We complete the transcription of the article on the disappearance of George Rothweiler from the Belleville News Democrat of 21 January 1905. There's a slight twist at the end.
[begin transcription]
"Rothweiler says he left home in the hope of bettering his condition, but that he has thus far failed to meet with success anywhere. He has traveled hundreds of miles, he says, but during his trips has failed to find a place as good as 'dear old Belleville.'
His wife states that she will not send him the money to get out of jail. The spouse, she says, failed to inform her of the fact that he intended to leave, and that now he could get back to Belleville in any way that he possibly could."
[end transcription]
Well that's an interesting, if understandable, response.
I'm still wishing that the wife was named specifically in the article. Going forward, I'm looking for additional references to George Rothweiler in GenealogyBank and other newspaper websites. The first part of this article suggests that there might have been other articles published about Rothweiler's disappearance when it was first noticed. He had been gone for several months when his wife received the letter that prompted this article. Those earlier articles may provide additional details on his family. It's important to remember that locals in the Belleville area would have known who George Rothweiler was so the additional details were not necessary to them in 1905.
And the question remains: did he come back to Belleville? Was there an eventual divorce?
This newspaper account located on GenealogyBank may be only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
Stay tuned.
