NEWSPAPER ARTICLE with picture (photocopy original in Sanne Bible) - GIVES UP ITS VICTIM. Lake Butte Des Morts yields the body of Emil Belter after four days' search. George Staples of This City Strikes remains with a Paddle and They Come to the Surface and Are Secured - wild Rice Reeds Tightly grasped in dead Man's Hands- Details of recovery. After being in the waters of Lake Butte Des Morts for nearly four days the body of Emil Belter, who was drowned last Wed morning off the Cook & Brown's Lime co's sand pit near Spring Brook, was recovered about 5 o'clock Sunday morning. It was found by George Stales, a resident of the town of Oshkosh but who conducts a horse shoeing shop at 37 Light street, this city. A reward of $50 dollars for the recovery of the body had been offered by relatives. Mr Staples was out in a small boat and while propelling the craft along with a paddle about 6 feet long made the discovery which let to the recovery of the unfortunate young man's body. Mr Staples' paddle struck something which he supposed to be a log and at first he paid no attention to the circumstance. Later he thought of the search that was being made for Mr Belter's body and he returned to the spot and began poking his paddle around in an effort to locate the object which had come into contact with his paddle. He succeeded, for in a short time his paddle again encountered the object which gave way under the pressure and then with a few more pokes of the paddle it became loosened and came to the surface of the water. It proved to be Mr Belter's body and Mr Staples at once secured it by catching hold of the suspenders worn by the man. Tying a rope around the body. Mr Staples paddled to the east side of the Cook & Brown Lime co sand dock, where he secured the assistance of Louis Korsel, Frank Okrug and Mr Joachim in getting the body to shore. Mr Belter was a large and heavy man and it required the united efforts of the four men to get the body ashore and on to a wagon, in which it was taken to Charlesworth's undertaking establishment at Omro.
GRASPED WILD RICE, The body was found in 8-9 feet of water about half a mile from the sand dock in a straight line for the north point of Spring Brook. It had begun to turn black from the action of the water and it was minus coat and vest, Mr Belter having removed them previous to his boat capsizing. In each hand of the man was clutching a bunch of the wild rice that grows so abundantly in the lake in that vicinity. He may have grasped the rice stalks at the bottom and the death grip held him down until the paddle struck the body. His tobacco bag hung partly out of a pocked in his trousers and his watch had stopped a few minutes after eight o'clock, indicating pretty clearly the time that he was thrown into the water by the capsizing of his boat Wed morning. Mr Belter had been in the employ of John Tyrrell for several seasons and had gone to Tyrrell's marsh to cut grass. It is supposed that he was going to Spring Brook to have his scythe re sharpened when the accident occurred. Mr Belter was 25 years of age and unmarried. His home was at Borth, about ten miles from Omro and he will be buried there, the funeral taking place from the German church at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Deceased was a young man who was well thought of and had many friends who deeply regret his death. He is survived by his parents, five sisters and three brothers.
Mr Staples, who discovered the body and turned it over to the relatives of the decedent, will in all probability be paid the reward of $50 which was offered for the recovery by Fred Belter, a brother of the drowned man, whose life, it is understood was insured for $2,000. Many boats were out Sat and Sun, dozens of persons dragging for the remains. - Daily Northwestern (Oshkosh)