Accidental Deaths in Bonner County Idaho

Accidental Deaths in Bonner County, Idaho

Luther Barker Drowned
Brother of Former Secretary of State Loses Life in Northern Lake
SANDPOINT - Word was received Thursday night of the drowning of Luther Barker at Hope, Ida., late Thursday afternoon in Lake Pond d'Oreille. He was a brother of George R. Barker, editor of the Review of this city.
Source: Idaho Statesman, August 29, 1919
Submitted and transcribed by Sandra Davis

Sandpoint Physician Dies in Auto Mishap
Dr. McKinnon Killed When Car Overturns Near Haines; Three Other Occupants Escape Unhurt
BAKER, Ore. - Dr. Malcolm McKinnon, prominent physician of Sandpoint, Idaho, was killed Wednesday evening when his auto overturned near Haines. Mr. and Mrs. Dr. McKinnon and Mr. and Mrs. Sidney H. Smith were in the auto on the way to Yellowstone national park, touring in eastern Oregon en route. The doctor was an experienced driver and it is supposed a hidden chuckhole caused the auto to overturn and forced Dr. McKinnon against the steering wheel. None of the others was seriously injured. The doctor was rushed to a Baker hospital, but died on the way. Dr. McKinnon had large land holdings and was an extensive cattle owner.
Source: Idaho Statesman, July 25, 1919
Submitted and transcribed by Sandra Davis

Tragedy Closes Frantic Search
Father, Separated From Son While Hunting, Finds Him Only to See Him Die
Charles Robinson's search for his son after the pair, on a hunting trip, became separated in the wild region along Bear creek, north of Colburn, Idaho, ended Saturday, when after tramping the region for more than three days, without food, he discovered the boy, Francis, unconscious, a few minutes before the latter died of hunger and exposure.

Mr. Robinson and Francis started out a week ago Tuesday on a deer hunt. Leaving Colburn, about 10 miles north of Sandpoint, they proceeded to Bear creek, near Blunt's camp. They began their hunt and became separated, and that night when he failed to get track of his son the father started his long search. All day Wednesday and into the night he attempted to get track of the boy. He camped in the open at night. His food supply was exhausted the first night, but he resumed his search Thursday and continued Friday, despite the fact that he had almost no sleep and no food at all. Early Saturday morning he started out again, and in a short time came upon the boy, lying unconscious in the snow. The father rushed to him, chafed his hands and built a fire around him. The young man revived somewhat, but in a short time died.

Mr. Robinson said that so far as he knew Francis had no matches with him. When he found the boy, he said, one of his knees was badly bruised and the pockets of his clothing were turned inside out, apparently in the lad's frantic search for matches to prevent his freezing when the injury to his knee forbade further travel.
Source: Idaho Statesman, November 25, 1921
Submitted and transcribed by Sandra Davis

Startled Team Tramples George Venovich to Death
Culver Spur Man, thrown from seat, loses life under horse's heels. Funeral this afternoon.
George Venovich, a rancher of Culver Spur, was so badly injured in an accident with the team he was driving east of Kootenai Wednesday evening that he died while being taken from the scene to town. When his horses became frightened and suddenly jumped, Venovich was thrown from his seat to the ground between the horses. Here he was trampled into unconsciousness, sustaining a crushed skull, lacerations of the face and back of the head and severe internal injuries. The accident was witnessed by H. F. Crowder of Culver Spur who picked up the injured man and started with him to Kootenai.

Venovich was a native of Austria, 50 years old, and had lived in Bonner County for number of years. He is survived by his widow, two sons, John and Mike, and a daughter, Mrs. Mary Punnack, all of Culver Spur. Another son, Eli, is now en route from Austria to join the family here, his father havinig recently purchased a farm for him east of Kootenai. Sam Venovich, a fourth son, died last winter at the Mare Island training camp where he was enlisted in the marine corps.

Following the accident, the remains were brought to the Pugh undertaking parlors here and the funeral was held from the Pugh chapel at 2 o'clock this afternoon, Rev. W. L. Livingston preaching the funeral sermon and interment taking place in Lakeview Cemetery.
Source: Pend d' Oreille Review, July 9, 1920
Submitted and transcribed by Sandra Davis

Headon Crash During Storm Fatal To Woman; Two Fishermen Missing
Hope has been abandoned for two Coeur d'Alene men missing on a fishing trip on Lake Pend Oreille last Sunday, said Sheriff Robert Ellersick. Friends and relatives have conducted a search of isolated shores of the lake but no trace of the missing pair who disappeared during Sunday's storm has been found. It was hoped that they had made shore somewhere along the lake.

The men were Leonard Leno and Frank Booth, both in their early 40s. Leno was an employee of the Washington Water Power company at Coeur d'Alene and Booth, who was single, was employed at the Trentwood rolling mills.

The boat with motor still attached, drifted ashore at Kilroy Bay. There was no fishing gear in the boat which overturned.

The wind and rainstorm which swept through North Idaho and Eastern Washington last Sunday caused the death of at least one person and possible drowning of two others.

