Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Orpheus Dumas, 1920 11 Jan 2008 Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell) ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************ DUMAS, ORPHEUS (24 Jun 1920, Sayre Headlight, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK): Orpheus J. Dumas, a young man fifteen years of age, whose mother is employed at the Greer eating house, at the Rock Island depot, was drowned near the mouth of Long Creek on Friday afternoon. It seems that the boy went swimming with a young Mexican, whose father is employed on the Rock Island section gang, and that he got into a deep hole, where the water was over his head, and then could not swim. Details are very meagre as the Mexican boy can not talk English, and also was so excited that he hardly knows what did happen. The Mexican boy evidently tried to save the Dumas boy, as he has made it understood that he grabbed Dumas' trousers and attempted to haul him out with them, but that young Dumas, in his struggles, pulled away from him. The Mexican could not swim, so he clambered up the steep bank and ran to the residence of C. G. Fuchs, nearly a quarter of a miles distant, for assistance. By the time he had secuted (sic) aid and Mr. Fuchs and others had pulled the Dumas boy out, he was past all resuscitation although doctors were immediately summoned. Funeral services were held at the Doxey-Sayre cemetery on Saturday, Rev. W. J. Moore, of the Methodist church, conducting them. (24 Jun 1920, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK): BOY DROWNS AT SAYRE Word was received here last Friday evening of the death by drowning of Orpheus Dumas, formerly of Elk City, but who has been living in Sayre for the past year or so. It seems with a younger boy, he went to the creek where he had been going in every day, to wade. There was a deep hole in which he had been used to jumping into and although it was quite deep, it did not reach much above his shoulders. Because of the rain the creek had raised considerable and he had not thought about it making any difference and jumped in as usual. He was not able to swim and when he went under and did not come up again, the little boy, undressed ready for wading, became scared ran without his clothes to some men and gave the alarm. But he was dead when the body was recovered. Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon, and burial at the Doxey-Sayre cemetery. Orpheus was a fine manly boy, fifteen years of age, and the only son. His mother is a cousin of G. E. Martin of this city. She was in the Diamond C store here for some time, and, will be remembered by a number of our people. The deepest sympathy is extended to the bereaved parents. (25 Jun 1920, Friday, Elk City Press, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK): DUMAS BOY DROWNED IN CREEK NEAR SAYRE. Orpheus Dumas, 15 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Dumas, was drowned in the creek near Sayre last Saturday afternoon. In company with another boy, Orpheus had gone to a swimming hole in the creek for an afternoon's outing. Neither of the boys could swim. Young Dumas was first to undress, and plunged in. The recent rains had washed out a deep hole, and before he knew it he was over his depth. His friend was unable to render any assistance, and ran to call some men working on the railroad at a distance, and when they arrived it was, of course, too late to do anything. His body was recovered in about 11 feet of water. Mr. Dumas is an instructor at the Normal at Weatherford, and Mrs. Dumas is quite well known here, having been employed at the Diamond C during the war. Funeral services were held at the Sayre-Doxey cemetery on Saturday afternoon. (1 Jul 1920, Sayre Standard, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK): Orpheus Dumas was born at Eldorado, Arkansas, January 21, 1905 and died at Sayre, Oklahoma, June 18, 1920. Orpheus was a kind, gentle and loving dispositioned boy, ever standing as a peace maker where there was discord. Those who knew him best loved him best. Wherever he went he won the confidence and esteem of the high, the low, the rich, the poor, the young and the old. Orpheus attended his father's school from the time he was five years old until three years ago, when his father's health broke down and had he lived, he would have been with his father next session. Orpheus joined the South Methodist Church at Elk City, Oklahoma, about May 15, 1919, and we believe that his spirit has been taken to its eternal home to that Great God who gave it. --------------------------------------------------------- Return to Beckham County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/beckham/beckham.htm