Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1887 — A Boy Drowned [ARTICLE]

A Boy Drowned

Coroner Blue went up to Keener tp., Saturday, and held an in-quest-on the body of Peter Klein, or more properly .Khlen, a boy of between fifteen and sixteen years of age, and who lived with his parents in that township. The manner in which he came to his death, as developed at the inquest, seem to have been as follows: The boy was last seen by his parents about four o’clock Saturday afternoon, and not being seen for some time after, was supposed to have gone to meet his brothers and sisters on their return from school. About six o’clock, nothing having been seen of him, his father became alarmed and began a search. Going to a stock-well, near the house, he saw the boy’s cap floating upon the top of the water in the well. Procuring a hook he reached down to the bottom of the well, which was shallow, and soon found and drew to the surface the body of his son. The water stood so nearly to the top of the well that Mr. Khlen was able to reach and grasp the dead boy ’s hand and to draw the body out, without assistance. The boy was subject to epileptic fits, and it is supposed that he had gone to the well to draw water for the stock, and being seized with a fit had fallen over the well curb, into the well, and there drowned. The verdict of the coroner was in accordance with the facts above set forth.