Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1919-07-09
Death Of Edgar Lanham

the success of the dedication of the
Baptist church anl the splendid tel
lowship that seemed to permeate the
atmosphere, but the day was brought
to an unspeakably sad close by the
tragic death of E;l:sac !.anham, who
with his sisters worshipped at the
Baptist church morning and after
noon, partaking of The dinner there
with his young friends. Not in long
time have so many Edgeleld people
been so completely overcome as on
Sunday afternoon whcn the sad news
reached town that Edgar was drown
ed about six o'clock in the deep pool
at the old quarry.
He together with about eight or
ten other young men motored to the
quarry late Sunday afternoon, as is
the custom of many Edgefeld boys
during the summer, for swim in the
deep pool at the quarry. Edgar was
among the first to take plunge in
the water and after he swan out
nearly midway the pool, probably 60
feet from the bank, he was seen to
f! founder in the water and call for as
sistance. Three young men, Eddie
Talbert, Morris Deal and Aldrich
Cheatham, swan at once to him but
were unable to rescue him. He soon
sank to the bottom. In his efforts to
save Edgar, one of the young men
came near losing his life also. After
Edgar disappeared several dived far
beneath the surface in the hope that
he could yet be rescued but failed to
locate him.
The news of his tragic death spread
rapidly and soon a considerable num-
Der of persons gathered to offer as
sistance in recovering his body but
probably two hours passed before it
was located in water about 20 feet
deep.
An act of splendid heroism, than
which the knights of old never per-
formed more valorous deed, was
that of Mr.. William P. Yonce, who,
seeing that all other means had fail
ed to recoved the body of the widely
beloved young man, swan out to
where the body had been located and
dived straight down 20 feet and re-
: turned, after such a long interval
that anxiety was felt for his safety,
with the form of Edgar under his
right arm.
Late in the night it was that the
hearse reached the parental home at
Ropers bearing the cofpse of the
youngest child in the home, within
seven days of his Goth birthday.
When good-byes were said in the
early forenoon, when Edgar and his
sister left in their car for Edgefeld,
no one thonght the beautiful Sabbath
day would have so terrible an ending.
Monday afternoon the funeral was
conducted at Republican church, of
which church he was member, DR..
R. G. Lee officiating. Seldom does oac
see so large gathering cf rc.2:ves
and friends at fune:::!. -vl:c.?, =
igether with the beautiful hora! t:,..b
utes, bore evidence of Edgar's pcc1-
larity among the people who !:nc1
him best. Everybody had coed word
to say about this exemplary young
man who filled so large place in the
home and in the community life.
Edgar was in the last registration
but was granted deferred classifca-'
tion by the board because his pa
rents, Rev. and Mrs. P. B. Lanham,
had already sent two sons into the
I lSSIOlt W IllC ScliP
and William to the navy. Later, how
ever, Edgar did not feel satisfied to
remain at home with his two broth
ers at the front and insisted that he
be allowed to volunteer. So strong
was his desire to yield to patriotic
impulse and so unselfish was his ma
ture that it was only after much rea-
soning and pleading that he changed
his purpose.
The tow2 of Edgefeld has had
scores and hundreds of young men
ito come here from the country to
attend school or enter some line of
business but not one endeared HIM
self to those with whom he came in
contact so much as did Edgar Lam
ham. He was properly reared and
trained in Christian home and when
he went from the walls of that home,
he was the same young gentleman