"The Drowning of Young Rosier"
From the 1878 History of Fayette County Iowa
"Early in June, 1849,
several young men, among whom were Stephen BAILEY, ________
SACKETT, _______ TOOMBS, _______ RYAN and ________ DICKSON or
DICKINSON, went to the cabin of William M. ROSIER, on Section
32, Township 95, Range 8, and desired him to go down to the
Volga with them on a fishing excursion. He had a fine pair of
horses and they said they wanted his team to haul their fish
home. He declined to go that day, but said they went, he would
come down the next day and haul up their fish, and this
arrangement was agreed upon. Accordingly, the next day young
Rosier drove down to the Volga where he found the party just at
night, encamped in an Indian wigwam, that stood on the banks of
the stream, near Padelford's ford, which was near Culver's old
trading house.
The next morning he was drowned, and the following is the
account given by his companions. Of course there were no other
witnesses:
They were fishing with a seine or net, it seems, and after setting it the next morning, it was suggested that one of the party should go up stream and beat down with a pole to drive the fish into the net. One after another declined to go because they could not swim, until young Rosier said he would go - he could swim. He went, they said, and in wading down stream stepped into a hole, sunk and never rose. They threw a rail toward him, but he did not rise. Instead of making an effort to get him out, his companions started off to find a man to help, and it was some time before his body was recovered, which was done by dragging with the seine. They put his body in his wagon and drove home to his cabin, but Henry SMITH followed, had the body brought back to his house (as they said they were intending to dig a hole near his cabin and bury him there), where he received a decent burial.
George N. ROSIER states that his brother had several hundred dollars in silver and gold, but that none of it was found after his death. Whether he had it in a belt around his person when he was drowned or whether it was concealed in his cabin has never been known. It is said that Ryan was afterward seen to have a belt full of silver and gold while at work harvesting near Padelford's that fall. It is also stated that when the cabin built by Rosier in 1848, and occupied by Jacob HOOVER after his death, was torn down, the workmen found a mortise in one of the timbers supporting the puncheon floor, that might have been made and used as a "safe" for his money, by the unfortunate young man. Public opinion was divided on the question whether Rosier was drowned accidentally - the prevailing impression favoring that construction - but that some one who knew where his money was kept stole it after his death, there can be but little doubt."