Thirty-Seven Years Ago Gallant Tom Morgan Gave His Life to Save Friend, Winfield Daily Courier, January 16, 1928
Collection: Paul Bedilion and Thomas Morgan
Title
Thirty-Seven Years Ago Gallant Tom Morgan Gave His Life to Save Friend, Winfield Daily Courier, January 16, 1928
Subject
Winfield Daily Courier
Bedilion, Paul
Morgan, Thomas
Winfield, KS
Description
This article recounts the heroism of Thomas Morgan who tried to save his friend, Paul Bedilion, after he fell through the ice while ice skating in January 1891.
Creator
Winfield Daily Courier, Winfield, Kansas USA
Publisher
Winfield Public Library, Winfield, KS USA
Date
1928-01-16
Rights
Format
text/plain
Type
Clippings
Citation
Winfield Daily Courier, Winfield, Kansas USA, “Thirty-Seven Years Ago Gallant Tom Morgan Gave His Life to Save Friend, Winfield Daily Courier, January 16, 1928,” Winfield Digital Collections, accessed June 23, 2026, https://winfield.digitalsckls.info/item/225.
Text
Courier Jan 16, (?), 1928
THIRTY-SEVEN YEARS AGO GALLANT TOM MORGAN GAVE
HIS LIFE TO SAVE FRIEND
Thirty-seven years ago today there occurred a deed of heroism never surpassed in the anals of this sec-tion of America.
On January 16, 1891, Thomas Mor-gan, a Winfield youth, was skating with other boys on Timber creek. Pauli Bedillion, 12, a friend of Thomas Morgan, broke through the ice. Seeing his young friend’s plight, young Morgan threw, aside his skates and coat and plunged into the icy water.
He reached the side of the young-er boy and attempted to drag him out on top of the ice. The ice kept breaking and after a desperate bat-tle of at lease 10 minutes both boys grew weak, as the water was very cold. Companions on the bank shouted to Morgan to let the young-er boy drown and save himself.
“Tom, let go you will be drown-ed,’ ’they shouted from the bank.
Little Paul Bedillion cried, “Tom, don’t let go.” “I will save you, Paull, or we will both go down together,” answered Tom Morgan.
Still Tom held Paull up, till at length, weakened, the boys began to sink. “Tell Paull’s parents I tried to save him and couldn’t; tell my folks, good bye, I am all right,” said Tom Morgan. He threw up one hand and both boys slipped down into 15 feet of water.
That, in brief, is the story of Paull
Bedillion and Tom Morgan. But not all.
When the story of the heroic but futile act of Tom Morgan was print-ed in The Courier the story attract-ed wide notice. The bodies of the two boys were recovered on Janu-ary 18 and one of the largest crowds ever to attend a funeral here saw the two bodies laid to rest.
A few days later The Courier call-ed a meeting to consider a memorial for gallant Tom Morgan, who was the youngest brother of Mrs. H. T. Trice of this city. A committee was named at the meeting to take charge and it was composed of J. E. Jarvis, president; J. P. Winton, sec-retary; P. H. Albright treasurer; A. B. Arment, and Amos Snowhill.
Many donations for a memorial were received from out of town, sent by persons who had read of the heroic deed of Tom Morgan. Funds were assembled and the contract for a memorial awarded to W. H. Dawson, local marble works proprietor. In a short time it was completed and unveiled.
Today it stands, a mute testi-monial to heroism, in the south-west corner of the old Central school yard, just east across the street from the fire station. Of Winfield’s thousands probably less than half know the story of Tom Morgan and Pauli Bedillion, the schoolboys, who went down just west of Island park in Timber creek.
Original Format
Paper
Title
Thirty-Seven Years Ago Gallant Tom Morgan Gave His Life to Save Friend, Winfield Daily Courier, January 16, 1928
Subject
Winfield Daily Courier
Bedilion, Paul
Morgan, Thomas
Winfield, KS
Description
This article recounts the heroism of Thomas Morgan who tried to save his friend, Paul Bedilion, after he fell through the ice while ice skating in January 1891.
Creator
Winfield Daily Courier, Winfield, Kansas USA
Publisher
Winfield Public Library, Winfield, KS USA
Date
1928-01-16
Rights
Format
text/plain
Type
Clippings
Citation
Winfield Daily Courier, Winfield, Kansas USA, “Thirty-Seven Years Ago Gallant Tom Morgan Gave His Life to Save Friend, Winfield Daily Courier, January 16, 1928,” Winfield Digital Collections, accessed June 23, 2026, https://winfield.digitalsckls.info/item/225.Text
Courier Jan 16, (?), 1928
THIRTY-SEVEN YEARS AGO GALLANT TOM MORGAN GAVE
HIS LIFE TO SAVE FRIEND
Thirty-seven years ago today there occurred a deed of heroism never surpassed in the anals of this sec-tion of America.
On January 16, 1891, Thomas Mor-gan, a Winfield youth, was skating with other boys on Timber creek. Pauli Bedillion, 12, a friend of Thomas Morgan, broke through the ice. Seeing his young friend’s plight, young Morgan threw, aside his skates and coat and plunged into the icy water.
He reached the side of the young-er boy and attempted to drag him out on top of the ice. The ice kept breaking and after a desperate bat-tle of at lease 10 minutes both boys grew weak, as the water was very cold. Companions on the bank shouted to Morgan to let the young-er boy drown and save himself.
“Tom, let go you will be drown-ed,’ ’they shouted from the bank.
Little Paul Bedillion cried, “Tom, don’t let go.” “I will save you, Paull, or we will both go down together,” answered Tom Morgan.
Still Tom held Paull up, till at length, weakened, the boys began to sink. “Tell Paull’s parents I tried to save him and couldn’t; tell my folks, good bye, I am all right,” said Tom Morgan. He threw up one hand and both boys slipped down into 15 feet of water.
That, in brief, is the story of Paull
Bedillion and Tom Morgan. But not all.
When the story of the heroic but futile act of Tom Morgan was print-ed in The Courier the story attract-ed wide notice. The bodies of the two boys were recovered on Janu-ary 18 and one of the largest crowds ever to attend a funeral here saw the two bodies laid to rest.
A few days later The Courier call-ed a meeting to consider a memorial for gallant Tom Morgan, who was the youngest brother of Mrs. H. T. Trice of this city. A committee was named at the meeting to take charge and it was composed of J. E. Jarvis, president; J. P. Winton, sec-retary; P. H. Albright treasurer; A. B. Arment, and Amos Snowhill.
Many donations for a memorial were received from out of town, sent by persons who had read of the heroic deed of Tom Morgan. Funds were assembled and the contract for a memorial awarded to W. H. Dawson, local marble works proprietor. In a short time it was completed and unveiled.
Today it stands, a mute testi-monial to heroism, in the south-west corner of the old Central school yard, just east across the street from the fire station. Of Winfield’s thousands probably less than half know the story of Tom Morgan and Pauli Bedillion, the schoolboys, who went down just west of Island park in Timber creek.
Original Format
Paper