Wells Bostwick, a twelve-year-old son of Sumner Bostwick, a former well-known insurance man, fell into Mead’s brick yard pond, at the head of Mill street, and was drowned, Tuesday evening.
The pond in some places is fifteen feet deep and the bank is very slippery. It is thought the boy in some way lost his balance and slid into the water.
The boy left home about three o’clock, accompanied by several companions. They went direct to the pond and spent the remainder of the afternoon fishing. The other boys left for home at supper time, but young Bostwick remained. He was seen on the banks of the pond at half-past six o’clock, still fishing, by Ellis Monk, a twelve-year-old East Front street boy, employed at Shump’s second-hand store. He talked with him for a few minutes, then left. That was the last seen of the Bostwick boy alive.
“About dark the parents began worrying over their son’s failure to return, but remembering that on a previous occasion he had run away from home to visit his grandfather Harry Bostwick, out in the country, they concluded he had repeated the trick. The mother1 feared, however, that something had befallen her son and accordingly Mr. Bostwick telephoned to Sciotoville and Harrisonville. Word came that nothing had been seen of the boy at either place.”
“Then it happened that some of the little boys who had been with him in the afternoon, hearing that the boy was missing, told several persons they had left him at the pond. This news spread with great rapidity, and it was decided to drag the pond. The boy’s fishing pole and line were found on the banks at the spot where he had been seen. This left no further doubts as to his end, and a party of men began the work of searching for the body. Four men, Leon Applegate, Tooks Ayler, Joe Bowers and Bill Stone kept it up until 3 o’clock.”
“The body was brought to the surface by means of a drag net about 7:33 this morning. About two hundred people lined the banks of the pond and in every way possible assisted in the search. In the crowd stood the father, hoping his worst fears would not be realized. When the body was found he let out a cry that could be heard a square away and almost collapsed.”
“The body was immediately taken to the home at Front and Thompson streets, where a heart-rending scene followed when the lifeless form was brought into the presence of the mother. Her grief knew no bounds and it was with difficulty neighbors induced her to retire to an upstairs room. Coroner Edwards was at once notified of the finding of the body.”2
- Lottie Frazier Bostwick
- Is drowned: Little Wells Bostwick meets end in Mead’s Pond. (1903, July 25). Portsmouth Times, p. 1.
