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BAYOU TRAGEDY TAKES DOuBLE TOLL FROM E. VAN WHITFIELD FAMILY WHEN TWO ARE DROWNED
Horace Whitfield, 29, Vainly Attempts to Save Son, Jack, 8, in Bayou Waters Over at Henderson Point Wednesday Afternoon Late?Double Funeral From Parent?*
Home Thursday Afternoon.
Wednesday afti irioon between the h<mrs i.f -1 :.'!0 and 5 o'clock. Horace Whit I'ieid. -iin ol former Sheriff und T:ix-?'i.||iTtnr 1\. Van Whitfield and ins deceased wil'e, and Jack Whitfield. fathef and son, met tragic death when liolh were drowned in the well-known bayou over ut Henderson 1?oint, opj osite the city of Hay .St. I.ouis.
Horace Whitliehl resided north of the 0. S. T. auto bridge with his '?unily at the I'oint. He assisted i father in Hay St. I.ouis operating a dairy bii'iiicss and traveled to and tn>. His father had just carried him across the bridge and hack home a short time previously and he haJ hardly been with his family when he planned to go across the bridge oxer In a neighbor's house and repair a broken screen.
He was followed hy two of his sons. It a| pears, the younger of the two, .In. k, .-ttumldcd and fell o/tr into Hie waters of the bayou, which formerly had been dredged. Subsequent speculations mnke it appear the little fellow fell into the deep holes left by the dredging operations. Ilis father was quick to see what had haj pened and jumped over to save him. However, he, too. soon became a victim of the distre.vieu situation.
Andrew I?ouyadou, who was casting for bait at the time, from H bout in the water* of the bayou, saw tiio 'her go over and soon came upon .? scene and threw his heavy cast-~net into the waters hoping to gc'. the body, however, he did not get the one he was fishing for but instead that of the boy, which was brought up nnd immediately others gathered and soon the body of the father was recovered.
Both bodies were still warm and
every known method, from first a?d to the professional use of the pul-motor, (subscribed for an I Lately Ijurchasud through the instrumentality of the Bay St. Louis Chamber of Commerce), was brought into play, but to no avail.
Hut those engaged in the effort at resuscitation did not propos; to give up. Both bodies, pro^ounccd dead by Dr. J. C. Buckley and Dr. D .II. Ward, and turned over to the undertakers, the work in attempt to revive both continued while being transferred across the bridge in the hearse.
Reaching Bay St. Louis the bodks were taken to the King?s Daughters hospital, where further attempts to revive continued, until fina/ly all hopes were abandoned and the bodies emhlamed and prepared for burial. From the Fahey Undertaking Home in Union street, they were taken to the home of Mr. and Mrs. E. Van Whitfield, in Necaisc avenue, where they reached about 11 o?clock, and were exposed to the view of the hundreds of people that formed a stream of friends and acquaintances that continued to flow in all during the night.
It was a most pathetic sight, needless to .any, and the many who called had gone to offer whatever assistance possible to sympathize with Mr. and Mrs. Whitfield and family and with the widow and her children as well.
The Funeral
Both funerals took place Thursday. afternoon as one. from the residence-of Mr.. Whitfield, Sr.
Rev. C. C. Clark, pastor of^the First Methodist church, officiated at the ceremony of the yonng father, and Rev. Father Fahey, of Bay St. Louis, officiated at the ceremony for the son, who had di^d in the Catholic faith. Both caskets we're placed in, the same hears* and^ taken to .Cedar Rest ' cemetery, lywfcfere they were laid away within the keep-.ing of.mother tarth.-th* last Test-
!injr place "marked '	-i|j- Wfch^asd
*ide ban*
Mrs. Louva Whitfield Dodge, wife1 of M. J. Dodge, of Biloxi; Rufus Whitfield of Creole, Miss., and G. Y. Whitfield .of Biloxi.
Ho is also survived by his wife, who, before her marriage was Mi-j Marie Redding ,of Bay St. Loot-., but originally of Hazlehurst, Georgii, and three boys and one girl.
Jack Whitfield.
.lack Whitfield was born in Huy St. I.ouis May 9, 1924, and only lart Monday had celebrated his 8th birthday. Hq was the second boy ol' the family and attended the local ci'.y sihools and was a bright pupil.
Horace Whitfield, who gave his life in the hope that another may live and no man hath greater love, spent the major | ortion of his lift-in Hay St, I.ouis, coming when quite a child, and was widely and favorably known. He attended the local schools and later studied the trude of electrician and conducted such business for quite a while. loiter he was connected with the Louisville & Nashville K. U. Company and since the forces of the railroad had luen reduced he was associated with his father. Both were companionable and the loss of this son is well nigh an irreparable blow. There are times that try men?s souls, it is said. Trulty this must be an instance. Mr. Whitfield and his wife and family sustain their loss with marked Christian fortitude and the hope is expressed they may continue to bear their great sorrow with so much courage and sublime resignation.


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