He Heard His Friend Cry for Help in the Dark

The body of Joseph M. Pfahl, a well-to-do rancher who lived at Wolf's Landing on Lake Washington, was fished out of the lake at the foot of Madison Street yesterday morning. While returning home late Friday night Pfahl fell off the incline which runs down toward Leake's boat house and was drowned. Although he was not reeling drunk, he had been drinking all day and during the evening. Pfahl was about 40 years old, well educated and a good business man. He lived in a fairly good house near Wolf's Landing on the west shore of Lake Washington with his sister, who came to this country a year or so ago.

Friday morning Pfahl came to the city, leaving his skiff at Capt. Leake's boat house. In the afternoon he returned home and when he rowed away from the boat house he was pretty well under the influence of liquor. Capt. Leake told him he had better be careful about drinking so much, for he might fall out of his boat. Pfahl laughed, replying: "Oh, I'm all right, captain." About 8 o'clock the same evening he arrived at the boat house again on his way to the city to attend a meeting of Seattle Grove Lodge, No. 2, United Ancient Order of Druids. At that time he appeared sober and walked straight. He told the captain that he need not wait for him, as he would come out from the city with Joseph Nichols, his friend and neighbor.

After attending the meeting Pfahl, Nichols and a friend of the latter started for home, arriving at Lake Washington a few minutes after 11 o'clock. Nichols and his friend went toward their boat, which was near the captain's house, while Pfahl went down the incline to the boat house on which he had stored his skiff.

A moment later Nichols heard Pfahl calling for help. He rushed over to the point where he heard the cries, but could not find any trace of his friend. The racket roused Capt. Leake, who came out and joined in the search for the missing man. No trace of him was found, but his hat was picked up near the southwest corner of the boat house, about eight feet from the end of the incline.

The search was continued yesterday morning, resulting in the discovery of the body in about seven feet of water, close to where it was thought he disappeared. Coroner Askam viewed the remains and decided that death was purely accidental. The body was removed to Butterworth's undertaking rooms pending arrangements for burial. The watch found on the body showed that the hands had stopped at 11:25 o'clock. Pfahl had a fine blooded rooster in a bag when he left his friends, but the poor bird has not been found. It is thought it is under the boat house. Pfahl had $205 in the People's Savings Bank, owned forty acres of land at Wolf's Landing and had other property near Ballard. He has one brother in Germany. It is said that another of his brothers was found dead on the plains in Texas. Coroner Askam thinks either the city or the Madison Street Railway Company ought to keep an electric light burning on the wharves along the end of Madison Street.