Mrs. Bash El Dorado Butler County Kansas Genealogy Trails

Butler County,Kansas

EXPERT FAILS TO FIND MRS. BASH

Atchison Man Unable to Pick Up Trace of Woman At Lake El Dorado

Missing for ten days, the search for Mrs. David A. Bash, young El Dorado matron, continued today, with the center of the hunt still being at LakE El Dorado, the last place she was seen. It was announced that the search for the woman would continue over the week-end in the hope that at least some slight clue might be found as to her whereabouts.

Joe VanHorn his son, Clarence and Clarence Sowers, all of Atchison, who were brought to El Dorado yesterday by the city to help in the search at the lake, returned to their homes last night. The elder VanHorn is an expert at recovering bodies from water, but he had no success here. He and his son, Mr. Sowers and some volunteers dragged the deeper portions of the lake and the spot where Mrs. Bash is believed to have entered the water yesterday afternoon and until darkness descended last night. They did not pick up a clue that the woman might be in the water. The dragging of the visitors was similar to that which has been done at the lake the past few days. It was done slower, however, and with more hooks on a line.

Has To Return To Work

Mr. VanHorn said when he left last night that he could not see how he missed the body if it is in that portion of the lake he dragged. He also said that he would like to remain in El Dorado another day to aid in the work, but he has a sawmill at Atchison and he had to return home to get it in operation again. This is the peak of his busy season and shutting the mill down yesterday caused several carpenters and others to be thrown out of work for the day he said.

According to Mr. VanHorn there is little undercurrent in the lake and it is not believed a body would be carried much from the place where it would go down. It is the opinion of Mr. VanHorn that if Mrs. Bash was drowned in the lake that the body should come to the surface almost at any day now. When the water is as cold as it has been the past few days, it takes longer for a body to come to the surface than when it is warm.

Many Persons Watch

A large number of persons watched the operations of the Atchison men yesterday afternoon. All hoped that some trace of the woman would eventually be found.

Little dragging was being done at the lake this morning because of the roughness of the water. Lookouts are watching the shore line, however, and will continue to do so indefinitely. If the lake becomes smoother, dragging operations will be resumed at once. (El Dorado Times, April 18, 1936)

Search for some trace of Mrs. David A. Bash, young El Dorado matron who has been missing for 13 days is being slightly abandoned at Lake El Dorado where it has been centered most of the time since the woman was reported to have disappeared from her home. The last time Mrs. Bash was seen was at the lake by Charles Pratt, caretaker. Her parked and locked motor car also was found at the body of water.

The announcement was made this morning by F. E. Schide, city Manager, that for the next few days only the shore of the lake will be patrolled in the hope that if Mrs. Bash did drown in the lake and her body rises to the surface that it will be seen and can be recovered. Ever since the search has been centered at the lake, scores of persons have dragged the waters but without result. It was decided yesterday afternoon to abandon the dragging operations at this time. Most of the equipment including the boats, grappling hooks, etc., was moved to El Dorado late in the day. But one boat was left at the lake in case it is needed by patrolmen.

Four Men on the Job

Four men have been employed to watch the shore line. Two of them will work from 5 o'clock in the morning until noon and the other two from 1 o'clock in the afternoon until 7 in the evening. The men are Jasper Grigsby, Rayl Eckstein, Ben Cumberledge and Fritz Niodemus. They will be kept on the job indefinitely, Manager Schide said.

While the search for Mrs. Bash is being slightly halted at the lake, the hunt for her is being extended in other directions. Every rumor that reaches those who have been in charge of the search is being investigated for all it is worth. It is hoped by those in charge of the search and the hundreds of friends of Mrs. Bash and her relatives that the next few days will yield some clue as to her whereabouts. (El Dorado Times, April 21, 1936)

Woman Attired in Same Clothes As When She Left Home With the Exception That Hat Is Missing; Car Keys Tied to Her Polo Coat

The body of Mrs. Natalie Bash, aged 33 years, well known El Dorado matron, who disappeared from her home, 625 North Emporia Street, late the morning of April 9, saying she was going for a motor car ride, was found floating on the surface of Lake El dorado shortly before noon today.

The body was discovered by Jasper Grigsby, one of two lookouts employed by the city during the morning hours. The body was found about 300 feet northeast of the north end of the spillway and about 100 feet from the shore. Mr. Grigsby called Ben Cumberledge, another lookout, who summoned, Charles Pratt, caretaker at the lake, to the place. They secured a boat and Mrs. Grigsby and Mrs. Cumberledge hurried to the body and succeeded in towing it to the shore in a few minutes.

Body To El Dorado

The body was at once brought to the Byrd Funeral Home by Clarence Wilke and Harry Harris. No funeral arrangements had been made this afternoon.

The point where the body was found is about a quarter of a mile to the northwest across the lake from the place where Mrs. Bash's parked and locked motor car was found about two hours after she left home. The last time Mrs. Bash was seen alive was while she was standing at the water's edge, almost directly north of her car, which was only 30 feet from the shore line. She was seen there by Mr. Pratt shortly after she entered the lake property.

The body was fully clothed. It had on the clothes Mrs. Bash wore when she left home with the exception of a hat. The keys to her motor car were found tied with a piece of string to the right lapel of her polo coat. The body is in splendid condition considering the almost two weeks it has been in the water.

Had Nervous Disorder

Mrs. Bash disappeared after she had suffered from a nervous disorder for some time. Her condition was not considered by David A. bash, her husband, and a production engineer for the Empire Oil & Refining Company and an attending physician to be serious, however.

Shortly after Mr. Pratt found Mrs. Bash to be missing from her car, he started to summon Mr. Bash. The latter however, had been home at noon and when Mrs. Bash failed to appear he started to search for her. One of the first places he went was the lake, knowing that Mrs. Bash often motored to that place. Mr. Bash arrived at the parked car just as mr. Pratt started to summon him.

Believing that Mrs. Bash walked into the icy waters of the lake, the center of the search for her had been at that place. For a number of days, scores of persons helped drag the waters, but no trace of her was found. The dragging was stopped the first of this week and four lookouts were employed to watch the shore line during the day time. Mr. Grigsby and Mr. Cumberledge were employed from 5 o'clock in the morning until noon and Fritz Nicodemus and Ray Eckstein from 1 in the afternoon until 7 in the evening.

In Charge of Rayburn

While the main search was being conducted, most of the operations were in charge of Don rayburn, who practically lived at the lake for a number of days. He was given valuable assistance by a number of other men. Women also helped with the work. At one time, as many as 16 boats were employed. A diving suit also was brought here, from Wichita to aid in the hunt. Joe VanHorn of Atchison, an expert at recovering bodies from water, also was employed by the city to aid in the work.

"I consider the efforts of the city to recover the body of Mrs. Bash have not been in vain," F. E. Schide, city manager, said this afternoon.

"Some of the city officials have devoted many hours to the work and I am glad that the mystery surround the disappearance of the woman, regrettable as it is, has been solved."

When the body reached El Dorado shortly before1 o'clock, the fire siren at the City Hall was sounded twice at an interval of two minutes as it was said would be done if the body was recovered. Although residents throughout the community knew that the sounding of the siren in this manner meant the body had been found, The Times office, police station and City Hall were deluged with telephone calls. News of the finding reached Wichita in a few minutes and a number of persons called from that place too.

In addition to her husband, Mrs. Bash is survived by a five-month-old son. (El Dorado Times, April 22, 1936)