The Belding banner-news., 1921-03-30
SMYRNA
TEACHER LOST LIFE
WHILE CANOEING
WAS NOT MISSED UNTIL FOL-
LOWING MORNING WHEN HE
FAILED TO OPEN SCHOOL

The community around Smyrna
was saddened Friday morning when
the news spread that Harold Crane
aged 20 years, popular teacher in
the Hoppough district school was
missing and that the probability was
that he had been drowned in Flat riv-
er while canoeing the afternoon be-
fore, as his overturned canoe on one
side of the river and a set of sails
which he had been using on the craft
on the other side gave mute evidence
that a tragedy had been enacted.
Crane had played ball with some of
the boys at the school Thursday af-
ternoon and following this he stated
that he was going to take his canoe
from near the Will Dicken farm to
point on the river near the Carl
Cowlas farm. now occupied by Will
Pierson, with whom the young man
boarded. Leaving the boys he went
to the river and the boys Saw him
disappear in the light craft around
bend up the river and they then
went to their homes.
When the teacher did not show up
for supper or at bedtime, the Pierson
family thought nothing of it because
he had on several occasions remain
ed at the Dicken home for meals and
over night as visitor. Nothing was
thought out of the ordinary until
Friday morning when Crane failed
to arrive to open the school when
inquiry developed the fact that he
had not spent the night at either of
the placds Ithere it was supposed
that he had A search was quickly
made and the overturned canoe and
sails were found Nearby on the
water, was also Cranes hat as fur
ther proof that a drowning had TAX
en- place and That the body Of the
missing teacher was somewhere be-
meath the surface of the water, close
by.
1t was thought necessary to draw
the water from the pond and when
this request was denied from the
Lowell authorities the mattsr was
taken up with the officials at Ionia
and instead of waiting until Sunday,
as the Lowell council wished to do,
orders came through to let the water
out at once, so that dragging could
be commenced. This was done and
about $3.50 o'clock that afternoon
Lewis Petersen and Carl Geiger, who
were in a boat together, succeeded
in getting their hooks caught in the
clothing on the body and brought it
to shore where jury was impanel-
ed and the decision arrived at that
there was no need of holding an in
quest. The body was brought to
this city and prepared for burial by
the Miller & Harris company and
the boys father, Fred E. Crane, of
Orange township, took it to the home
of his father, VIM. Crane, of Ionia
The funeral was held in the Baptist
church, Ionia, on Sunday afternoon.
Close friends of the boy, from Port
land, acted as bearers. A number of
Smyrna people were also in attend
ance at the funeral.
The sad death fell heavily on the
many friends whom young Crane
had made since coming to Smyrna
and large number of people work
ed -untiringly in the work Of trying
to locate his body. The death per-
haps fell heaviest, however, on Miss
Gladys Cooper, of Portland, a class
mate and infinite friend since their
earliest childhood Rumors have it
that the two had planned on being
married some time this coming sum-
mer and when she viewed the body
of her lover at Ionia, Sunday, She
was very nearly prostrated.