Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-03-02
HERO DIES IN
VAIN ATTEMPT
TO SAVE BOYS
John Sullivan, Driver of Auto
Truck, Rushes to Water as
Boys Go Down.
DEATH sTUNS MOTHER

John Sullivan. 434 Kaufman place,
driver for the Patton Transfer Com
pany, sacrificed his life today in a
vain effort to save two small colored
boys from drowning.
Ransall Purcell, s years old. and
Herbert Purcell, years old, brothers,
are the boys who were drowned.
Another brother, Verna, 10 years old,
escaped.
The three boys had started across the
ice on Fall creek, one block east oil
Northwestern avenue, at point where
the water is twenty to twenty hve feet
deep The two small boys fell in the
water, and the older boy ran to the shore
screaming.
sullivan, who was passing in a motor
truck heard the cries for help. He
rushed to the creek bank carrying long
rope from the truck. He started out on
the ice, with the rope in his hands. When
be was about sixty feet out in the creek
the ice gay way and he sank out of
sight.
All three bodies were recovered after
searchers had worked for an hour with
boats and hooks.
DEAD HERO HAD
CHILD OF HIS OWN.
Sullivan, who is about So years old. had
been employed by the Patton company
for just week, according to II. NJ. Pat
ton. his employer
He was fine boy" said Mr.. Patton,
"and II is not surprising to me that he
made the heroic effort TO save the little
boys.
He has a small child himself His
wife is dead and he lives with his mother
and father. He had lived in Indianapo-
lis most OF his life and always has
been a straightforward, hard-working
boy"
Employees Of the Harris Transfer Com
pany. where he worked before going 10
the Patton company. also declared that
he was "a fine fellow"
verna. the 10-year-old brother. was
panic stricken when his two brothers
were plunged into the icy waters. The
ice is formed IN peculiar manner at the
creek where the boys went down, at
some places beiag a great deal thicker
than others. This is said 70 be due 10
varying currents, caused by dredging
in certain pnrts OF the creek. There IS
a dam just west OF the place where the
boys were drowned
DoG swIMs NEAR
DROWNING BOYS.
When verna ran from the scene, how
ever, a big black dog which was the
boon companion OF the little coiored boys,
plunged into the water and swan about
the two little fellows. who were cling
ing to the Tee, splashing and barking.
J J. NARROW, 1880 West Thirtieth street,
was the first TO see the boys In the water.
He set mp a cry, which attracted Sui
Ivan and his companion on the truck,
Elbert DeShs, 124 North New Jersey. en-
pIoyed by the Norman Furniture Com
pany, the trucking hauling furniture for
this store.
When sullivan sank out of sight he
dropped so quickly that the others on
shore could not rescue him. An imme-
diate effort was begun to rescue the
bodies G.. c. weis went TO nearby
place and obtained a long rod with a
book on f. Frank Mix, 1908 Elm street,
and Joe Drake 1916 North Alabama
street. procured a iatboat from the op-
posite side of the creek. They pushed
he boat out into the river breaking
Nthrough the thin ice, and began drag
ging the hook IN the creek.
the younger colored boy, Herbert. and
his body was pulled out few minutes
later the hook caught on the rope, which
Sullivan had carried in his hand. HIS
body, too, was dragged up. The body
of the third victim, Ransal Purcell was
not found until Motor Police Officers
Drinkut and Dean dragged the creek
bottom with graphing hook.
DEAD MANS HAND
GRIPS ROPE.
Sullivan's right hand was cenched
tightly about the rope with which he
hoped to rescue the two boys. 1t was
with difficulty that his death grip on
the rope was loosened.
Verna, the boy who escaped drown
ing, was frantic. Colored people in the
neighborhood who took him into their
home were forced to hold him in their
arms to quiet him.
The big black dog, which vainly sought
to help the boys, lay on tke bank of the
creek, exhausted from the struggle with
the icy waters, and moaned Time and
again the dog ran out to the edge of the
ice, sank, climbed out and jumped in
again.