The Elk County Advocate

A Boy Drowned.

A sad accident happened near Osterhout's tannery between three and four o'clock, on Tuesday afternoon last, resulting in the death of Frankie DeWitt a little five year old son of John DeWitt night watchman in the tannery. Frankie, and another little boy of about his age, were playing on some rafts opposite the tannery and were jumping from one raft to another when Frankie fell in, and it seems the other little boy endeavored to get him out and at one time had him by the hand, but did not seem to realize the situation and only when he saw his little playmate disappear managed to run home and give the alarm, Mr. DeWitt was sleeping at the time, and fully an hour and a half elapsed before the search for the body of the lost child was commenced. The body was found under the raft which it was found necessary to move out into the stream. The utmost endeavor was made to resuscitate the child but to no purpose, as life was extinct. The little chap had been to the store in the morning after some clothes pins for his mother, and as he lay in his casket a cut on one of his little fingers was plainly discernable which he had made with his father's knife on the morning of the accident. The mother of the child was suffering with a severe attack of the headache and for that reason the child wandered away as children will do. During yesterday a great many people called to see the dead child and all pronounce him "beautiful in death." The sympathy of all, and especially those parents who have little ones, goes out with heartfelt emotion to the sorrowing parents. Mr. DeWitt has one child, a little son, Freddie, a year or so younger than the little boy who was drowned.