RAYMOND RATH

RAYMOND RATH, AGED 10, DISAPPEARS FROM HOME, NO TRACE OF HIM FOUND
Lad was Last Seen at Two Yesterday Afternoon at Cigar Shop of Uncle on Washington
St. Where he Frequently Worked at Stripping Tobacco, Stepfather and Police Conduct
All Night Search in Vain
Has anyone seen Raymond Rath, aged ten, since yesterday ? of trace of him ? been
lost and his whereabouts are unknown while a mother is grief stricken and sick
with apprehension. Raymond, dressed in a lavender colored waist dark pant with a
soft grey hat and barefooted, left his home yesterday noon for the cigar shop of
his uncle, Michael Rummelfinger?, over Weinschenk’s barber shop. He was accustomed
to go there and stay for an hour or several days in the week assisting in the work
of stripping. Yesterday he came as was his want and at 2 o’clock picked up his hat
and said “Good by uncle, I’m going home.” That was the last seen of him and a ?
search of the city, the water ? and among relatives on the South side have failed
to located him. He has disappeared as completely as though the earth had opened and
swallowed him. Even his playmates do not remember having seen him and no one has
been found who saw him after he left the cigar shop on his way home. In the belief
that the lad made his way to one of the carferries, Ludington police have been asked
to visit and search the vessels upon arrival there, but up to this afternoon, this ?
of inquiry has been without avail. The boy always expressed interest in the big boats
and visited the docks at times to see them unload and take on freight. It was believed
possible that he had gone aboard and remained until after the boat had left the docks
and being unable to get ashore stayed hiding until the vessel reached the other shore.
The boy was not a frequenter of the bathing beaches to any extent and rarely joined
the other boys of his age to fish off the pier. These places, however, were visited
by the lad’s stepfather, John Soley, last night and in fact Soley conducted an all
night search. It was not until late however that the police station was notified. The
Soley family lives at 815 North Sixth street and the boy is one of three children,
being a son of Mrs. Soley by a previous marriage.
Manitowoc Daily Herald July 26, 1916 p.1
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BODY OF RAYMOND RATH, MISSING BOY, FOUND FLOATING IN RIVER
RIVER GIVES UP LIFELESS FORM OF LITTLE RAYMOND RATH MISSING SINCE TUESDAY
(Unfortunately the first two columns of this article are too faint to read,
so this starts with the third)
A charge that Bridgetender Goedtke had allowed the Rath boy to go down to the pier
beneath the draw on the day he disappeared proved to be without foundation. The report
came to the police that the lad was allowed to go down through the sidewalk opening on
the bridge and Officer Dueno questioned the bridgetender concerning the ? morning. the
bridgetender was astounded to think such a charge could have been made against him. He
says he never allowed any boy to be on the bridge under the draw where there always was
danger in drowning to a person who could not swim.
Manitowoc Daily Herald July 28, 1916 p. 1
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[cause: accidental drowning]