The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-10-06
A STRANGE CASE.


How Edward Myers Disappeared and
was Afterward FouHd.
The case of Mr.. Conant, editor of Hdr
pe''s' Weekly, who left home friends, and
business long months ago and has not yet
been found by those searching, is paralleled
every week in the year. One of the strange
cases was that of q citizen of Wisconsin
named Edward Myers. He resided in o
village of about 5000 inhabitants, and
owned a store, q -four mill, n tannery, and
other interests. He was, in fact, the lead
ing man of the town, and at the time of his
disappearance was looked upon as shrewd,
keen-witted, and level-headed man. One
October evening just ut dusk he took pit
cher and started to cross the street to the
house of neighbor who had that day
brought home barrel of new cider, and
when he passed through the door his wife
and children had seen him for the last time
in seven years. After couple of hours
had passed one of the family crossed the
street to look for him, and found that he
had not been at the house. Next day
search was made, and for the first month
probably 1000 people We're on the lookout
for some trace of the missing man.
1t was case to puzzle everybody. Here
was man doing good business, as years
old, and in good health, having happy
home and owing no man dollar, with no
known enemies, who disappeared as CON-
pletely as if cyclone had blown him out
to sea. 1t was natural to conclude that he
had been murdered, but his wife could
figure that he did not have more than $40
on his person. Besides, how could the
murderers have spirited the body away SO
that no trace of it could be found? Late in
the day detective advanced the theory
that Myers had been killed in the street and
his body placed in q vehicle and driven off
to be shipped to some medical college.
Some people were satisfied with this expla-
nation, and others made themselves believe
that he had committed some secret crime
and had fled for fear of exposure. In
few months the mysterious disappearance
Ind become an old story to all except the
family.
There was one son 81 years of age and
another past IS. The older son took up
the management of the business, and the
younger, accompanied by detective, set
out to search the whole world, IL need be,
to find the father, living or dead. BY the
advice of a physician they abandoned all
other theories and began to search for a de-
mented person. The first clue was struck
ut Baraboo, forty miles from home The
made to order and bore the family initial.
II was found in n beer saloon, where he had
sold IL for thirty cents. The buyer did not
remember much about the man, ten months
now having elapsed. An oldish man, who
Ind evidently travelled good distance by
highway, had entered the place one evening
and offered the pitcher for sale, and it had
been purchased at his offer. Come to think
of it he did act rather queerly, stating that
his family had driven him from home, and
seeming greatly affected, but the saloon
keeper was busy and did not give him much
attention.
II was six months later before another
trace of Myers was discovered. II was then
found that man answering his description
and looked upon as light headed had work.
ed in sawmill ut Galena, ILL.,, for couple
of months, and then suddenly departed
without word to anybody. This was the
last heard of him until he had been missing
three years. He was then heard of at Nash
vile, Tenn, where he had worked in a liv-
cry stable for several months. He called
himself John Thomas, the same rs at Galena
and threw out hints that his wife had driven
him from home by threats to poison him.
He had been gone n month when the son
reached Nashville, and although five or six
men were enlisted in the search not another
trace of him could be discovered for two
years. Then he turned up at Sedalia, Mo-,
rs a farm hand. The owner of the farm
believed the John Thomas to be none other
than the missing Myers, and he wrote to the
family, but before the son arrived the
father had walked away again. There was
something unfathomable in his goings.
Search as they would and did for fifty miles
around, no one could be found who had
seen him on the railroads, steamboats,, or
highways. 1t is likely that he feared pnr-
suit, huu tuticlOfc tfifoicu only III night
and by unfrequented routes
Two years more passed without clue,
but this was accounted for later on. Thorn
as had gone up into Iowa, fallen in with
some tramps who burned n barn, and all
were sentenced to prison. Thomas got two
years, and about week before his sentence
expired he told the warden some points in
his history which led the official to suspect
his identity. The son arrived and fully
recognized the father, but the latter had no
remembrance of him. When taken home
he called his wife by name, recognized all
the old friends. but persisted in being q
stranger in his own house. He was sent to
an asylum, ard in year returned perfectly
restored to reason. He picked up all
things from the point where he had left
them seven years before, and could not be
induced to believe that more than few
weeks had elapsed. He died at the age OF
5S perfectly sane and in the full tide OF
business success. His insanity was mat
ter of controversy among the doctors, and
no one was ever quite satisfied % to the
cause. From the time of his death he dated
oil his letters eight years back refusing to
believe, as has been related, tina. such q
term of years had dropped out Of Lis life.
Grcnt Flowing Wells.