[MILES DARST]


A SAD DAY - TWO MEN DROWNED. - Sunday last was a sad day in town. About 9 o'clock A.M., it was reported that Miles Darst, son of Andrew R. Darst, Esq., had fallen into the Ohio River and drowned. Hurrying to the river we found the report too true. - He had been across the Ohio, in company with Pope Frazier, to the whiskey boat that lies opposite this place, and kept by a fellow named Zade Woods. Here he became intoxicated, and in this condition started with Pope Frazier to recross to this shore in a skiff. When a short distance from the Ohio shore, he reeled and fell overboard, and was drowned before assistance could reach him. - Frazier in attempting to rescue him also fell into the river and came near being drowned. He managed to save himself by catching hold of the skiff, and hanging to it until assistance reached him and rescued him from his perilous position. All Sunday morning the river was dragged for the body of Darst, but without avail; but the search for his body revealed the dead body of

HENRY DEEM

which was found close to the shore at the mouth of the Kanawha, almost in the Ohio River. His drowning is a mystery that will probably never be explained. He was not missed until his body was found. He had been in the habit of coming over to town and staying all night with his relatives in this place and no uneasiness was felt by his wife at his absence, and she was little prepared for the awful news broke to her about noon Sunday, of the finding of the body of her husband in the Kanawha, drowned. From evidence produced before the Coroner's inquest, it seems that Mr. Deem had been in town all day Saturday, and after dark he seems to have gone to the Kanawha ferry landing, to cross over to his home, but instead of crossing he laid down and went to sleep, where he was seen as late as eleven o'clock that night. It is supposed that he got up in the night, bewildered, and walked off of the float into the river. The jury after hearing all the evidence before it, rendered a verdict of accidental drowning. Mr. Deem was 66 years of age, and a well-to-do farmer, living over Kanawha, opposite this place, and had many warm friends, and a large number of relatives in this county.

Mr. Darst was a young man about 30 years of age, and his great fault was love for intoxicating drinks, and outside of this he done no harm. He had a great many warm friends in this place. The afflicted families have the sympathies of our entire community. The body of Mr. Darst was found Tuesday morning, at Gallipolis Island, and brought to this place for interment.

Point Pleasant Weekly Register
June 18, 1879.