“Russell Byrd, aged 16, colored, deliberately leaped to his death in the Scioto river late Monday afternoon.”
“Despite the fact that he could not swim he ran down a springing board and plunged into the cooling waters of the river. Frantically he tried to reach the shore, but his strength failed him and he soon disappeared.”
“Byrd was accompanied by five white boys, Ernest McGraw 14, Henry Wise 11, Ernie Erhart 14, Peter Larchey 13 and Joe Lemon 12, residents of the North End. At 4:30 an effort was being made to recover Byrd’s body.”
“Byrd was employed as ‘bus boy’ at The Washington and is a stepson of Henry Adams, who is also employed at The Washington.”
“Mr. Adams was notified of the tragic affair at 4 o’clock and went at once to the scene of the drowning, which was just below the Eastern bridge that spans the treacherous Scioto, north of the city.”
“The unfortunate boy evidently thought the Scioto at the point where he decided to go in bathing was not very deep. As he leaped joyfully from the springing board he plunged into 12 feet of water and a few moments later met a watery grave. Mr. Adams, the boy’s stepfather resides on Eleventh street in the rear of Jim Melvin’s ice cream parlor.”1
