Fred Bessine
Born: January 1st, 1970
Died: September 8th, 1893
Obituary
Freddy Bessine, a fifteen-year-old boy, was drowned yesterday at Sather’s, five miles up the river. He was a son of Fred Bessine, an employee of the Narrow Guage railroad, who lives at 1308 North Seventh St.
Young Bessine with two other boys who live in the neighborhood went fishing yesterday. The heat of the day and the long journey up the river had tired the boys out, and when they reached the shore of Tama Island, opposite Sater’s one of them suggested a swim. The Bessine boy was the first in the water. He swam to a log, or stump, some distance from the shore, climbed on it, and sat down. The other boys had their attention attracted to something else for a few moments and when they looked for Beessine he was gone. A thorough hunt along the shore failed to reveal his whereabouts and the boys hurried back to town with the news that Fred was drowned. The stricken father and a number of friends instantly went to search for the body, but without success.
The dead boy has been subject to epileptic fits all his life. It is supposed that he was attacked with one while sitting on the log, fell into the water, and sank at once. Some time ago while swimming with some boys above the waterworks he had a fit while in the water, and had it not been for two tramps who bravely rescued him, he would have drowned. The boys who were with him say they heard no outcry no splash to indicate that their friend was in trouble.
Freddy’s body was found the next day by Elias Sater at a point about 300 yards from where the drowning took place. A long cut on the top of his head shows that the body struck a stone or some obstruction as he went down and was stunned.
The funeral was held five days after he drowned. At 2:00 from the family residence, corner of Seventh and Linden Streets, Rev. Bocklemann officiating.