Kenosha County WI Archives Obituaries.....Rafferty, Owen August 4, 1923
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JoLynn O'Hare Oten jolynno@aol.com June 10, 2012, 7:22 pm

Kenosha Evening News, Monday 6 Aug 1923
           OWEN RAFFERTY DROWNS IN LAKE 
 Buried Beside Sister Accidentally Killed Three Years Ago. 
                     FUNERAL ON TUESDAY 
Grandson of Former Police Chief Becomes Frightened While Floating on Log.
     Tragedy on Saturday stalked into the home of Frank Rafferty of 464 
Congress street and claimed the life of his son, Owen, 9 years old. The boy 
drowned while bathing in Lake Michigan at the Broad street beach.
     Tuesday morning at 9 o'clock, following funeral services at St. James 
church, the lad will be buried beside his little sister, Rose Mary, who was 
accidentally killed three years ago.
                     Washed Out On Log.
     The boy drowned when high waves which were running late Saturday 
afternoon washed the log upon which he was floating out into deep water. 
According to the story told by the three Tyson boys, Francis 13, William 10 
and Robert 7, who had gone to the beach together as they have been doing all 
summer, Owen suddenly attempted to touch bottom.
     Frightened when he discovered that he was beyond his depth, the lad let 
go of the log and shrieking for help, thrashed the water helplessly for an 
instant before he sank. For a moment the trio stood paralized with fear, then 
suddenly recovering their presence of mind, they rushed down the beach calling 
for help.
                     Body is Recovered. 
     Two men, whose names the police have not as yet been able to learn, 
answered their calls for help. Pulling off their outer garments, the men 
plunged into the water and within a few minutes had found the boy and carried 
him to the beach. They immediately began first aid treatments.
     Meanwhile one of the Tyson boys had called members of the coast guard. 
For the better part of an hour, working in relays, the guardsmen used all the 
resuscitation methods in the hope of bringing the boy around. When they saw 
that the battle was hopeless they called the police.
                         Takes Pal to Hospital. 
     In an agony of fear, Francis took the inert form of his little playmate 
and rushed it to St. Catherine's hospital, where unaided he carried it up to 
the second floor. "Please make him live again, doctor," he implored of Dr. J. 
W. Adair, resident physician. After a rapid examination the physician shook 
his head doubtfully. Further attempts were then made to revive the boy, but he 
was beyond medical aid.
     As soon as the police learned of the death they immediately summoned 
Truman T. Parker, county coroner, who was sitting at the inquest on the death 
of George Hutchinson, killed the night before, when the sidecar in which he 
was riding collided with an unlighted wagon near the state line. The inquest 
which was nearly over was closed within a few minutes.
                               Father is Called.
     George O'Hare, motorcycle patrolman and uncle of the dead boy, located 
the lad's father and brought him to the hospital. As the father entered the 
room where his son lay on a white cot, he put his cheek against that of his 
dead boy and for a moment broke down. "Now there are only two left," and his 
voice choked. He recovered his composure and asked that the body be removed to 
the Crossin undertaking parlors.
     The lad is survived by his parents and Helen Louise, a 5-year-old sister, 
and a brother, Billie, aged 2. 


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