Floyd Day’s obituary, Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan

Copyright © 1999 by Melissa Carpenter. This copy contributed for use in 
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LANSING CAPITOL NEWS
SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 1927

FLOYD DAY OBITUARY

BROTHER SEES HIM GO DOWN, UNABLE TO AID

VICTIM IS FLOYD DAY, 8 YEARS OLD

BODY FOUND IN NORTH LANSING MILL-RACE

The petty thief, whoever he is, that stole most of the rope from the life preserver on the 
dam at North Lansing may live with the memory that the life of a little boy is chalked up 
against him.

Floyd Day, 8 years old, was drowned in the Walton mill-race there late Friday because 
the life line had been cut off and his 11 year-old brother, Kenneth, could not get the life 
preserver out to him.

Floyd was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Sayers, 518 E. Grand River Av.

PLAY PROVES TRAGIC

The boys with a number of schoolmates from the East Park school were on their way 
home at 3:30 p.m. Spring was in the air and they stopped to play for a few minutes on the 
gate that bars the river from the mill stream. Tossing a ball was the sport and while trying 
to catch it Floyd slipped and fell into the water.

Kenneth rushed to the life preserver box, secured the buoy, and tried to reach his brother 
with it. Through his tears he told of the effort.

"I tried so hard to save Floyd. He reached for the life preserver but the rope was too short 
and he couldn't get hold of it. If it had only been a little longer he could have gotten out."

Investigation revealed the fact that some thief, wanting the half-inch manilla rope 
attached to the preserver, had cut the rope and taken all but a few feet attached to the ring.

ROPES GONE BEFORE

Police say this has occured several times before on this and other life-preservers 
throughout the city. The officers promise 'the limit' if anyone is caught in such a theft.

Chief Alfred Seymour said Saturday that his investigation shows that the boy certainly 
would have been saved had it not been for teh theft of the rope, He characterized the thief 
as 'undoubtedly the murderer of the boy"

As soon as the accident was reported the police department life boat was dispatched to 
the scene. After two hours of dragging the body was recovered and turned over to 
Coroner Gorsline.

Tentative funeral arrangements call for services for teh boy to be held from the Wood and 
Peck funeral home Monday at 2 p.m.

* Submiteres note: Floyd was the blood son of Daisey (Milton) Sayers and Orator 
Mckinnley Day aka Herbert Day.