole owner. The business was a sue
cess from the start. Shortly after
opening the garage he entered the taxi
business and he had q line of cabs in
service dav and night. He had the big
geSt taxi line in Rock Island
July 30, 1900 Mr.. Totten and Miss
Marie Lynch Of Rock Island were mar
ried. Sunday was the 10th wedding an
niyersary. Besides the widow he
leaves d son. William Phillip Totten.
aged years; his father, William A. p
Totten. and two brothers. Tom and
Leonard Totten. who were associated
in business with him.
News of the drowning OF Mr.. Totten