The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-07-20

supposed to have been the body of |
the younger brother.
1t seems that the younger boys OF |
Troop Three had been warned against !
going into the water without older !
boys in their company, but childish |
delight of wading led them in deeper
and deeper water. until the treacher-
Gus bed of Skunk dropped off in a
deep hole, and the leader went down.
When the drowning occurred the lead
ers we're pitching camp and building
the camp fire in preparation for sup.
per. After supper, in charge of COM
petent men and boys, they were to
swim.
Hundreds of cars carrying many
people were gathered about the scene
of the accident, nearly every one
about the city having an auto and
hearing of the drowning. driving to the
river They lined the road on either
side of the river, for considerable dis
lance, and were parked in field near
the Boy Scouts camp.
Father Was Away From Home.
Three of the lads concerned in the
tragedy were carrier boys for the Her
aid, the Kelsey brothers being subs"
J6TTSI NGHdul6 d ISSuldI SulllCA
Mr.. Kelsey, father of the lost boys,
Is away from home, at Minneapolis,
upon a business trip in the interest
of Penn college. He was reached by
wire Communication but too late to
catch the night train for home and
cannot arrive until this evening.
| Mrs. Kelsey and a daughter were
taken to the scene of the accident in
oor tI,af fhav haVn nprSnnal
knowledge, which they desierd, of the
conditions surrounding the scene of
the boys death. Although the hearts
of the family are broken over the
death of the lads. the members are
bearing up bravely under the burden
of uncertainty and suspense. The
sympathy of the community is extend
ed these bereft parents and the sis
terc. .....
y Boys Tell of Tragedy.
| Jerrel Venable, who was with the
Kelsey boys when the drowning oc-
Cured, seen by Herald representa-
tivh said: N''. oel- ~. ygs'.s.1
- -Four of us were fishing up the
stream ways and decided to wade a
little. We stripped our clothing and
started down the bank. For while
was leading, but stopped and Jim
went ahead Suddenly 'Jim's' feet
seemed to slip from under him and
he sank. AS he went down he grabbed
me- Now / can't swim and knew
that | couldn't save Jim If he were
drowning, so broke loose and started
tor the shore. Even as / ran back,
| could feel the sand Of the ledge slip
ping under my feet. 'Jim's' brother
BIZ was back of me, and when he
saw Jim drowning he hollered for
help. Bill couldn't swim either, but
he ran into the water trying to pull
Jim out Bill also slipped from the
step-off and went down. / started
running back to camp, and when |
looked around l could see 'Jim's' body
Floating about forty feet from where
it went down. ~ ....
Young Venable was so frightened
when he reached camp that he could
hardly tell the story, and before he
had made clear, to the men what had
Happened, he started running toward
town. Oakley went with him. The
boys and men from camp had to run
up the road short distance to catch
the scared boys and bring them back
to camp. Both were afraid that they
would be blamed for the drowning.
Gene Oakley telling of the accident,
said: I'VE were all TO blame for going
swimming when Mr.. Porter and the
older boys at camp had told us not to
I was farther back from Jim when
he went down, and ran back upon the
bank, calling for help. We did not
think to keep Bill from going into
the water, all were so frightened"