A Tragic Throwback Thursday Tale

June 5, 1919

HARTINGTON — Sewer gas caused the death here last Saturday of Mrs. Joseph Obert and her son Cletus in one of the saddest accidents in the history of Cedar County. 

Alphonse Bange nearly lost his life in a vain effort to save them. 

The peaceful stillness of a beautiful Saturday afternoon was brought to a dramatic close by one of the most appalling tragedies that has ever happened in this vicinity when the news of the accident, which occurred at the Joseph Obert home, spread across town. 

A short distance south of the house, which was purchased only a few months ago from Herman Gallum, was an old cesspool. 

Since the plumbing in the house was connected with the sewer system, it was used only as a receptacle for garbage, ashes and old cans and rubbish. 

The opening at the top consisted of a section of sewer tile. The hole was partially filled, but was about nine feet deep on one side, where a board that had been dropped in, caused that side to fill in faster. The other side under the board was a few feet deep.  From what can be gathered from the other children, Mrs. Obert, in throwing garbage into the hole a few days earlier, let fall a pan or dish which she prized highly and several times expressed regret at its loss. 

Cletus heard these regrets and finally offered to go down and get it. Playmates said he had frequently gone down by holding a rope tied to a large stick, which he placed across the top of the hole. It seems that the dish had rolled to the lowest part of the hole and as soon as the boy reached down for it, he was overcome by the deadly gas. 

When he failed to respond to his mother’s calls, she became frantic, as the boy had a weak heart, and she feared that he had suffered another attack. Mrs. Obert insisted on being lowered into the hole and was overcome as soon as she reached for the boy. Practically everyone around started to scream for help but the neighbors thought it was just the children playing.