Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 August 1889 — A SAD OCCURRENCE. [ARTICLE]

A SAD OCCURRENCE.

A YOUNG MAN DROWNED IN THE IROQUOIS RIVER. A sad and fetal accident occurred near Rensselaer, last Sunday ’afternoon. Three boys, Bartholomew Zerdan, son of Martin Zerdan, who lives on the old Kiglesbach farm, west of town, Willie Beck and Joe Borntrager went to the river, at a place about two miles below town, for the •purpose of bathing. None of the boys could swim, but the Zerdan boy, who was between 16 and 17 years waded Into the water first to Show the other boys, who were younger and smaller,, that the water was not over their depth. Just what occurred next, will never be clearly known. If the boys who were with Young Zerdan were not mistaken as to the place, then he was either taken with cramp or overcome with fright* and was drowned in water not over his waist in depth. It is the opinion

of those who afterwards recovered the body, however, that the other boys were mistaken as to the exact .spot, and that the unfortunate boy stepped off a steep and unseen bank, into water far beyond his depth. In any case, he began to struggle and to call for help. The Bomtrnger boy . waded in and tried to assist bis drownI ing comrade, but after having. MitQW|iy escaped being drown#!! h#*^ jge iby the frantic ofthe o‘the 0 ‘ ther ’ i he **?«empt and went out of toe The two boys then went to a house near by, and gave «the and sqqo. the v»f >rd *>P re *d and a large CtoWcf was sooa at the bank of the river. After considerable time spent in trying to find the body, by diving by good swimmers, a large fish seine was procured and with this, it was finally brought |to shore. It was found between four j and five o’clock, Sunday afternoon, and had been in the water about two hours. The depth of the water where it was found was about 8 feet. It was i 25 or 30 feet distant from the place j where the other boys thought the drowning occurred. .

The uafertanate young man was his parents only son, a good and faithful boy and the main dependence of bis aged and* infirm parents. Their grief and destruction at his sad death, and especially of his crippled and decrepit father, was heartrending to witness. The funeral was held Monday forenoon, at the Catholic church, and was very largely attended. The remains were boned in the Catholic cemetery, sooth oftown.