Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1922-08-18
BOZ IUS MAN
D||||ISAP Pc R R
JOSEPH SOLTI9 MISSING FOLLOW
ING WRECK OF CAR NEAR f.
TWO RIVERS BRIDGE

Joseph Soltis, &c, Of Bowlus, who
mysteriously disappeared Thursday eft.
ternoon of last week and who it was
at first thought had been drowned in
the Mississippi river near the Two
Rivers bridge, is believed by his father
John Soltis and the authorities, to be
alive and in hiding somewhere, in view
of the situation surrounding his dis
appearance.
The finding Of the John Soltis car
in which the son Joseph had started
for Royalton to settle some accounts
near the bank of the Mississippi river
a short distance above the Two Rivers
bridge, on the east side, was the first
intimation of his disappearance. E. v
Wetzel and Ed. Lauermann, Of Little
Falls, who were erecting signs for the
Diamond Sign jewelry store, discovered
the car. The bank at this point is
protected by steel rail piling and the
car was damned against this piling
the rear end overhanging the river al
a sharp angle. This was at about
3 O'Clock and the accident must have
occurred only a short time before that
as the car was not there at o'clock
according to persons who passed there
at that time.
Shortly after the arrival of Wetze]
and Lauermann, Thomas Kruzel anC
another man from Elmdale appeared
They identified the car and went back
! to Bowlus to notify John Soltis. Or
account Of the position Of the car il
was believed that young So1tis wa!
| thrown into the river when the col
lision occurred and was drowned, sc
authorities at Little Falls brought
down graphing hooks and the river
was dragged for considerable dis
lance. The search was gwen up a!
dark but was resumed Friday morning
! On Friday afternoon word came tc
the searching party that Soltis had
been seen late Thursday afternoon at
the old Bower farm, where he stopped
and asked for a drink of water. An
other party reported meeting him in
field west Of Royalton and of being
asked the direction to certain farm
er's home Mrs. Frank Jendro and
Mrs. Czech, of Elmdale, neighbors OF
Soltis, reported seeing him in St
Cloud Thursday evening at about $3.50
An investigation by the authorities
| divulged the fact that the missing man
had been melancholy since the death
Of his wife about year ago. He had
collected 1885 from Anton Jendro, OF
Bowlus as a payment on some LAND
purchased and had started for Royal
ton in his fathers car for the purpose
of settling some accounts. His father
expressed the belief that following the
accident his son, thinking the cal
Ihopelessly wrecked and the odds
against him in every way, decided tt
leave for parts unknown and try te
| make a fresh start. The father was
more firmly convinced of this when he
| learned Of his son 5 financial diff
culties, none of which he knew of be-
fore
! Joseph Soltis has three small chill
dren. He carried considerable life in
surance and the company with which
he held a policy had just obtained
judgement for collection Of note
given for premiums on same and there
is lien against land owned by Mr.
Soltis for the amount.
Sheriff Felix is making an effort tc
locate the missing man and notices
with his picture have been sent broad
cast. Soltis is described as weighing
100 pounds and dressed in tan overalls
brown shoes and soft felt hat.