Durham Boy Drowned in Tar River on Sunday Afternoon. . . Claiborne Holmes Meets Untimely Death Near Louisburg Sunday. . . Went in Deep Water. . . Became Frightened When He Went Into Deep Water and Then His Fight for Life Began—Youth in Swimming with Him Made Desperate Effort to Save Him But When He Saw His Own Life Was in Peril Was Forced to Save Himself—Funeral to be Held Monday Afternoon
Venturing out into deep water while swimming in the Tar River, near Louisburg, Clairborne Franklin Holmes, son of Mrs. Oren Holmes of 301 Walker street, was drowned Sunday afternoon around 3:30 o’clock, and today his body lies in the home of his parents awaiting burial.
News of the death of the popular youth was received in the city Sunday afternoon within a short time after his tragic death. It was received as a great shock by his parents. They did not know of his presence at the place of his death nor did they know of his exact whereabouts, having gone off for a little trip.
According to the information received here, young Holmes, who was 17 years of age and well grown to his age, went in swimming in the river near Louisburg in company with another boy by the name of Williams, but whose place of residence into known, and other small boys. While in the water Holmes, probably in the spirit of adventure and to test his ability as a swimmer, decided to go into deeper water. He swam out into water which is said to be 20 or 25 feet deep, where he became frightened. He was not a good swimmer, it was stated, and went under. Young Williams went tohis rescue and attempted to save him, but in the struggle of the drowning boy for life, Williams found that he would be unable to save him, and seeing that both of them were in danger of drowning, the former gave up the attempt in order to save himself, it was stated. Holmes went down the third time while Williams is said to have gone under water twice in his effort to save the drowned youth.
His body was recovered soon after it went down the third time and was turned over to an undertaker who prepared it for burial. His parents were notified and arrangements made to bring the body back to Durham. Sunday night around 11:30 o’clock the body arrived and was taken to the home on Walker street, there to await the funeral services and the trip to the cemetery.
Young Holmes was well known among members of the younger set of the city. He was an unusually genial and well-liked boy and numbered friends among the scores. The news of his untimely death cast a shadow over the relatives and those other people who knew him. Not knowing his whereabouts for the past two or three days the news of his death was all the more distressing to the members of his family.
Surviving him are his father and mother and two brothers, James William, and Oren Jr., as well as other relatives and a host of friends.
The funeral services will be held Monday afternoon at 4:30 o’clock in the Edgewood Baptist church with Rev. J.T. Riddick of Norfolk Va., and formerly pastor of the Temple Baptist church o Durham and Rev. W. F. Elliott, pastor of Branson Methodist church officiating. Interment will be in Maplewood cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be William Joyner, Ralph Harris, Leon Goronto, Earl Burnet, Otari Ward, and Paul Beasley.
Honorary pallbearers will be as follows: Dr. Carl P. Norris, J.D. Bobbitt, T.J. Lamb, F.D. Markham, M.D. Bright, and L.B. Wilson.
The floral bearers will be Margaret Poe, Geraldine Hudnell, Ruth Alford Gladys Harris, Annie Pleasants, Ellen Cherry, Mary Pleasants, Ellen Gunter, Leon Spences, Faylene Jones, Buren Sparrow and Louise Parden.
From page 2 of the Durham Herald, Aug. 26, 1924
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn84020730/1924-08-25/ed-1/seq-2/
