January 1918
A YOUNG LAD LOSES HIS LIFE - Almost Instantly Killed Yesterday While Hunting Rabbits

Another sad tragedy occurred south of the city yesterday, resulting in the almost instance death of young John Gotsch, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Gotsch, who reside on the Fuhrman place, south of the Sioux river.

The young lad, aged 13 years, 7 months and 6 days, was out hunting rabbits with Cecil Lamme, another Cherokee boy. They had seen a rabbit run under a furrow in a plowed field and endeavored to capture it. Young Gotsch was lying on the ground by the furrow trying to scare the rabbit out, while Lamme stood with three or four feet of him with a shot gun in his hands, ready to shoot the rabbit when it ran. It appears that just as the rabbit ran out Gotsch made a dive for it and at the same time Lamme fired the gun. The side of the Gotsch boy's head was blown off and death resulted within a few minutes after the shooting.

The body was brought to the Appleyard undertaking rooms and prepared for burial. Arrangements have not yet been completed for the funeral. An inquest will be held this morning before Justice Green, commencing at 10 o'clock. F. I. Gardiner, F. A. Colby and Alexander Knox have been summoned as jurors.  (Source: Cherokee County Historical Society scrapbook)

September 1921
TWO MEN DIE IN DEEP WELL
VINCENT GOODRICH AND LOUIS PASLEY LOSE LIVES
BOTH BODIES ARE RECOVERED
Sad Tragedy Occurs South of Cherokee When the Men Are Overcome By Deadly Gas
A very sad tragedy occurred yesterday at the farm owned by Mrs. Hugh Doherty south of Cherokee in which two young men lost their lives by being overcome by deadly gas in a deep well.  The men are Vincent Goodrich, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mert Goodrich of Cleghorn and Louis Pasley, a brother of Clyde Pasley, of the same place. Goodrich was about 21 years old and Pasley, 30.  The latter, whose home is at Brownstown, Ill., had been out here about four years.

The two men were engaged in digging a well on the farm and had reached a depth of about 120 feet.  Yesterday the bucket got stuck at a depth of 83 feet and the men were unable to get I tup or down.  They had been down in the well in the morning and neither had noticed the presence of gas.  Later when Goodrich went down and did not return, Pasley also went down over the cable and both men were overcome by gas and evidently died within a short time.

The alarm was given and soon people began to gather.  A young man named Ford brought word to Cherokee and physicians and others hastened to the scene of the tragedy.  It was not until about 10 o’clock last night that the bodies were recovered.  Roy Jones, an ex-service man, made one attempt to go down, but was soon overcome and when pulled out was exhausted. A steam engine was procured and fresh air pumped into the well and men were able to go down.  Both bodies were lying across the bucket, Goodrich underneath.  After the first body was taken out a lantern was put down and it immediately went out. By pumping in more the second body was recovered a little later.

The bodies were brought to the Appleyard & Wallace undertaking parlors and during the night the body of Mr. Goodrich was taken to the home at Cleghorn.  Funeral arrangements have not yet been made.  The body of Pasley will be taken to his old home at Brownstown, Ill., for burial.

Mr. Pasley was an ex-service man and a member of the American Legion and also a member of the I.O.O.F.

Many autos and hundreds of people visited the scene of the tragedy during the evening.  Relatives of the men reached the place shortly after the word was sent out.  (Mon., Sept 26, 1921, pg. 5)

September 1921
DESPONDENT WOMAN TAKES HER OWN LIFE
Body Found Floating In the Little Sioux River
Sickness and despondency caused Mrs. Chas. Draper, living near Quimby, to take her own life yesterday.   Two men going over a bridge across the Little Sioux river discovered her body floating in the water.  When taken from the water it was discovered that she had died from heart failure, as there was no water in her lungs. The shock when she struck the water had caused her heart to cease functioning.
Mrs. Draper had been ill for some time and this coupled with the fact that her husband is confined to his bed with sciatic rheumatism, brought on despondency which led her to the rash act.
Mrs. Draper was 66 years of age. The couple have no children. Funeral arrangements have not yet been made.   (Mon., Sept 26, 1921, pg. 5)