The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1916-02-16
An ALABAMA NEGRO
eaten BY A SHARK
,.,r,r,R OF DEF; CATCHES
nav A. HE TOPPLES INTO
WATER ON PACIFIC COAST.
SEVERED HAND FALLS IN BOAT
IN Finger Is Found Ring Engraved
..E,om Nanny to TObe-Christ-
nos 1913" Tragic Story Is Told
nv an Eye Witness.

HErOm -hdHLiiS ~
mas 1918" Tragic Story Is Told
nv an Eye Witness.
,rovTGOMERY, Ala.-Somewhere
- Montgomery there is an old black
nanny who is waiting for the re-
.,,rc of her boy, the boy to whom she
.oro As a. Christmas present a silver
g;no in which she had engraved
..Toba from Mammy-Christmas,
,o1q" The vigil of this old black
nommy is destined to come 20
.ongbt however, for lobe is dead,
en5 has been since Thanksgiving Day,
1914.
In tho waters that kiss the shor@s
- tho state of Washington lobe met
tragic death in an unusual and ter
rib1a manner, with only new found
friand-a white man-as witness to
rho nassing of the likeable young
nagro when a man-eating shark de-
ronrnd him. leaving but a crimson
stain for a moment on the white
crested wavelets, and black hand
with 2 death clasp on the side of the
boat On a finger of this hand was
Yound the silver ring, the silent mes
sanger from far-off Montgomery,
Ala. the home of the unfortunate
youth.
The story Of the passing of lobe
As told by the man who was an I'M
willing witness to his death, is an
interesting human document, told in
a simple and direct way. lobe had
attached himself to circus, and as
a mess tent worker had travelled to
the far northwestern section of the
United States. Thrown on his own
resources there the negro came in
contact with Silas Smith, resident
of Seattle, who appears to be a fol-
lower and disciple of the dean Of
fishermen.
A letter from Silas Smith to the
Advertiser tells the pitiful story that
means added sorrow to the expect
ant black nanny as follows:
Thanksgiving will always be
day of horror to me. Although more
than a year has elapsed the awful
tragedy to which | was a witness on
Thanksgiving Day, 1914, seems as
yesterday. I will probably never re-
cover from the shock, either physi-
cally or mentally.
II ha dgOne to the wharf to get
the Post-Intelligencer, which the pur-
ser of the passing steamer, Fortuna,
always threw off for me, but the boat
made a landing and a colored boy,
about y years of age, got off. He
was q bright appearing and neatly
dressed boy.
He asked me if there was any
good catfshing nearby, and l told
him would take him out in my
boat after breakfast, although night
was the best time for catfish, but that
he might catch some perch, and | was
also inclined to fits. He had a new
cane pole and some liver for bait.
ne Sald ne wanted catfish or moth
ing, and so We agreed that l should
have the perch and he cats if we
caught any
After breakfast and a perusal of
me morning paper we started out in
the boat for the slough, rowing up
a little above the old Belt Line rail
road crossing He told me that his
name was lobe, and that he came
from Montgomery, Ala, with a cir
Gus. working as a waiter in the mess
tent. He said the circus had dis
banded at Spokane, and that he had
got through to Seattle on freight
trains, and had been working in
restaurant as waiter He was a
most 'ikeable sort of a boy and told
ME he sent every cent of his wages
mat he could spare to his widowed
mother in Montgomery.
Arriving at the fishing ground we