Evening star., 1938-06-21
.GREENBE[T DEATH
IS HELD ACCIDENT
Friends of Youth Drowned
in Boat Capsizing Testify
at Inquest.

"A VerolcC OF accidental death was
returned at Greenbelt last night by
Judge George Phillips, acting cor
oner, at the inquest into the drown
ing Of Thomas Williams, IA, of Belts
vile, Md, at Greenbelt on June II.
Among the witnesses were three
small playmates of the drowned
youngster who told Of padding the
rowboat to the middle of Greenbelt
Lake with few sticks they had
picked up on the shore.
Only one of the small passengers
Of the ill-fated boat failed to appear
at the inquest. He was Carl Pearson
IL. Of Greenbelt. The youngsters who
testified were Daniel Corrigan, jr., 9
and Robert Hanna, 10, of Beltsville
and Thomas Freeman of Greenbelt.
The Hanna boy, in answer to ques-
tions by Waldo Burnside, assistant
States attorney Of Prince Georges
County, said the drowned youngster
had carried him over to Greenbelt
on his bicycle. The Corrigan boy had
accompanied them on his own BIZ
cycle.
Bailed Out Boat For Trip.
I'VE just came over to enjoy our
selves and have q good time," he told
Judge Phillips. I'VE found the row.
boat floating near shore, and we
dragged it up on the bank and bailed
1t out.
Then the other boys Freeman
and Pearson) said it was their boat
but We could go with them. So we
got sticks and padded out into the
middle of the lake and threw the
sticks away"
According to the boys testimony the
boat, rocked by the Older boys, went
over once. and all except the Corri-
gan boy got in again. Burdened with
water, it capsized completely shortly
afterward.
w. c. Barlowe Of Greenbelt. the
only adult near the lake at the time
of the tragedy. and Joseph Maher
who summoned aid in answer to Mr.
Barlowe's calls for help. said both
the Freeman and Pearson youngsters
swan to shore. The Hanna boy was
rescued by Mr.. Barlowe and young
Corrigan clung to the boat and wa
towed ashore.
Williams Boy Failed to Appear.
Neither boys nor adult witnesses
saw the Williams boy come to the
surface after the boat overturned
DR.. James S. Dryden Of Greenbelt
who pronounced the boy dead after
working over him for two hours, SAID
the youngster appeared to have beer
dead at least Is minutes before he
was removed from the water.
Officer G. j. Panagoulis of Green
belt said the rowboat, used by q
construction crew, had been tied to
q tree at least IS feet from the
waters edge.
The only relative of the drowned
boy to appear at the inquest was
an uncle, Samuel Williams, who de-
clared he had heard a Greenbelt
resident the night before the acci-
dent tell the Williams boy the lax,
was to be open for swimming on
the afternoon of the following day
He said he had heard that Is life
guards were to be on duty, and that
he was sure the parents Of the three
boys would not have allowed their
sons to go to the lake If they had
not been sure the lifeguards would
insure their safety.
Chief of Greenbelt Police Wallace
F. Mabee declared the lake was to
have been opened that afternoon, but
at that time no lifeguard had been
secured.
Since the accident, he said, no one
has been allowed near the lake, and
safety measures are now under way
to make swimming possible later in
the season.
In rendering his verdict, Judge
Phillips termed the tragedy "a clear
case Of accidental DEATH"