My Family Tree

Young Angler Falls Unobserved into Stream and Drowns

Brother Nearby Believed Gerald Leonard, 9, Had Gone Home - Search Starts Some Time Later And In Middle Of Night Searchlight Beams Show Up Body At Bot tom Of Raceway

A fishing trip along the banks of Owasco River near the Water Department's lower pumping station east of Swift Street Extension, turned into a tragedy Friday afternoon when Gerald Leonard, nine-year-old son of Mrs. Katherine J. Leonard of 56 Letchworth Street, Owasco, tumbled unobserved into the stream and was drowned.

The little boy's body was pulled from the raceway near the pump house just before 1 o'clock this morning after being in the water for almost seven hours. Dr. Raymond C. Almy, Cayuga County coroner, issued a certificate that gave accidental drowning as the cause of death.

Gerald and his brother, William, aged 20, were fishing from the shore near the filtration plant when the accident occurred. William told officials that about 5 o'clock yesterday Gerald said that his line was tangled and he guessed he would go home. That was the last he saw of his brother alive.

William returned home later and when he found his brother had not been seen at the house, he immediately returned to the river bank. He found Gerald's fishing rod on the bank of the stream. Anxious, now, he gave the alarm.

Search Begins

The Auburn state police substation was notified and Sergt. Howard Spellicy and Trooper Earl Tuttle motored to the scene and started searching along the banks of the river. At first it was not believed the boy had tumbled into the water but when no trace of him could be found dragging operations along the stream began. The troopers were soon joined by members of the Owasco Fire Department and the Auburn Police Department and a hunt was made below and above the state dam.

When darkness overtook the searching party an appeal was made to the Auburn Fire Department for its battery of floodlights. Electrician Larry Toye and Fireman Paul Darrow of the Hook and Ladder Company went to the river with the lights. After dragging south and north of the dam the searching party centered its activities around the swiftly running raceway. The water in the raceway is quite deep and it was found necessary to lower the water there.

Members of the Auburn Police Department detailed by Capt. William V. Graney to assist the search along the river banks were Patrolmen Henry Mitchell, John O'Connor and Joseph Myers.

Body at Bottom

Milton Salter, engineer at the pumping station, closed the gate and the water in the raceway was lowered to a depth of about three feet. Then the boy's body was seen on the bottom of the stream. Electrician Toye and James O. Williams, the latter a member of the Owasco Fire Department, climbed down a ladder and pulled the victim ashore. It was useless to attempt artificial respiration as it was obvious the little boy was dead, having been in the water for at least seven hours.

Officials while talking to Gerald's brother learned that William heard no outcry or even a splash. As there is considerable water tumbling over the dam, any cry or splash the young victim might have made was muffled by the roar of the falls.

The victim is survived by his mother; one brother, William; four sisters, Catherine, Elizabeth, Marie and Frances Leonard. The boy's father died about five years ago.

Funeral services will be held at 8:30 o'clock Tuesday at the Leonard Home, 56 Letchworth Street, and at 9 o'clock at Holy Family Church. Burial will be in St. Joseph's Cemetery.

Search "Newspaper Auburn NY Citizen Advertiser 1940 - 3207.PDF" on fultonhistory.com