The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-07-09
Lightning Kills Lawrence
HRhey, Is, While Walk
ing Home from Swim.
IS KILLED INSTANTLY
Was Walking Home With Two
Companions When Lightning
Hit Him During Storm.

Lawrence Riley, Is, SON of Mre
Catherine Riley, 577 Pomeroy street.
was instantly killed at seven. O'Clock
on Monday evening when he was
struck by bolt of lightning at the
foot of Wisconsin street. The boy
had been fishing and swimming with
two of his boy friends, Alex Tlshon,
954 Willow street, and Frank Wien,
423 Evergreen street, and was on his
wav home when the lightning and
rainstorm reached it's height. The
trio separated at Maiden Lane, and
Lawrence ran behind the Simmons
company plant along the lake shore IN
order to take a shortcut home. He
had cut through along the drainage
system that runs into the lake from
Wisconsin street when he was hit by
lightning. A half-hour later the body
was discovered.
When the boy was found, his little
body was lying in the mud between
Durkee avenue. and the Eagles pier
after the storm had eased up bit.
Two men were walking along Durkee
avenue when they. came upon the
Youths lifeless form in the puddle
caused by the heavy rain Of the few
hours before. The two we're Lawrence
Wischman, 274 Maiden Lane, and
George Becker, 1911 Villa street, Ra-
cine.
Identify Boy Later.
They spread the alarm and Coroner
Joseph Friend was called to the scene.
He ordered the body taken to the
Hansen Funeral home where it was
soon identified as that of Lawrence
Riley.
A hasty examination of the boys
body revealed a deep burn from the
top of his head down over the left
side of his face and across his chest.
The design Of fern was burned into
his chest by the action of the current
Of electricity. His hair had been
singed off by the bolt, and he had
died instantly of electrocution.
AS soon as the news Of the boys
sudden death spread there was wide
spread grief and sorrow in the COM
munity. His mother was Frustrated
at the knowledge OF the accident. The
boy was the oldest son and was his
mothers sole support, working at an
apprenticeship in local machine
shop.
Prominent Among Boy Scouts.
Lawrence Riley was a Boy Scout of
Troop 2, and was member of that
troops basketball team last winter.
He had taken an active part in: the
athletic work of his troop and was an
earnest worker in St. James church
work among boys. He was formerly
a student of the st. James school.
Throughout the evening his boy
friends gathered in front of his home
on Pomeroy. street mourning his loss.
Just yesterday, it seemed, he was
with them in their work and in their
play Everyone knew "Larrie" for
the real sport that he was. He SEEM
ed to be older in wisdom than the
rest of the boys his age and he was a
natural center of the group in his
neighborhood. His death came as a
personal loss to everyone of his
friends.
Lawrence Milton Riley was born in
Kenosha January 80, 1910, and spent
all of his life here. He is survived
by his mother, his father, Frank Riley,
of Gary, Ind, and four brothers, and
one sister, Vivian, Meier, Willard.
Claude and Muriel.
Funeral services will be held on
Thursday morning at nine o'clock
from st. James church with interment
at ST. James cemetery. The remains
were brought to the late home on
Pomeroy street and will remain there
until the time of the services on
Thursday.