BROTHERS DIE TOGETHER

A DOUBLE DROWNING OCCURS IN LAKE HADLEY.

William S. Gibbons Loses His Life In Attempting to Save His Brother George Double Funeral Held at 10 O'clock Tuesday.

 Williams S. Gibbons and Ben G. Gibbons, jr., brothers, were drowned in Lake Hadley, northeast of Olathe Sunday morning at about 12:30 o'clock. The bodies were recovered several hours later and brought to this city. The double funeral was held from the Gibbons home on East Santa Fe avenue Tuesday at 10 o'clock, conducted by Rev. J. G. Henderson of the Methodist church.

The particulars of the double drowning, as nearly as can be learned, are as follows: The two Gibbons boys, accompanied by their cousin, William Miller, had prepared to spend the night fishing on the, lake. At about 12:30, George, who had been bathing at a point about 100 feet distant from where the fish lines were set out, was heard to cry for help. His brother hastened to his assistance followed by Miller. Just what happened then is not known but it is believed  that William got hold of George and finding himself in deep water he cried to Miller for help. Miller endeavored to render assistance and did get hold of William but was compelled to let him go to save his own life.

Miller says neither of the Gibbons' brothers could swim nor did they know nor did they know that there were “step-offs” in the lake. He supposed that George had been wading around in the shallow water and possibly thought he could wade across the lake and probably attempted to when he stepped off a ledge of rock into about nine feet of water and was seized with cramps.

1. T. Silvers went out to the lake at about 4 o'clock to render assistance in finding the bodies . The first dive he made he found the bodies lying together but not locked. When he brought up the body of George the position of the limbs and the appearance of the eyes indicated that he had been seized with cramps before he drowned.

It is a remarkable co-incidence that four Olathe painters have met violent death within a period of two months. James Levi was killed near the Belt line bridge at Thirtieth and Southwest Boulevard, by a Frisco train, Friday morning, May 19. Robert Young was killed by a Santa Fe train near the Loula street crossing in this city on Sunday morning, May 28, and now comes the death of the two Gibbons boys on the morning of Sunday, July 10.

Olathe Mirror
July 20, 1905
Page 1, col 5