The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1920-09-24
LAKE IS SCENE
Of TRAGEDY
Prominent Business M q n
Meets Tragic End

The people OF Oakley we're greatly
shocked and saddened last Sunday
evening when telephone message
came that Frank Rector had drown
ed in Murtaugh lake.
On the afternoon OF Saturday, Sep
tember IS, M. b. Fennell Frank Rec
tor and the latter's son journeyed to
Murtaugh Lake, arriving there about
s o'clock in the evening. They
camped outside the fence of the Da-
Yid Egbert place bordering on the
lake. About two O'Clock in the NOR
ming Of Sunday, F. H. Bowers, Clar-
ence Craner and Richard OFT drove
up to the same place and camped
there for the rest of the night. In
the morning the two parties Joined
ogether in order that they might
place themselves in the most advan-
tageous places for all concerned, and
the days hunt was to be divided
equally among ALL
AS the sun came up the lombard
ment started and 1t seemed that the
lake was one big mass of wild ducks
and other birds. 1t also seemed that
hunters were around the entire lake
at intervals of about five hundred
yards. In the course OF the shooting
many of the birds that we're shot
and wounded fell into the water too
far out to be reached by the boy,
who wore the hip boots, so 1t was de-
cided to get the boat which was an
chored near Egberts house in order
to recover the wounded ducks.
In the morning the lake was very
calm and still and they recovered
eight or ten OF the ducks without
any difficulty whatayer, They rows<a
all over the lake and returned about
twelve O'Clock to cook the noon day
meal
During the course of the meal,
Mr.. Craner and Mr.. Rector had a
discussion as to which of the two
should go, out in the boat in the af-
ternoon, and it was decided that be-
cause Mr.. Rector was better swim
mer and Mr.. Craner a better shot, II
would be to the best advantage for
Mr.. Rector to go out in the boat and
Craner to stay on shore and take ad-
vantageof the good afternoon and
evening shooting.
About two o'clock the party wen'
back to the lake and Bowers and
Rector again { sok the boat, -theil
object being to- circle the lake and
scare up the DICKS in the center
causing them to fly with the win,
toward the shore where Craner ant
OFT were stationed. 1t seemed a
that time there Vas only light gal,
blowing Rector and Bowers rowet
about half mile across the lake to
ward a group of tulips where the,
expected to scare up some ducks ans
where they would probably launcl
and wait for some good shots. The,
rowed out about two hundred an,
fifty yards from shore. The wave
began getting higher and higher, bu
not rough enough for either of then
to become frightened on account o
the danger OF turnover.
About that time Mr.. Rector say
a bunch of ducks coming over an
cautioned Bowers to get ready 4
SuOOL. DOWtI6 lOOh VI luo gun du
Rector drew In the oars, while tn
boat drifted broad side to the waves
AS the birds came over, Bowers rails
ed his gun to shoot, and before on
could tell what happened, the boa
tipped over. sT~
They struggled around with tn
boat for brief time,, one on eithe
side, and as one would make a lea
to get into it, 1t would duck the 9th
er. They were both nearly exhaus
ted when Bowers cried to Rector
"You take the boat, Frank, and T.
try and swim to shore" The wave
were making a deal OF noise, but Nj
Bowers thought Mr. Rector replie
to the effect that the plan was a
right.