Hayes, Charles

Picher Oklahoma, June 13. Charles Hayes, 16 year old son of Mrs. Dan Lovesee of Douthat Oklahoma, met death by drowning shortly after 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon while in swimming with several companions at the New Chicago Mine No. 1 mill pond, southeast of Picher and about half a mile northeast of the youths' home. The body was in the water 30 minutes before being recovered and all efforts to restore life were unsuccessful.

The Hayes / Lovesee youth left home shortly before 2 o'clock with the announced intention of attending a baseball game to be played less than a mile from his home. He was said to have gone to a neighbor's home where he was joined by Everett Green and Leslie Moore and the three decided to take a swim in the mill pond before going to the ball game. They were about to leave the water when Lovesee became entangled in heavy moss and sank beneath the surface of the water. The other two boys, neither of whom could swim very well, realized that Lovesee was drowning and ran to give the alarm.

An ambulance of the Todd undertaking company of Picher was summoned by telephone from the home nearest the scene of the accident. Assistance was also summoned from the crowd gathered to witness the ball game about half a mile distant. Orin Tilley was the first to discover the lifeless body, which was found in water about five feet deep. The strength of six men was reported necessary to pull the youth's body from the moss, which was heavily entangled.

Dr. E. Albert Aisenstadt, of the American hospital at Picher, who was rushed to the scene of the tragedy, examined the body and stated that life was extinct before the body was rescued from the water.

Surviving is the mother, Mrs. Dan Lavesee, the stepfather, Dan Lovesee, one brother, Joe Hayes, one half- brother, Carl Smith of Cardin Oklahoma, and three half-sisters, Mrs. Iva Chandler and Mrs. Pierce of Kansas City, and Mrs. Sylvia Moss of Cardin. Funeral arrangements were not complete early this afternoon, but will probably be held tomorrow afternoon at the Assembly of God church in Douthat, and burial Jun 14, 1931, in G.A.R. cemetery, Section West Central, Block 7, Lot , Row 1, Grave 17 on Ottawa County land, Miami, under direction of the Todd undertaking company.