Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Nichols, William L. 1885
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Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net September 12, 2012, 6:56 pm

The Ionia Standard, Friday, July 31, 1885

A little before midnight Saturday night, it was reported that Wm. Nichols, son 
of W. S. Nichols, the marble cutter, was drowned in the river and a searching 
party was at once made up and a fruitless search kept up all night for the 
body.  A little after noon on Sunday it was found just below the high water 
road bridge, lying in 12 feet of water, and very near where Nichols was seen 
to go down.  The body was found by raking the river with a sulky horse rake.  
Percy Shepherd stood on the seat, the water then being often up to his neck, 
while men on either bank dragged the rake up and down the river….(portion 
illegible)…picked up the body at the sixth time over the river bed.

The first story told about the drowning was that three young men, E. Young, G. 
W. Webber Jr., and the deceased, were bathing and started to swim across the 
river.  Young and Webber reached the opposite bank and found Nichols was not 
with them. He was not seen again.  When the body was found Justice Mitchell 
impaneled a jury and the inquest was completed Monday.  A somewhat different 
story of the affair was then developed.  The boys, it appears, were bathing in 
company with three young ladies.  Young and Nichols had made arrangements with 
the girls to go and on the way invited Webber to go with them.  Nichols lost 
his life by attempting to swim the river with one of the girls on his back.  
The testimony of Edsie Young gives a full account as we reproduce it.

Edward Young sworn.—Live in Ionia.  Am a tinner by trade.  Have known deceased 
8 or 9 years.  Was with him on Saturday night.  First met him 7 or 8 o’clock 
at the barber shop.  Geo. Egbert, Charley Gerard and Geo. Webber and the 
deceased were there (at the shop).  Was not with Webber and Nichols all the 
evening.  Webber and Nichols went to get a pair of shoes for Webber and I went 
down street.  Went to the house about ¾ of an hour then down to the mill.  
Went to the house after some clothes then to the mill where I expected to meet 
the three girls, Alice Burch, Minnie Wilkinson and Sarah Paul.  Had made 
arrangements with them that morning to go swimming with us.  They were not 
there and I went after them and we waited at the corner by Novelty mills till 
Webber and Nichols came.  Don’t know where they spent the intervening time. 
Don’t think Nichols had been drinking.  Saw him drink one glass of beer.  We 
had no liquor with us.  Started for river about 9:30.  Got to the river and 
found a lot of boys bathing on the bar and we kept out of sight till they left.

Then we boys went aside and put on our bathing suits and the girls put on 
their suits.  I took out Miss Wilkinson and Nichols, Miss Burch.  I heard him 
say: “Don’t be afraid, rest on my shoulder.”  They were swimming out in the 
middle of the river.  Don’t know if he intended to cross, but I said, “For 
God’s sake Nich what are you doing?  Come back.”  He did not come and I swam 
out to them.  I heard her say: “Turn back; it is over my head.”  Nichols had 
gone under when I reached them.  I caught Alice and brought her to shore.  
Think he had hold of her or she of him when I first took hold of her, think so 
by the “belt.”  Webber was on the opposite bank, alone, at the time.  Miss 
Paul had not gone in the water.  Did not see Nichols after I reached Alice.  
She had been under water and was strangling.  I took her to shore and called 
to Webber and told him “Nich” was drowning.  We swam all over but we could not 
find him.  He did not come up that we saw.  

Was not present when the body was found.  The place was pointed out to me and 
it seemed to me to be just about where he went down.  We had not been in the 
water more than 15 minutes before he was drowned.  Have often been in swimming 
with him before.  He was a good swimmer.  I told the story differently 
yesterday because we did not want it to appear that the girls were there, but 
I told John Bartlett all about it and just how it happened.  There was no 
trouble of any kind among us.  Nichols had not been drinking.  He was 24 years 
old, a single man, I  supposed.  The arrangement was made in the morning by 
Nichols and myself with the girls, but in the evening we (boys) met George and 
asked him to go with us.  It is a common thing for the boys and girls to go 
there to bathe.  The girls did not know of our asking George to go.

Miss Burch testified that she started out with Nichols, who said he would give 
her a swim.  She put her arms around his neck but when they got into deep 
water she got frightened and strangled, and knew nothing more till she found 
herself on shore where Young had brought her.

Miss Paul testified that she did not put on a bathing suit and did not go with 
any intention of going in, but simply to accompany the other girls.  There 
seems to have been no impropriety in the affair except that it was an unusual 
hour to go bathing.  The verdict of the jury was accidental drowning.


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