Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-11-26
ELOPED WITH A WIDOW.
A Milwaukee Man Located after Many
years Absence.
Henry Roddis, who Deserted His
Family Thirty Years Ago and Has
Been Mourned as Dead, Found
With Another Wife in Iowr.

Milwaukee. November 25.-On the
evening of october %, 1865, Henry w.
Roddis kissed his wife and two children
qood-bv and started, as it was supposed,
for the South to invest a large sum Of
ronev for his uncle Edward Roddis,
who was a pork packer in this city.
From that time until a year ago he
was mourned by his wife and daughter,
who survived, as dead. Then rumors
rs to Roddis's existence in another part
of the country sprung up and in time
were verified as facts, and story
startling IN interest developed. IL
was. however, kept quiet among those
directly interested until to-day.
The main fact ascertained was nat
for twenty years Roddis had been -iy-
ing at Cherokee, Iowa, prominent and
respected citizen, where he has a wife
and eight children. Collateral TO THIS
main fact were others, even more start
ling At the time ROddts disappeared,
II was common to send agents to Iowa
and southwestern points to buy hogs
and cattle for shipment 10 Milwaukee.
On these trips the buyers carried with
them considerable money. On ,his trip
Roddis is believed to have carried more
money than usual. as Il was understood
his uncle wished him TO invest III sou1h-
ern lands, which could then be bought
cheaply. 1t was stated that he had
with him $4,000 in currency When
nothing was heard of him, it was sup
posed he had been killed for his money.
There were those who hinted that his
disappearance could be accounted for N
another way. THIS select few remem-
bered Roddis that had been very much
impressed by a pretty widotw named
Mrs. AEllington, whose husband had
been killed in the war, and who lived
with her parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Michael
Schlinger, on a farm at North Green
field.
PRETTY WIDOW ALSO LEFT.
The fact that about the time Roddis
went away Mrs. Millington and her
daughter disappeared, tended to con-
firm the skeptcs in their belief. But
to Roddis's wife and daughter he was
dead. Nor was their faith shaken un-
til about year ago, when Rev. James
Slidell, of st. Johns Episcopal Church,
had occasion to visit friends In Chero-
kee. Iowa. There he hard Of a man
named Henry Roddis, who was secretary
Of the Citizens Life Association OF
Iowa. which had its headquarters at
Cherokee. Mr.. Slidell knew Mrs. Rod-
d.s's story and made II point to meet
Roddis. He was convinced the Chero-
kee Roddis was the man who had disaD-
peared from Milwaukee nearly thirty
years ago. The matter was placed In
an attorneys hands by the Milwaukee
wife on charge of b,gamy, with view
of making ROddis settle something on
his aiMlwukee family.
During the investigation the registers
Of the old ST. Charles Hotel were exam
ined and it was found that a few hours
after he kissed his wife and children
good-by Rodd.s appeared at the hotel
with Mrs. Millington and her daughter
and registered as Edward Millington,
wife and daughter The next day they
left.
TAKEN UP BY SOCIETY.
In 1874 they came to Cherokee and
purchased a farm eight miles from the
place, where they lived in great seclu-
SION for several years. Then gradually
they began to make their way until
Roddis was regarded as one of the solid
citizens Of the town. HIS eldest daugh-
ter married b. A. Kerger, super!ntend-
ent Of public schools, and the family
was on the top social shelf. When
Roddis found that his identity could be
clearly established he began negOtia-
tons for a settlement His Milwaukee
wife wanted nothing to do with him be-
yond such a sum as would tend to
make her life easier than it had been
all these long. weary years. In the
meantime Roddis began putting his
property out of his hands and arrang-
ing matters so his Cherokee family
would be taken care Of. Then be disap-
peared for the second time He was
traced to South Dakota and Minnesota,
but the searchers were always just a
little too late. 1t is believed that be
is now IN hiding somewhere in Mime