Page One — “Raises Wild Ducks with A Hen, Saranac Lake Jury Says That J. J. Rafferty is A Game Benefactor”

“The duck was a wild duck and seems to have left her bed and board, although the Game Wardens contend that the interference of J. J. Rafferty prevented her from performing her functions of mother to the unhatched, although a setting hen is shown to have reared them successfully — a ‘Disquistion on Ducks’.

“When is a man a benefactor of game and when is he a malefactor? A Saranac Lake jury and Justice Seaver A. Miller [whose father was Harrietstown Supervisor and Seaver was also Saranac Lake mayor] has been called upon to determine the point in the case of J. J. Rafferty, who, it is charged, took duck eggs from an abandoned nest and put them under a hen to hatch. As against Mr. Rafferty’s wild duck stunt, the Game Protectors contend that he broke up the nest of a wild duck to the point of interfering with game propagation. The jury decided that Mr. Rafferty was a benefactor of wild ducks in this particular instance. The process by which the decision was reached is most interesting.”

This a brief excerpt from a long story which related:

“The case was important enough to call for the assistance of Warden Cameron, Attorney Spencer Prime of Lake Placid and Attorney Francis B. Cantwell of Saranac Lake [the local Cantwell boys’ grandfather]. Attorney Cantwell held for the defendant and the case drew a good deal of its interest from the fact that these two lawyers had fought many a game case, and there was an edge to their personal feelings in the matter that legal technicalities could not hide. This was most evident with Attorney Prime’s address to the jury referred to the learned counsel trying to persuade the jury that his client was a saint, or at least a moron. Attorney Cantwell listened intently [knowing he had won the case] and then simply grinned from ear to ear, or grinned just as much as professional courtesy would permit.”

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Woman Killed After Jumping from Car

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“Thought Car Would Make Hill on High [gear, that is], When Auto Backs Down Grade Woman, Leaps to Her Death”

“Mrs. Henry H. Tout, aged 49 years, of 636 Lansing Street, Watertown, was killed Thursday just outside Depanville while motoring with Mrs. J. M. Snow, a neighbor, also of Watertown.

“Mrs. Snow was driving her Studebaker car up the hill, which was long and very steep, in high gear. Upon approaching the top of the hill, she did not shift gears, thinking that the car would make the hill in high gear. The motor stalled and the car started to back down the hill. Mrs. Tout became frightened and jumped from the moving car, before Mrs. Snow had a chance to push in the emergency brake.

“Mrs. Tout fell on her head and shoulders. She died a few minutes later.”

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Drowns while wife looks on

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“Stanley Robertson, 26, of West Albany, a New York Central conductor, was downed in Lake Champlain, near Putnam, about 5 o’clock Friday afternoon while his wife stood at the shore watching him swim. Robertson, who was an excellent swimmer, dived from a rowboat and did not come up. His body was recovered several hours later.

“Robertson and his wife were taking a two-week vacation at Putnam. There was seldom a day that Robertson did not take a dip in the lake and Friday he decided to take a last swim before packing up to go home.

“Mrs. Robertson, not knowing how to swim, remained on the shore while her husband rowed to the spot where he had been swimming for the past fortnight. He anchored his boat and waved his hand to his wife and dived into the water. Several seconds had passed and still her husband had not come up. The wife then rushed for aid.

“She at first did not realize what happened, but when she reached her boarding house her condition was pitiful.”

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Numerous drownings

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“Tupper Lake — Tuesday — M. Kansnetski, 52, a native of Russia Poland, was drowned Sunday afternoon near the boat house at LeBoeuf’s bridge on the Raquette River, a short distance above this village.

“The man was in bathing with two other Polocks and got into the deep water which in some places reaches a depth of 20 to 30 feet. As the man began to sink he called for help and one of the other swimmers tried to save him and nearly lost his life in the futile attempt.

“Frank Staves and Ray Crippin of this village were fishing nearby, and came to the spot shortly after the man sank from view. These young men succeeded in discovering the body a half hour after the accident. Dr. P. Monakey, local health officer, investigated the case, and rendered a verdict of accidental death by drowning. G. W. Drew & Son took charge of the body.”

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“The body of Miss Eleanor Martin who was drowned in Lake George near the Roger Rock House on July 28, was recovered at 10 o’clock Saturday morning in ninety feet of water. The girl drowned while out canoeing alone. Her body will be taken to her home in Dorchester, Mass.”

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“Luke H. Masson, a young Canadian who Sunday came to the shores of Lake Champlain, will be taken to his home in Montreal in a casket. He downed shortly after he arrived near King’s Bay, a short distance short of Rouses Point Where he and his party had planned a pleasant outing for the day. Mason was not an expert swimmer and drowned while bathing.”

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“George H. Spoes, aged 25, and Carl Elk, aged 21, of Redwood attended a picnic at Clear Lake and after the lunch they went into the lake to swim. Both drowned. Their bodies were recovered.”

The Keet family is prominent with doctors and judges in the history of Saranac Lake. So I am guessing that maybe the Mrs. Keet in the obituary, is the grandmother of our Eugene Keet.