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IS SILVER GREEKRobert Best Finds His Death While Trying to Save | a Comrade.J Had Saved Others 3efore andj Made a Splendid Record -| for Heroism.i - !! Body Recovered, Bruised on | Rocks Belov/ the Dam I Where He Sank. ;| Loved by All Who Knew Him.Tlit? city was icx-;lt;•.*■! on Saturday ! afternoon when Hi* sad twws was dr I minted that Robert B-sr. -on .*t former I Mayor Jacob Best. 172 Ea.-t Spring I street, was drowned ::i silver Crock. be- ; low the dam while attempting to save | another man.Young Best was a favorite with all who knew him. He had saved several persons from drowning, the last one ; being Edward Schlenker. a street car conductor, who had sunk in the lake and after whom Best dived and brought him up and ashore, i Robert Best and his friend. Sherman Minton, and Robert McMillen. of Fort i Worth, Tex., were at Glen wood Park.where Best had charge of the beach i and boats. With them was Walter Heazlitt, whose guests the two young [ men from Texas were, and Misses Ger-; trude Gurtz and Mary Stotsenburg,I but the young ladies did not euter the i water.i The creek has been at flood height on ‘ account of the recent rains and a swift current was running.McMillen waded out on the west end of the dam, slipped and was carried ! over it into the whirlpool but being a good swimmer he pulled out. It dragged • him back however and his danger was seen by Best and his companions.Best ran back to the boatlandiug, got ! a skiff and headed for the dam, jumped it in the frail craft. McMillen by this time bad drifted into quieter water by a current and made for the shore where he landed completely exhausted.Best seemed in no danger. When he eauie up he had hold of an oar, which he discarded and swum out of the pool without its assistance. He went down , stream in an apparently leisurely fashion and seemed in no distress at all as he drifted past McMillen. To Minton, who was running along the shore he shouted: “I’m all right. There was no signs of distress upon his face and he had evidently not been hurt on the rocks below the dam. He struck out to swim overhand toward the shore and a few' seconds later ho sank.Immediately search began for the body. Word had been seat to the father who joined in the search, but was taken back to his home, weeping and collapsed with his great sorrow.The body was recovered Sunday morning at 8 o'clock by a youth named Edward Renshaw, fourteen years old, and taken out of the water by liis two friends, McMillen, for whom he sacrificed his life and young Minton.The fiuding of the body showed the cause of Bobbie Best’s death, for his right leg and right arm w'ere drawn up as iu a cramp. Bruises upon his face were probably inflicted after the lifeless body drifted down stream to where it was found a short distance down the creek.The body was taken to Lottichs undertaking establishment after the coroner had viewed it and then to the home of the father. The young man was 20 years old, had attended High School and was preparing to enter the study of law, having worked some time as a reporter and later as salesman for a typewriter firm.Best is survived by his father, two sisters, Mrs. Charles Oltman and Miss Amelia Best, and three brothers, Chester Best of New Albany. Raymond Best, of Los Angeles, Ca!.. and Morris Best, of Santa Monica, Ca!. Funeral services took place at 3 p. ut. Monday at the residence.Robert McMillen, whom Robert Beat died to save, is ill with grief and pros-! tration at the home of Mrs. 'Frances M.
Newspaper Details
New Albany Weekly Ledger
New Albany, Indiana, US
Wed, Sep 06, 1916
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
New A.
Indiana, USA 31 Aug 2024
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