Maurice W. Arnett 1896-1905

ARNETT

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 1/17/2011 at 18:39:18

Morris Arnett Drowned
Nine Year Old Son of Mr. and Mrs. M. V. Arnett Drowned in Des Moines River While Bathing Saturday Afternoon

Morris Arnett, son of Mr. and Mrs. M. V. Arnett, was drowned while bathing in Des Moines River at the swimming hole near the old boat house at the north end of Fourth street Saturday afternoon between one and two o’clock. He was there with several other boys without the permission of his parents, which is usually the case when an accident of this kind occurs. The unfortunate lad was only nine years of age and his companions were boys of about the same age. The depth of the water where the boys were bathing is only about three feet but south of there was a step off where the water is all of fourteen feet deep. Little Morris ventured too close to this and went under. As he came up the second time he grabbed the Olson boy and caught him by the leg. The Olson boy tried with all his strength to pull him ashore but found that he could not and in order to save his own life compelled the Arnett boy to loosen his grip and this time he went under and did not come up again. The alarm was soon given and twenty-five or thirty men dragged the river until dark but did not find the body. Sunday morning the Fire Company joined in the search and at ten o’clock in the forenoon their efforts were rewarded by finding the body lodged in a pile of drift wood near the Rock Island railroad bridge almost half a mile from the place where he was drowned. Mr. Arnett, father of the boy, was at Lake Park when the accident occurred but hurried home at once, driving the entire distance, arriving here at eight o’clock Saturday evening. Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at two o’clock in the First Baptist church and the remains deposited in the Oak Hill Cemetery. The sympathy of the entire community is extended the bereaved family. (Estherville Democrat, Estherville, IA, August 16, 1905)

Maurice Arnett Drowned
Saturday Afternoon While Bathing In the Des Moines River

On Saturday last little Maurice Arnett, aged nine years, son of Mr. and Mrs. M. U. Arnett, was drowned in the Des Moines river at the swimming place in the Bartlett grove a short distance north of the city. It was about 1:30 p.m., when he in company with Bruce Olson, aged eleven, Carl Olson, aged nine, and Danny Jones, aged eight years, he went into the shallow water just above the swimming pool and with the intention of wading across this shallow water to dry land beyond. Maurice was in the lead and had progressed quite a distance in seeming safety when suddenly he stepped off into deep water, not being able to swim the little man immediately lost his nerve and called loudly for assistance. Bruce went to his rescue but he too being a very poor swimmer and being a little light was not strong enough to effect a rescue and he had to see his companion go down for the last time. In the meantime the younger boys gave the alarm and in a little while a large crowd was congregated about the place. A party composed of James Howe, Warren Pullen, Carl Ingvall, Harvey Cox, J .P. Littell and others put out in boats with pike poles to find the body and a drag net was brought into requisition. Eight charges of dynamite were set off under the water and several of the searching party dove under several times but all these efforts proved fruitless in making the discovery. Sunday morning the work was resumed and was being prosecuted with quite an energy when at a little before ten o’clock the news that the body had been recovered was passed. It seems that Frank Ellis and a couple of companions had started up the stream from the Rock Island pump house, in a boat, and in passing under the railway bridge Ellis noticed a large light looking object being washed against the pier and not far beneath the surface of the water. Investigation was rewarded with the recovery of the body. It is supposed that the swollen condition of the stream and the disturbance of the water in so many places by the dynamite blasts of the afternoon before was the cause of the body drifting fully one-half a mile from where it went down.

The funeral was held from the First Baptist church on Monday afternoon, Rev. Heady officiating. The church was thronged with sympathetic friends of many denominations. The floral tributes were beautiful and profuse attesting to the public sorrow which his sudden death occasioned. The interment was made in the west side cemetery.

The Enterprise extends sincere condolence to the parents and their family so suddenly afflicted. (Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, IA, August 16, 1905)