Idaho County free press., 1924-07-31
SPOKANE MAN
dies; GIRL IS
NEAR DEATH.
Mrs. Otis Howard Has Narrow
Escape from Waters of Tur-
bulent Stream at Whitebird
Jolly Crowd of Young Folk
Is Soon Turned into Party
of Mourning; Recover Body

Walter F. Buchholtz, age
80 years, travelling auditor for
the Spokane & Eastern Trust
Co., Spokane, lost his life
while bathing in Salmon river,
opposite the mouth of White
bird creek, and Mrs. Otis
Howard, bookkeeper for the
Salmon River State b ban k,
Whitebird, narrowly Escaped
death by drowning, Tuesday
afternoon at a O'Clock.
Buchholtz, Mrs. Howard, Miss Vel
ma Nepean and two other girls COM
prised a party of bathers that left
Whitebird in Buchholtz's automobile
for the river. 1t had been a charac-
teristically hot midsummer afternoon
in the little town in the canyon, with
mercury in the thermometer climb
ing near the 100 mark. Yet relief
tlt meat lS uiWdyo W bN lVth0
in the refreshing water of Salmon riv-
er which, coming from the melting OF
perpetual SHOWS in the mountains,
and fed by springs is ever cool
Even in torrid days, Salmon river
absorbs little of the heat from the
sun, and n dip in the stream toward
eyeliing brings relief from the in
tense heat of the day.
Laughing Young Folk
1t was a jolly crowd of young folk
that sped down the broad and pic
turesque North and South highway
from Whitebird to the river, and then
across the bridge and a few yards
down stream to the bathing beach
Little did the happy bathers realize,
as they sped over the highway, that
death stalked near, and within few
moments would snatch one of the
party and be compelled to release his
cluthches from another after he had
once had her firmly in his grasp. AT
no time was there even as much as
hint to the jocund young folk that the
merry party would be turned into one
of mourning in the twinkling OF the
eye.
Buchholtz had gone to the river to
teach the girls to swim. He was an
experienced swimmer. He swan
across the swift waters and swan
back.
Then he started to teach Mrs. How
ard to swim. They were standing In
water which came up to the mans
arm-pits. when suddenly Buchholtz
plunged backward, fell from a shelf
in the river bed, and sank in seven
feet of water Not once did he come
TO the surface. He was dead, pre-
sumably from heart disease, superin-
duced by the cool water.
Mrs. Howard COllapses
Mrs. Howard started for shore. She
had reached more shallow water,
when she collapsed from the shock OF
seeing her companion plunge to his
death i'm the stream. Mrs. Howard
unconscious. would have drowned, II
is believed, had not Miss Nepean.
who was standing on the shore
rushed to her rescue. With marked
presence of mind, Miss Nepean caught
hold of Mrs. Howard and dragged hei
ashore.
A. T.. Smurthwaite, driver of the
Joseph Whitebird stage, happened
near the place at the time OF the
tragedy, and when apprised OF the
death of BuchholtZ, he whipped his
four mules into run, and dashed tcaI
Whitebird, a mile and a half distant
to spread the alarm, and organize
rescue party.
Among the first to reach the scene
were f. S. Vincent, of Slate creek, and
E. II. Seelig, travelling representative
for a Spokane wholesale house, whf
were in Whitebird. They rushed t(l
the river in an automobile. Other'
from Whitebird sped to the spot
where nearby ranchers Joined In the
search for the body of Buchholtz.
Use Old, Leaky Boat Ri
An old and leaky boat, which would
float with the weight of one man, bu
would sink when two men entered the
skiff. was procured. A rope was tiee
to the boat, and held by persons OF
shore, while Marion Upton, of White
bird. entered the boat and floated ou
on the river. Soon he obseryedlI
through the clear water, Buchholtz 4
body, lying, with outstretched arms
ON the river bottom. Using a hook
(Continued on page tiye)