Mrs. C R Leach, 59, Ione, Wash., was instantly killed in a head on automobile accident on Highway 95 south of Colburn about 5 p.m. and two men, Frank Booth and Leonard Leno, both of Coeur d'Alene, are missing and believed drowned in the storm tossed waters of Lake Pend Oreille. Their overturned 14 foot Birchcraft boat with a 16 HP Johnson motor attached was found by Ed Hall of Kilroy Bay Sunday morning.

Hall reported finding the boat over forest service telephone to Mrs. Edd Helmers, wife of the ranger at Clark Fork, who in turn called the sheriff's office here. Sheriff Robert Ellersick, seeking information on missing fishermen, learned that Booth and Leno were unreported out of Bayview. They had been fishing in the craft owned by Hugo Marconi, chief of police at Wallace, from whom they had borrowed the boat.

TREE BLOCKED HIGHWAY
The severe storm blew down a cottonwood tree on the highway south of Colburn which swept telephone wires down as it fell. Headed south in his car were C R Leach, 73, his wife and daughter,(?). From the south was a car driven by Roy Domitrovich, 24 of Colville, accompanied by Roy Smith, 34 of Colburn. The two cars met head on when Leach swung his car into the east lane to pass around the tree and apparently misjudged the speed of the approaching machine.

Mrs. Leach died almost instantly with a broken neck. Her chest was crushed and both legs were broken. Leach suffered a head injury which may cost him the sight of his right eye. The daughter received a severe scalp wound and body bruises.

After treatment at the local hospital Leach and his daughter were taken by Moon ambulance to the hospital at Ione Monday.

TWO OTHERS HURT
Domitrovich suffered a severe head injury, cuts and abrasions, while Smith received multiple cuts and bruises, but no fractures. Domitrovich was unconscious for a time after the accident but regained his faculties at the hospital where his condition was described as satisfactory.

Highway Patrolman Leo Jarvis said the two cars met as squarely head on as they could - headlight to headlight - which virtually telescoped the machines. They were wedged together so tight a wrecker had to separate them. It was raining hard at the time of the accident and it took more than two hours to clear the highway after the tragedy.
Source: Sandpoint News Bulletin, Thursday, October 12, 1950
Submitted and transcribed by Sandra Davis

Accidently Shot and Death Results
Albert Arnold, Sandpoint Young Man, Victim of "Unloaded Gun"
A sad accident occurred Tuesday afternoon which resulted in the death of Albert Arnold, a well thought of young man, who was employed in the Humbird store, said the Sandpoint Review.

Arnold had been taking the week off for his vacation and it was intended that he and his older brother, Henry Arnold, of the meat market firm of Willi & Arnold, would enjoy an outing on the lake. The brother was delayed at the market from getting away and the excursion had to be postponed until later in the week. Young Arnold thereupon started out Tuesday with another young man about his own age, Frank Kossbeil, who is employed at the Sandpoint cafe, for a day's trip. The two took along their guns, fishing tackle and camping outfit prepared to spend the day on the shores of the lake. About 1 o'clock they went ashore a short distance below Peavey's point.

The story as told by both Kossbeil and Arnold was that they had been shooting at a bottle for a mark. Arnold's rifle had been shot by Kossbeil and at the time of the accident it was lying directly in front of Arnold. Kossbeil had inserted a shell after he shot shortly before, but Arnold supposed the gun was empty and drew it toward him muzzle first. The trigger caught on a rock and the .44 bullet crashed through Arnold's body, penetrating the right breast and going through and out at the back, tearing a hole directly through the right lung.
Source: Idaho Statesman, August 20, 1907
Submitted and transcribed by Sandra Davis

Workers Killed
CLARK FORK, Idaho, March 21. -- Two construction workers at Cabinet Gorge dam were killed Thursday when struck by a derrick boom. Dead are Roy W. Short, 38, of Omak, Wash., and Palmer J. Scott, 47, Clark Fork.
Source: The Post-Register, March 21, 1952
Submitted and transcribed by Sandra Davis

Girl Victim of River
Drowns in Deep Hole While Wading -- Man Fails at Rescue
Iva Queen, 14, was drowned at noon today while wading in Pack river, near Trestle creek, 12 miles east of here, when she stepped in a deep hole. Her sister, Lucy, 12, and Harold Anderson, 24, were with her, but Anderson was unable to get her out of the water in time. She is the stepdaughter of Theodore Hoover, a Pack river rancher.
Source: The Spokesman-Review, July 16, 1931
Submitted and transcribed by Sandra Davis

Watchman Is Discovered Dead
Clarks Fork – Albert Robbins, employed as a watchman by the Northern Pacific at its bridge a mile west of town, was found dead beside the track and the coroner's jury brought in a verdict that Robbins met his death by being accidentally struck by a Northern Pacific train.
Source: The Ontario Argus (Ontario, OR) - July 3, 1913
Submitted and transcribed by Jim Dezotell

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