Wm. 62625396 , son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bessey, was drowned in the Elkhorn river near Washington last Sunday. Bessey was in swimming with two companions and all three got into water too keep for them, and as only one of them was a swimmer, he could do but little in the way of rescue. The companions names were John Cooper and Everett Cowles. Cowles and Cooper came up near together and as Cowles was quite a swimmer, he seized hold of Cooper, and after a half mile swim succeeded in landing. The body of Mr. 62625396 has not yet been found.

15 June, 1904 - The Pilot -

This community was shocked Sunday evening upon learning of the death of Wm. Bessey by drowning. Bessey, together with John Cooper and Everett Cowles, was bathing in the Elkhorn river when they suddenly stepped into a hole several feet deep and there went out of sight. Cooper came up not far from Cowles, who was the only one of the party that could swim. Cowles was able to seize Cooper and swam with him for a half mile where he grasped the limb of a tree and held from shore saved them. Bessey was the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bessey. Up to this writing no trace of his body has been found.

22 June, 1904 - The Pilot -

The body of young Bessey, who was drowned in the Elkhorn near Washington last week was found Sunday by two of his companions about four miles down the river, lodged in the branches of a tree. His companions took a boat Sunday and started down the river in search of the body. It was badly decomposed.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~