Romeo Whitis
Submitted by: Kim Downing
This
first article is from the Crawfordsville Daily Journal on May 29, 1920
Brick Yard Man Is Missing
From Home
Believed Drowned
________
Romeo
Whitis Thought To Have Lost
Life
While Fishing
__________
Large
Party is Dragging Creek In
Search
Of Body
_________
Was in Ill Health and
Left Work Yesterday Afternoon-
Bicycle and Dinner Pail
Found
____________
Romeo Whitis, age 23, an employee of the Standard Brick Yard, has failed to
return from a fishing trip taken yesterday afternoon along Sugar Creek and it
appears from the general trend of evidence that he has been drowned. A large
searching party has been engaged in dragging the creek all day, but his body has
not yet been found.
Whitis came to this city about four years ago from Eubanks, KY. He secured
work first at the Wire and Nail mill but has been employed for several months at
the Standard Brick plant. He is married and resides at 704 College Street.
He has two children aged about one and a half and three and a half years.
The missing man has been complaining of poor health for several days and stated
repeatedly that he did not feel like working. Yesterday at the noon hour
he sat down with a number of other men to eat his dinner but showed no appetite
and waited until his companions were almost through eating before he opened his
dinner pail.
He appeared to be somewhat ill and said that he did not feel like eating
anything. He finally opened his bucket, however, and picked over the lunch
which it contained, eating sparingly and with no apparent relish.
When the whistle blew at one o"clock to call the employees back to their work he
roused himself long enough to say, "I don't feel like going back there this
afternoon." and made no effort to return to his job. A little while later,
however, he was seen to go to his locker and change his rubber shoes for a pair
of leather ones. He then took his bicycle and left the plant.
Walter Warren, a barber who lives at 601 Whitlock avenue, told a number of
friends that he walked across the trestle with Whitis and saw him park his
bicycle at the south end of the trestle on the left side of the track, near the
creek bank. This is the last person, as far as has been determined, to see
the missing man after he left the brick yard.
Whitis is in the habit of fishing a great deal in Sugar Creek and, it is said
that he often goes out along the creek after supper in the evening to enjoy the
form of recreation. It is therefore almost certain that he went to the
creek with this in mind.
When he failed to return his family became alarmed and made some effort to find
what had become of him. This morning as the employees of the brick plant were
walking to work along the railroad they noticed his bicycle and dinner pail
along the creek bank where he had left them and a search party was organized.
Men who were well acquainted with the habits of Whitis say the he was accustomed
to climb from the trestle down onto the cement abutment which stands well out in
the stream. In this manner he was able to fish in deeper water. It
would appear from this fact that he has probably attempted to do the same thing
yesterday afternoon and, due to his weakened condition, has fainted and dropped
into the deep water. Being already ill he would experience great
difficulty in swimming out. Thus the indications that the missing man has
lost his life are very grave.
Chief of Police Irwin was informed early this morning of the disappearance and
spent several hours in dragging the creek. He has placed the dragging in
the hands of Milford Miller, 817 John Street, the father-in-law of Whitis, and
Kiah Rector, the missing man's foreman at the brick plant. They are
conducting a thorough search for the body of Whitis, using three boats and drag
hooks.
There seems to be but little evidence to back up the suggestion made by some
persons that Whitis may have boarded a freight car and left the country.
He was dressed in his work clothes and had no money on his person.
Here is
another article about Romeo from the Crawfordsville Daily Journal May 31, 1920
Body Of Drowned Man Found
Below
Railroad Trestle
__________
Brick Yard Employee Loses
Life While Fishing From
Abutment Under Sugar
Creek Bridge.
_______________
The body of Romeo Whitis, Who disappeared from the Standard Brick plant Friday
afternoon, was recovered from the waters of Sugar Creek this morning about 11
o"clock, under the trestle over which the Monon crosses the creek.
Whitis had complained of feeling sick and left the yard at noon. He was last
seen alive as he led his bicycle across the trestle and left it near the
railroad early in the afternoon. He was accustomed to fishing in the creek
near the trestle and had a habit of climbing down to the abutments for this
purpose. It is presumed that he became weak from illness Friday afternoon
as he sat there and fell into the water. His condition would of course
prevent his swimming out.
A large party was organized to search for the body when he failed to return
Friday night and after his bicycle had been found by the workmen as they went to
the plant Saturday afternoon. The creek was dragged with hooks and every
part of the creek bed under the trestle was carefully hunted over, for two days
but no sign of the missing man's body was found, and it was thought by some that
he might have left the country on a freight train.
About eleven o'clock this morning, however, a colored man crossing the trestle
saw what appeared to be a body floating near the abutments. A closer examination
substantiated his first impression and he immediately informed Ray Thomas.
The police were informed and the body immediately removed and sent to Barnhill
undertaking parlors.
Whitis was about 23 years of age at the time of his death and is survived by a
wife and two small children. His father-in-law, Milford Miller, is an
employee of the Wire & Nail mill and resides at 817 John Street.
Whitis came to Crawfordsville four years ago from Eubanks, KY., and it is
understood that the body will be sent to that place for burial. The
details of the funeral arrangements have not yet been made public.
From
the Crawfordsville Weekly Review June 1, 1920
BODY OF ROMEO WHITIS IS
TAKEN
FROM SUGAR CREEK
_______
Young Married Man Missing
since Friday
Met Death By Drowning.
___________
Thought He May Have Been
Fishing and Fell From
Pier- Came Here from
Kentucky.
____________
The body of Romeo Whites, missing since last Friday afternoon, was found
floating near the surface of the waters of Sugar Creek, near the Monon bridge,
north of the city, Monday morning about 11 o'clock by a colored man, who was
passing that way. Superintendent Ray Thomas, of the Standard Brick plant,
where the man had been employed was notified, and with a party of men, including
the police, who were notified, the body was removed and taken to the Barnhill
undertaking parlors, to be prepared for burial.
Whites left the brick plant shortly after noon Friday, saying he was too ill to
work. He din not return home and Friday evening a search for him was
instituted. Early Saturday morning employees of the plant discovered his
coat, hat, dinner bucket and bicycle near the creek banks, at a point where he
came over the bridge. Whether he fell into the creek, which is very deep
at that point, and was unable to help himself, or whether his act was
premeditated, there is no way of knowing.
All day Saturday and Sunday parties worked in an effort to locate the body, but
without result.
Whitis was about 23 years of age at the time of his death and is survived by a
wife and two small children. His father-in-law, Milford Miller, is an
employee of the Wire & Nail mill and resides at 817 John Street.
Whitis came to Crawfordsville four years ago from Eubanks, Ky., and it is
understood that the body will be sent to that place for burial. The
details of the funeral arrangements have not yet been made public.
Last Update Saturday, 14-Apr-2018 17:06:44 CDT
County Coordinator:
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