The Rock Island Argus
Thursday, Nov. 19, 1942
BOY 11
WEIGHTED WIRE,
TOSSED BY LAD,
HITS HIGH LINE
MILAN MEETS ALMOST INSTANT
DEATH WHILE PLAYING NEAR HOME ON KNOXVILLE ROAD
Charles Koob 11, Sixth grade pupil of Doxee school, and grandson of Mr.
and William HOFFMAN who resides on the Knoxville Road,
southeast of Milan, was electrocuted at 7 O'clock last evening,
when he tossed a stone weighted wire across a tension power
line, and instantly received 4400 volts.
The tragedy was discovered by Kenneth Rettig, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry
Rettig, who lives across the road. Help was quickly summoned
and the Rock Island rescue squad responded, but efforts to
revive the little boy failed. Seven tanks of oxygen were used
and artifical respiration applied for nearly four hours in
a futile attempt to save the little boys life.
An old aerial wire, with an insulator attached to one end of it, lying
in the yard of the Hoffman home, apparently had attracted the
boys attention and he is believed to have been awinging it,
and whirling it about, when it came into contact with the high
tension power line, throwing the full force of the high voltage
into his little body, killing instantly. A finger on either
hand was badly burned by the terrific electrical current.
LIVED WITH HIS GRAND PARENTS
Charles Koob, who has made his home with his grandparents,
Mr. and Mrs. William Hoffman, SR. Since his birth, was born
Jan. 30, 1931 in Rock Island. He is the son of Richard Koob
SR. and the late Mrs. Clara Hoffman Koob. Charles was a pupil
of the Doxee school, being a member of the sixth grade. He
attended Sunday school at the Milan Presbyterian church.
He is survived by his father, Richard Koob of Dayton, Ohio,
a brother Richard Dewain of Rock Island, a half brother Jerry
Lee of Dayton, his maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William
Hoffman SR., and his paternal grandmother Mrs. Violet Koob
of Rock Island. His mother preceded him in death, Feb. 2, 1937.
He is also survived by three uncles and one aunt.
An Inquest into the boys death was held at 1 O'clock this
afternoon at the Knox Mortuary in Rock Island, where the body
was taken last night. Funeral arrangements had not been made
but it is expected that services would be held Saturday at
the Evangelical Church of Peace in Rock Island, with pastor
Rev. R.J. Rolf officiating. Interment will be in Chippiannock
cemetery Rock Island.
Submitted by Ellen Schawe.