Girl Dies in Sunday School

1903

Swallows Mouthpiece of a Toy Balloon While the Service Is On and Chokes

New York, March 3.—Emma Rauch, 9 years old, swallowed the wooden mouthpiece of a toy balloon and died in the presence of the entire Sunday school of the Ainslee Presbyterian church in Brooklyn. The child bought the penny balloon while on the way to Sunday school. She inflated it in the church, but the mouthpiece slipped into her throat. Superintendent Follett tried in vain to extract the wood. He then summoned physicians and the child's parents. When it was seen that all efforts were futile and the doctors announced that death was approaching the whole school knelt and prayed until life was extinct.

—Davenport Daily Republican, Davenport, Iowa, March 4, 1903, page 1.


SWALLOWED TOY BALLOON

Strange Scene in Brooklyn Sunday School

NEW YORK, March 2—A remarkable scene was enacted in the Sunday school of the Ainslee Street Presbyterian Church, in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn yesterday. A short time before 10 o'clock Emma Rausch, nine years old left home for Sunday school. On the way she bought a penny whistling balloon. This she took into her class and while inflating it for the amusement of her classmates, the wooden mouth piece slipped into her throat. She gasped, and pain showed in her eyes. The children became alarmed and their exclamations of fright attracted the attention of Chas. Follett, superintendent of the Sunday school. He called to a trustee of the church and they worked to extricate the toy from the throat of the fast choking child. Not until she became unconscious was it believed that her condition was critical. Physicians were hastily summoned but could do nothing for her. When they announced that death was near the Rev. D. S. Dawson raised his hands and asked that all kneel and pray. Then he prayed aloud and fervently for the soul that was passing before their eyes.

The child's parents, who had been sent for, entered as the clergyman was about to begin his prayer. The meaning was clear to them, and they knelt sobbing beside their child and on the wings of the prayer of their playmates and friends the child's soul was borne away to its maker. Tenderly the body was carried to an adjoining room and Dr. Dawson led the awestricken congregation in a memorial service in place of the regular Sunday School exercises.

—The Daily Republican-News, Hamilton, Ohio, March 2, 1903, page 1.

Note: The Davenport paper had "Rauch" and the Ohio paper "Rausch" for the child's name.