Purcell - Finley
Source: Advance Friday Caller, 6-25-1909
One of the most distressing accidents that has happened in Montgomery County for some time occurred Sunday afternoon when Sidney Purcell, aged 19 years and Finley Purcell, aged 16 were drowned in Sugar Creek, six miles northeast of this city and Luther Purcell, a brother of Finley, almost met with the same fate in an effort to save the two boys. Finley Purcell is the son of General Jackson Purcell, who lately removed from Lapland to a farm in the Enoch neighborhood and Sidney Purcell was a son of Daniel Purcel (sic) of Tood, Ky and came to this county about six months ago, taking employment with James Lane who resides near Manchester, four miles north of this city. Other Purcell, also of Indianapolis and Jack Purcell, who is a barber under the Elston bank with their families were at the home of General Purcell for a Sunday dinner. Shortly after dinner, Sidney, Finley and Luther started to the creek a half mile distant to fish and were at the point in the rear of the Patton farm, about 400 yards east of the George Enoch bridge. They had been fishing up and down the creek for a couple of hours when Sidney Purcell decided to cross the creek. There is some very deep water at this point and some dangerous holes, and the young man was warned of these, but he kept wading out and suddenly when the water water was about to his shoulders he was seen to step off in a hole and as he came up called loudly for help. Sidney Purcell jumped n to rescue him if possible and had no more than reached the spot where Finley went down until he too became helpless. Luther Percell (sic) who was about 40 ‘ up the creek seeing the boys bobbing up and down in the deep water, attempted to assist them and plunged into the stream. He reached them and was attempting to grab them as they came up when he lost his footing and was sucked into the hole by the swift undercurrent and had gone down twice. As he came up the last time he made a grab for a small limb of an old tree that was laying out in the creek and was able to pull himself up out of the current, but was so weak he could not get out of the creek for several minutes. Of course by this time the other boys had sunk out of sight. Emmett Gillum, a farmer who resides near was fishing some distance away and heard the cries of the boys for help, but he was unable to swim and ran to notify the neighbors. Soon there was a large crowd present and the work of rescuing the bodies was begun. Elmer Patton, Fred Harp, William Bastian, Bert Dale, George Largent, George Sering, Ora Munson and Truman Gosnell constituted the party and it was about an hour from the time the boys were drowned until the bodies were recovered. First an effort was made to find them by diving but in this they were unsuccessful. A boat was then secured and Ora Munson, handing to the end of the boat let himself down and presently touched the body of Sidney with his feet. He clamped his feet around him and raised the body near enough to the surface of the water for his companions to take it in the boat. The other body was felt with a long pole about 6’ from where the first was found, the water at this point being about 7’ deep and the bodies had been carried by the undercurrent about 30’ from where they went down. The bodies were taken to the home of General Purcell, where they were prepared for burial and the relatives of Sidney who live in Kentucky were notified of the unfortunate affair. - kbz
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Source: Indianapolis Star 21 June 1909
Mon p 3
Crawfordsville, Ind – June 20 – Special
– Two persons lost their lives and another narrowly escaped a similar fate in
Sugar Creek, four miles north of here, this afternoon when Sidney Purcell, 18
years old and his cousin, Finley Purcell, 16 years old, were drowned and Luther
Purcell, a brother of Finley, in attempting to save the two boys was almost
drowned. The three boys left home early this morning on a fishing trip and
after going up stream for a considerable distance they started back, wading in
the water near the bank. Sidney who was slightly in the lead, suddenly walked
into a deep hole in the creek and sank out of sight. Finley who was a short
distance behind, hasted to his cousin’s aid and plunged into the deep hole.
Both boys were sucked beneath the surface of the water, and Luther also plunged
into the hole in an effort to save his companions. In attempting to drag the
boys out of the water he became exhausted and as the two boys sank for the last
time it was only with difficulty he was able to pull himself out of the hole.
Sidney Purcell was the son of Gen. Jackson Purcell, who lives near the place
where the drowing occurred. Finley Purcell was the son of Daniel Purcell and
recently came here from Kentucky. His fathe resides at Todd, Ky. The bodies of
the two boys were recovered by divers about 4 o’clock this afternoon, a half
hour after the drowning.