Submitted by
Loyd Bishop

Submitted by
Loyd Bishop

A MAN DROWNED
Charley Thomas Meets Death in the River
BY FALLING FROM BRIDGE
Was One of the Old Settlers of Blackwell

Monday’s Daily
Charles Thomas was drowned in the Chicaskia river, this afternoon at the Frisco railroad bridge. He was employed with a number of other men, at the time, keeping the drift wood from lodging against the bridge, and was standing on one of the stringers when he lost his balance, or slipped,, and fell into the river, which is rushing like a mad torrent today, it being fifteen feet above its normal condition.
When he struck the water he immediately sank, but instantly arose to the top again, whereat an effort was made to save him, but he sank before anything could be done in the way of rescue.
Charles Thomas was one of the first settlers of Blackwell, and he has resided here ever since the town was first laid out. He leaves a wife and several children. For the past year or two he has been employed in the yards of the Frisco railroad at this point, and it was while trying to save this property of that company that he lost his life.

THE BODY FOUND
Charles Thomas’ Remains are at Last Recovered.
ELMER E. STEPHENSON
Pulls the Body From the Water Below Carson Dam.

The body of Charles Thomas, who was drowned in the Chikaskia river, last Monday, has been recovered. Between 7 and 8 o’clock, Friday evening H. O. Willis and J. B. Grooch were down the river, about a hundred yards below Carson’s dam, preparing to fish, when Willis discovered something that looked like a body floating in an eddy in the stream. Further examination proved that it was the body of the drowned man. Word was sent uptown by a man named Brown, and Elmer Stephenson and undertaker Kyger, were notified. They at once went to the spot, and found the body in the water about waist deep, Mr. Stephenson, waded in and got hold of it and finally got it to shore, where with the assistance Mr. Kyger and others, it was placed in the wagon and brought to Kyger’s undertaking establishment. Elmer Stephenson, who was mainly instrumental in securing the remains from the water, says that the body was floating in an eddy, face downward, as dead bodies always do float. He also says the body was not as badly decomposed, as one would naturally think,, except about the head and face. He had but little difficulty in getting it to the shore. As soon as the family of the deceased were notified. Thomas’s watch was in his pocket, when the body was found and the hands indicated that it had stopped at 2:25 o’clock.
On account of this condition of the remains, there was no public funeral. At 3 o’clock the body enclosed in a handsome casket bearing a floral ax, which was presented by the Modern Woodmen, and escorted by that organization, was conveyed to the Odd Fellows Cemetery, where Rev. Cromwell conducted a simple though impressive funeral service, and the casket was lowered to its last resting place. He had $1000 insurance in the Modern Woodmen of the World.
Rev. Cromwell will preach the funeral sermon at the Odd Fellows hall tomorrow afternoon at 3 o’clock

DUST TO DUST

The Funeral of Charles Thomas at the Opera House Sunday Afternoon
There was a long procession of the friends and neighbors Saturday afternoon, in attendance at the funeral of Charles Thomas. The mournful cortege left the undertaking establishment of P. M. Kyger, with an escort of the Modern Woodmen of America in the lead, dressed in the uniform of their order, with the emblematical ax on their shoulders. At the grave, the order, of which the deceased was an honored member, solemnized the occasion with the Woodmen’s funeral ceremony. This was followed by touching tributes in the way of flowers which adorned the casket. Just before it was lowered into the grave, Mrs. Thomas, widow of the deceased, had W. S. Prettyman take a photograph of the casket and the surrounding Woodmen. The remains were let down into the grave. Rev. Cromwell pronounced the last words over the dead man and he was left in his last resting place.
Sunday afternoon the funeral sermon was preached at the opera house by Rev. Cromwell, to a large and sympathetic congregation. The text was “What is your life?” James 4:14. There was a large representation of Woodmen present and many Royal Neighbors, an auxiliary of the Woodmen. The music was furnished by the choir of the Methodist church, who sang “Jesus Lover of My Soul.” The minister then read the Scripture les- and Mrs. Woodward sang a solo. At the close of the sermon the choir sang “Take the Name of Jesus with You,” This closed one of the saddest as well as one of the most impressive funeral services ever held in Blackwell.

BODY FOUND - Chas Thomas

The body of Chas Thomas, who was drowned Monday, May 9, was found just below Carson’s Friday evening of last week. An unremitting search had been kept up day after day until all had about given up hope of finding the body. Friday evening as two men were getting ready to fish, they saw an object across the river that looked like a body and notifying parties on that side of the river, an Investigation was made and the body located. M Kyger, the undertaker, and Elmer Stephenson were notified and they went to the river and found the body to be that of Thomas. It was brought to the undertaking establishment of the Kyger Furniture company and prepared for burial. The body had been in the river so long that a speedy interment was deemed advisable. The M. W. A. had charge of the services and the interment was in Odd Fellows cemetery Saturday afternoon, quite a crowd being in attendance. Rev. E. J. Cromwell officiated at the grave and on Sunday afternoon the same gentleman preached the funeral at Opera house.
The case is a distressingly sad one; a man in the prime of life, swept away in an instant, and the manner of his death such as to keep the family in suspense for days as to whether his body would ever be found and when found in such a condition as to preclude their seeing it; but through it all there have been compensating circumstances, friends have offered every sympathy and aid; and have even risked their life in their heroic efforts to find the body. There is much of worth in this sad affair. Mr. Thomas was one of a vast army in the employ of a big corporation, but when he lost his life in their service the word went forth from those in authority, “spare no expense to recover the body;” another official says, “he was one of our best men, for he never hesitated when asked to perform a duty, but did as directed to the best of his ability”. His death also shows that there is yet much of Pythian love in the human breast, for men whose services could not have been bought daily risked life in an effort to restore the body to the sorrowing family. The entire community has and does sympathise with the family in their bereavement.

CARD OF THANKS

We wish to thank the neighbors and Modern Woodmen lodges for the many kindness shown during the death and burial of our husband and father, Chas. L. Thomas. We also wish to thank the Woodmen for their promptness in paying the insurance carried by him. Mrs. Chas. L. Thomas and Family

Matilda E. Thomas, widow of Chas. Thomas, who was drowned a few weeks ago, has received a check from the Modern Woodmen of America for $1,000, the amount for which her husband was insured.