Since the death date was not given, a news article date was used.

# 1 - - published in The Tribune, 8/6/1913

DROWNED IN RIVER

While in swimming with a bunch of companions Sunday morning, Roy Johnson was drowned in the Missouri River at a point about a hundred yards east of what is known as the Club house near the Dave Gustin place east of Herman. Mr. Johnson and friends were in swimming in a roped-in space in the river and not being a very good swimmer, he was cautioned not to get beyond the ropes but in some manner went in beyond his depth, and the first his friends knew of his precarious condition was when boys on the bank set up the alarm. Every effort was made to rescue him, but the men were unable to reach him before he made his final struggle for life in the muddy waters of the Missouri. He was drowned about 11 o’clock and men searched for the body until sundown, but have not recovered it as yet. Mr. Johnson was about twenty years old and was a brother-in-law of Chas. Sheets of Herman.

# 2 - - published in The Blair Democrat,. 8/7/1913

BOY DROWNS

While swimming in the Missouri river near Dave Gustin’s farm Sunday, Roy Johnson, a nineteen year old boy who has been employed on the farm of Pete Peterson, was swept into the current and drowned. A crowd of boys and young men had roped in an enclosure about twenty feet square near the club house east of the Gustin farm and Johnson, who was not a good swimmer, had worked his way around the ropes until he was well away from the shore and directly in the current. Whether he intended to loose his hold on the ropes or was swept away by the current is not known, but when first noticed by his friends he was in the deep water and sinking.

An attempt was made to reach him but was unsuccessful. Men living close to the scene of the accident dragged for the body but it has not been found as yet. Sheriff Compton was notified and went to the club house intending to dynamite for the body but on account of the current decided it was unnecessary.

Johnson was a brother-in-law of Charles Sheets of Herman and was well known in Herman. Search is being made along the river above the bridge in hopes that the body will drift onto a sandbar.