The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-02-15
Girls Happiest Birthday
Shattered by Drowning
of Brother Playmate, 3
Brave Miss, 5, Tells of
Efforts to Rescue Lad
From Creek.

Today a tiny white casket in the
living of a yellow bungalow
near Crooked Creek, north of the
city, stood in the midst of a tragic
family.
Yesterday, Olney Mae Wright, 5,
was happier than she ever had been
before in her short life. It was her
birthday and St. Valentines day,
too. Gleefully she opened presents
and gaudily painted valentines
with hearts and cupids, symbolic of
life and love.
And now she stood beWildered in
the presence of death. For the first
time she was confronted with the
mystery of life. Her childish nina
struggled with the problem as she
looked into the still. little face OF
her brother Charles, 3, who was her
inseparable playmate.
Il told him to grab my coat. Then
I reached for him and the ice broke
under me 1 got wet"
SObs Story of Tragedy
over and over again amid sobs
she repeated the story to her moth
er and her brothers and sisters in
the home. on r. R. II. She led a
reporter for The Times across the
field and down to the banks of
Crook creek, where Charles, called
Butch" by the family, was drowned
yesterday.
1t was nice and warm in the
sun" the child explained, and
Barbara Jean Clouse, who lives next
door to us, came over to play. She
is five years old, too. Butch got
on his tricycle. and we all rode over
here to the creek.
We got off our tricycles at the
edge of the water and Butch
laughed and threw his new red nit
tens and cap out on the ice. He
started after them. The ice began
to break. 1 took off my coat and
yelled at him to grab it. He went
under the water. 1 yelled and
yelled but Butch didn't hear me.
Little Friend Praised
Then Barbara and I walked out
on the ice. We reached into the
hole in the ice. I was holding on
tight to Barbara's hand, but all
Of a sudden the ice broke again
and 1 went into the water. Bar
bara pulled me out, but I was all
wet"
we ran to the house and told
~.~, that sDsrfaLf rr0 -D,,4W
Sadly Walter Wright, father of
the children, took up the story,
while "Butch's'' other brothers and
sisters, Alta IS, James II and Walter
Jr. 7 listened and sobbed.
Il had just come home from work
for dinner" he said. "All the chill
dren except Butch and Olney
Mae, were at school. Suddenly o.
ney- Mae came running up to the
house. She was soaking wet. She
told me that the bay had fallen
into the creek.
Father Finds Body
Il ran down to the banks and saw
the hole in the ice. I waded into
the stream breaking up chunks of
ice and looking into the water for
the boys body. The water was up
to my neck. At last 1 found the
little fellow.
Unable to control his emotions,
Wright cried openly.
1T was partly my fault he
sobbed. "A few days ago I gave
him a new pair of rubber boots. He
had them on when he drowned. I
think the boots became filled with
water and prevented him from ris-
ing to the surface"
Mr.. Wright neglected today to re-
count the heroic measures he had
taken to save the boys life.
Placing the limp body of the child
in his automobile the father began
a frantic race with death. On the
Michigan Hill road he me the fire
rescue squad hastily summoned by
neighborS.
Working in relays the firemen and
the father tried to save the baby's
life. Their efforts were futile.
Tomorrow, funeral services will be
held owe the little white caSket. But
TODAY OlneV Mae SObS uncontrolla-