FAMILY FOLIAGE.
Milford Switzer (1907 ~ 1930)
5.9.4.3. Third child of Margaret E. Johnston and Alfred E. Switzer, Milford Switzer, was born February 1, 1907, in Midland, Simcoe Co., Ontario.
Milford Switzer died September 17, 1930, aged 22 years in Toronto, Ontario, and is interred at Park Lawn Cemetery.
----- OBITUARY -----
Milford Switzer
Lost His Life Trying to Save Girl Companion
Milfred Switzer, Formerly of Midland Drowned in Toronto Harbour a Week Ago
BODY RECOVERED
Quite unconscious that the body of his eldest son, Milfred, was lying on the bottom of the Toronto harbour and had been from the previous Wednesday, Mr. Alfred Switzer on Saturday was driving in the horse races at the Midland Fall Fair, an event he never missed. It was while one of the main races was in progress that the body was found, and Russell Switzer left shortly afterwards to bring the tidings to Midland and Penetang.
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Switzer lived in Midland for a number of years, where Mr. Switzer conducted a livery stable. They moved to Penetang some months ago. Milfred, the drowned boy, was unmarried, but Russell, the next son, is married, his wife being formerly Miss Evans, of Midland.
On Monday, the Mail and Empire gave the following particulars:
Supposed to have fled when his girl companion jumped into the water to escape his attention, Mr. Milfred Switzer, aged 22, of Midland, actually lost his own life in an attempt to save hers; it was revealed Saturday when lifesavers found his body at the foot of Spadina Avenue.
The inability of Sirkka Raita, young Finnish girl, to speak English, cost him his life, police believe. Wednesday night her cries were heard and Officer Robinson pulled her from the water. According to her story, as understood by Superintendent Hilliard Lang, she had leaped into the lake when her escort’s advances had frightened her, and he had run off.
The next morning she swore out a warrant for an unknown man, charging indecent assault. Detective Sergeant Albert Johns and Detective Richard Carr were assigned to the case, and interviewed the girl at her home on McCaul Street.
On Friday some one phoned Johns that the man he was looking for worked on a dredge moored near the grain elevators.
The detectives took the girl to the ship, where she instantly recognized Russell Switzer as another of the man she claimed had assaulted her. Switzer said he had seen nothing of his brother since that night.
Repeats Story
The cook and other members of the crew told the officer that they had heard two people shouting for help on Wednesday night. So the sergeant had the girl tell her story again, with the aid of an interpreter.
She stated that she had met this man at a Finnish dance at Spadina and Queen. They had left the hall and walked down Spadina to a park, where they sat for a while.
Then the man told Miss Raita that he would take her to see the waterfront, where he worked. Walking past the elevators they stopped in some bushes near the waterfront, where Switzer is said to have spread his raincoat and invited her to sit beside him. She put her bag down and then, she claims, he made his advances that frightened her into jumping into the lake.
After she had been in the water for a minute or so, the young fellow jumped in and held her up. She could swim better than he could, so he left her and swam across to the dock. Later, when she found that the raincoat was missing she guessed that he had got out and ran away.
With the revised story, the life-savers started to drag, and shortly before 3 p.m. on Saturday, Seaman Bouchier and Dennis found the body.
Chief Coroner M. M. Crawford ordered an autopsy performed by Dr. W. L. Robinson, that showed death from drowning. Midland Free Press, Sept. 25, 1930.