Pocahontas star herald., 1925-06-04
RIVER CLAIMS
ANOTHER BOYS LIFE

- a AAAAAN l9O -
Harold Stages, aged eleven and one
half years, son Of Mr.. and Mrs. Jim
Stages Of Pocahontas. was drowned
in Black river just east of Sharum.
near Skaggs Ferry, Monday afternoon.
Mr.. Stages is superintendent of the
Vail Donaldson Company plant here
and the boy had gone up the river on
a barge with some Of the Vail men
after bolts. The barge was tied to
chute on the high bank of the river
and bolts were being slid down the
chute for loading. Harold was stand
ing on the front end Of the barge. dip
ping water from the river with a
bucket and throwing it on the chute
to keep it slick enough for the bolts to
slide down.
He suddenly stepped backward, as
if forgetful of where he was. and
dropped into the water Although he
was said to have been an excellent
swimmer, the swift current sucked him
under the barge where he was at the
mercy Of the water.
The boat crew Immediately began
efforts to locate the body and word
Of the tragedy was hurried to Poca-
hontas. The boys father and a num-
ber Of others rushed to the scene and
assisted in the search.
The accident occurred at 2:30 in
the afternoon and the body was located
at 6 O'Clock, about fifty yards from the
scene of the accident. Two skiffs had
been tied tOgather and dropped down
stream. Preparations were being made
to bring torches to the scene when the
occupants of the sliffs, with the aid of
a rope and hook, caught a stocking of
the drowned boy and pulled him to
the surface. The occupants of the
skiffs were Henry Clark, Barney Bar
rett and one Of the James boys.
The body was placed in Ray Sallee's
automobile and taken to the Lewis
undertaking parlors to be prepared for
burial.
Funeral services were held at the
family home, near the Vail plant, Tues
day afternoon and interment was made
in the Masonic cemetery. Rev. II. u.
Newsom. pastor of the Baptist church
at 'Paragould, conducted the services.
He leaves father, mother and a
younger sister.
SIrs. Stages and the children had
been IN Pocahontas only a few days,
having come here from Marmaduke,
where the children had been in school.
Following is a list of relatives of
the Stages family who attended the
funeral: Mrs. NJ. f. Anderson, Mrs.
Stages mother, Kennett Mo-; Mrs
Gertie Askew Mrs. Stages sister
Maiden, Mo-. Mrs Ava Lee Meredith,
Mr.. Stages niece, Paragould; Mr..
james Mauk, Mr.. Stages nephew,
Marmaduke; Mr.. Sam Mauk, Mr..
Stages nephew, POcahontas.
Mr. Stages niece Of Little Rock,
Miss Marian Mauk, arrived too late
for the funeral as also did Mrs. Los
sic Oakley, Mrs. Stages sister, of
Mishawalla, Ind. Mrs. Oakley was ac-
companied by her three small chill
dren, James Elmer, Billy Sue and
Edna June.
Friends from outside POcahOntas
who attended the funeral were: Mr..
Albert Ashley and family, Mrs. w. o.
Ashley, DIR. and Mrs. ]. ]. Hudgins
and family, Mr.. and Mrs. ID. ID. Ellis
and family, Mr.. and Mrs. II. Nj. Don
aldsOn, Mr.. W. II. Harp and son, Har-
old, and Mr.. and Mrs. j. b. Patter-
son and family all of Marmaduke, and
Mr.. and Mrs. Il. G. Donaldson of
JonesbOrO.
There was also a host of Marina
duke classmates of Harold, complete
list of the names of whom could not
be obtained.