Arthur Boyd Turner (1896)

TURNER

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler
Date: 5/17/2008 at 11:06:45

Winterset Reporter
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, June 11, 1896
Page 5

Drowned Arthur Turner, who was drowned in North river last Saturday, was buried in Winterset Monday, the funeral being held at the Church of Christ and conducted by Rev. Major. An immense audience was in attendance, more people by far than could get into the church. Our McBride correspondent gives an account of the drowning.
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Winterset Reporter
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, June 11, 1896
Page 5

Arthur Turner Drowned
By Our McBride Correspondent.

The drowning of Arthur Turner is one of the saddest and most pitiful accidents that ever befell this community.

Saturday morning, June fifth, Arthur Turner, Mr. Baur’s employee, started to the pasture to catch a team preparatory of taking a trip to Winterset to visit his parents. The horses were on the opposite side of the stream (North Branch), which was over half full of water. He went to the bridge to cross, thinking he would drive the horses through and then go back the way he came. He was unsuccessful in this so he thought if he drove one across the others would follow. He put the bridle on one and rode into the stream, when nearly through the horse turned back but Arthur still tried to force it across. They drifted down stream until he saw a hard place to climb so he turned up stream. When he did this the horse sank. Arthur fell off and was probably strangled by the dirty water and perhaps was struck by the horse. Mr. Rob. Baur, who was on the opposite bank, seeing that he was sinking rushed into the stream to help him, but before he could get to him Arthur sank never more to rise. Mr. Baur then rushed to the creamery, which is only a half mile distance, summoned help and in a short time the whole community was aroused, all willing to help but little could they do in such a swift current. George Smith’s boat was speedily brought, grab hooks made, waders holding to ropes, a drag made but all failed to find the body on Saturday, after a whole day’s search. The next morning at break of day the search was renewed. The stream was now wadeable. About ten men abreast with hooks, made a thorough search, when about 40 rods below where he was last seen his body was found at 8 o’clock, being in the water 24 hours, lodged behind a snag in the river. The body was at once taken care of. An undertaker being summoned the body was put in his charge for removal.

It seems hard for such a noble life to be lost when yet so young. Where ever you went, if Arthur Turner’s name was mentioned there was always a good word for him, and if you ever met him, he was always cheerful and every ready for a kind word and a heart willing to do anything in his power for the uplifting of humanity.

Space will not allow us to comment at length, if so we could fill a whole volume, for we have always looked on Arthur as a model young man, an untiring Christian, a strong worker in the Sabbath school.

Arthur Turner is not dead only in body, in spirit he will ever be with us. Young men ever bear in mind the example set by him and be not afraid to follow it for Arthur never did anything but right. This is saying a great deal but all who knew him will say the same.

His heart broken parents have the sympathy of the entire community in their sad bereavement.
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The Winterset News
Winterset, Iowa
Friday, June 12, 1896
Page 5, Column 3

DROWNED IN NORTH BRANCH

Arthur Turner Drowned While Crossing the Creek Saturday Morning

Arthur Turner, a young man twenty-two years old, was drowned Saturday morning about eight o’clock while attempting to ride a horse across the creek which was nearly out of its banks on account of the heavy rain the night before.

Turner was working for S. Baur, of Jefferson township, and had gone out to the pasture to get some horses, crossing on a bridge. He attempted to drive them across the ford but they refused to enter the water. Finally Robert Baur came down to the creek with a bridle on his arm and Turner told him if he would throw the bridal across he would ride one of the horses over. Baur complied with the request asking after he had done so if he was able to swim. Turner answered that he could swim a little and catching the horse urged it into the swollen stream.

The banks of North Branch where it cuts through the Baur farm are steep and deep. The stream is not wide but when the water is up it is very swift. When Turner plunged in the horse was taken off its feet. It is supposed that in endeavoring to hold on to the horse Turner pulled hard on the bridal and upset the horse, a thing very easy to do when a horse is swimming in swift water. At least Baur saw him and the horse roll over in the water together, Turner going over above the horse and sinking out of sight. When he appeared again he was below the horse having apparently passed under his body.

Baur, who was standing on the bank watching Turner attempt to cross the stream, is a strong and active young man. Seeing that Turner was unable to help himself he ran down the stream below him and plunged in expecting to catch him as the current carried him down, but Turner sank out of sight before he got within 15 feet of him and did not come up again. Baur regained the bank with difficulty. The stream was so high all day Saturday that little can be done to find the body though many attempts were made to drag it. Toward evening the Creek had gone down considerably and a dozen men catching hold of a rope stretched across the stream examined every foot of it for a distance of 150 yards below where the unfortunate young man was drowned.

At eight o’clock the next morning the systematic work was resumed were it had been left off the evening previous and before the men had gone fifty yards the body was found close to the old ford, lying face downward in the mud. There were bruises on his side and shoulder and it is thought that when he was carried under the horse that he had been struck by its feet and hurt so badly that he could not swim. Baur says that Turner did not say a word while in the water only shouted to him that he was coming when he plunged into the water to rescue him.

The funeral occurred in this city Monday afternoon at 2:30, at the Church of Christ of which he was a member, and was largely attended. The young man was the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Turner of this city, and had been working for Stanislaus Baur for four years. He was considered almost a member of the family. He was a young man of excellent habits and was very industrious.
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Coordinator's note: Full name taken from 1885 Iowa State Census.

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