Edwin Scholes

People Buried Here

Description

Two lives were lost in the River Barwon near Ceres on Wednesday afternoon under very sad circumstances A. party of young people consisting of Mr. James Hillard A. probationer of the Wesleyan Church the Misses Scholes and their brothers Ernest and Samuel boys aged fifteen and thirteen respectively went to the river about 4 O'Clock to fish The Geelong Advertiser relates that on arrival at the Barwon the ladies took A. stroll along the banks of the stream leaving their companions engaged with the fishing tackle The weather being excessively warm induced Mr. Hillard and the boy Scholes to strip and venture into the river for A. bathe Mr. Hillard was A. strong and expert swimmer and Ernest Scholes could also swim but his brother Samuel could not Samuel kept paddling about in shallow water close to the bank of of the river whilst Mr. Hillard went across the stream and Ernest contented himself by keeping some ten 'Twelve yards from the bank Mr. Hilliard was returning when Ernest Scholes all of A. sudden called out to his brother "Sam I. can'T get outl can'T turn round," and then disappeared under the water Samuel Scholes immediately called out to Mr. Hilliard to swim in quick as his brother was drowning but strange to say Mr. Hillard also got under water rose twice to the surface and was drowned Ernest Scholes struggled for A. few seconds rose three times to the surface and was buried in the dark waters of Barwon Samuel Scholes tried to grasp his drowning brother'S hand but missed getting hold of it and narrowly escaped sinking into deep water himself' Mr. Hillard was engaged to one of the young ladies who accompanied him to the river and was to have been married as soon as he was ordained which would probably have been in January next The river at the place where the bathers entered is thickly covered with the worst kind of water reeds and it is presumed that both Mr. Hillard and the boy must have become so entangled as to be unable to release themselves When the body of the first named was recovered reeds were found tightly clinging round the legs We learn from our correspondent that an inquest was held yesterday on the bodies of Scholes and Hillard The evidence went to show that the deceased were evidently drowned through their feet becoming entangled in the weeds as when taken out the bodies showed signs of having been completely wrapped in them The jury returned A. verdict to the effect that the deceased were drowned through being dragged down by the weed *Published in the Kilmore Free Press 23 November 1876