Gerial "Rial" Miller, who told the story below, is at left in the back row of this old photograph of the six sons of Jeremiah and Elizabeth (McMulin) Miller of English Township, Lucas County. To his left are my great-grandfather, Joseph Cyrus Miller, and Richard Miller. In the front row are (from left) William Owen Miller, Harry Miller and Harvey Miller. Of these, Cyrus has many descendants still living in Lucas County and Rial, a few. No descendants of the others remain. Rial's son was Chester Miller. Chester's son and grandson, Ellsworth and Michael, live southeast of Russell. 

Tales of missing men (Part 2 of 3)

This is the second of three articles written by Chariton Leader Editor Henry W. Gittinger during July and August of 1915 regarding mysterious disappearances in Lucas County. Based upon Darlene Arnold's index to vital statistics in Lucas County newspapers, it looks as if this case was reported upon in The Chariton Democrat during 1869, but I will have to look those references up later to make sure of that. I'll report back then.

The story-teller here was my uncle (actually my grandfather's uncle), Gerial "Rial" Trescott Miller. The fact the information is so detailed suggests that either Uncle Rial brought a newspaper clipping with him or Henry looked the case up in the back-issue files of the Leader (known at various times as The Democrat).

THE PORT OF MISSING MEN
Past Myersteris O'er Which the Veil Has Never Been Lifted

Recently the Leader has printed accounts of Lucas county men who went away and have never returned; who have never since been heard of. In speaking of this, Rial Miller, of English township, gives another incident, and while it happened before his time, yet in his boyhood days it formed a topic of conversation among the older people of the township and some yet will remember it though comparatively few know that such a man ever existed.

Near fifty years ago a man and his wife, by the name of Porter, they having no children, lived in a log cabin in the middle of a field east of what is now the Savage farm. He had sold a team of horses and that fund, added to some other, gave them a capital of $300. One day the husband concluded he would go out and buy another team, so took $230 with him, leaving $70 in an old tea pot hanging in the chimney corner at home. As he passed across the field in the direction of Chariton he stopped for a moment, turned about and saw his wife standing in the cabin door. He waved his hand at her and soon passed beyond the horizon. That was the last time she ever saw him.

Later in the day a settler by the name of Allison was driving his ox team along the trail leading to the south and overtook Porter, who had halted by the wayside to rest and perhaps pick a pebble from his shoe. He asked him to ride as their routes lay in the same direction for several miles, after which Porter went his way. This was the last account of him. The neighbors gathered from far and near and search was made but to no avail. No trace of the missing man was found.

Later people began to talk and suspicion was aroused, for it was known that Porter carried considerable money on his person. Allison, with whom he was last seen, was arrested but as no evidence against him could be produced he was released and in time the incident was but casually and occasionally discussed and dropped entirely. Mrs. Porter lost all hope and moved away, in after years, becoming the wife of a man by the name of Cunningham and they established thier home in Denver.

What a field for detective work Lucas county is. Should others know of similar cases please confer with our "Missing Men Department" immediately.

Tales of missing men (Part 1 of 3)

Henry W. Gittinger, editor for many years of The Chariton Leader, loved a good story and the sound of his own voice. Or, as it should be said, he loved the look of his own lines of type. Henry could sit down at the Leader linotype and compose clackety-clack, matrices and spacebands flying, molten lead spurting, enough lines of type to fille three full columns of a broadsheet form without even breaking a sweat. About half of what he wrote was pure conceit, verbal lace tatted and stitched to embroidered sentences that must have seemed pretty profound to the old boy then, but now give you the urge grab him by the scruff of the neck and shake. The rest of the time he wrote solid history, retold stories he'd heard from pioneers long dead and composed moving accounts of life in Lucas County as it once had been.

What follows here is the first of three articles Henry composed during the summer of 1915 dealing with the disappearances of Lucas Countyans, mysterious and otherwise. This article appeared on the front page of The Leader of Thursday, 29 July 1915.

A TALE OF MISSING MEN
They Dropped From View Many Years Now Gone

Recent events in Taylor county cause the older citizens to draw upon their memories and perhaps every county in Iowa have their tales of missing men, and legends. Some are true and traditional while many more are fabulous, yet embellished in the most interesting story calculated to lift one's hair and start the currents of electricity through the nerve-fillaments.

Less than two decades ago many will remember the young priest who left Chariton for the eastern cities and has never been heard from since. The seven years elapsed and whatever his fate may have been he was legally dead and the court records of the county will now show that action is pending for the disposal of his estate, according to civil order and right, to be restored should at any time the mystery be cleared away and he return.

A couple of weeks since the Leader made mention of the Honey Creek mystery, in Washington township, the missing traveler and the flight of the Ricker band of outlaws.

This calls to mind the case of one Derling, a school teacher who formerly lived at old LaGrange, but taught in various places in the county --- more than forty years ago. He was a relative of the Cory family. Mr. Derling was a widower and had two daughters residing in New Jersey. One afternoon he walked into Chariton from the Cory home to take the train for an eastern city. He never reached his destination. In fact he was never seen or heard of from that day to this although diligent inquiry and search was made, and it is probable that no more will be learned until that great day arrives when all things shall be revealed. In after years some thought old Tom Kelley who more recently murdered Charley Archibald, might have been able to throw some light upon the mystery, but that is mere conjecture.

In the early day, more than half century now, a family by the name of Mansfield resided in Whitebreast township on what is now the Saunders Bailey farm. The country was sparsely settled and the wilderness was yet profound. Rumors of inhuman acts and lawlessness filtered out from this rendezvous and vice was said to be the prevailing intent of the Mansfield character. One evening ere the twilight had settled into the second gloaming a pack peddler was seen going along the prairie trail and noticed to turn in at the Mansfield gate. It was said that aside from the valuable Irish linens and varied merchandise of the pack, that he carried other valuable commodities as well as a fair-sized roll of money.

Tradition says no pack peddler left the Mansfield gate the next day or even the next. Neither have his feet trod the highway on the crest of the Whitebreast hills from that day to the present. It is further said that the old well to the north of the house was filled with new loam and the stout hearted wondered --- others feared. In time the Mansfield family moved away, as always is the case, and crime triumphed but for a brief season. The old home was neglected, the doors creaked on the hinges and the winds held high carnival in the attic, while the iron weeds almost obscured the ruin from the view of the passers by.

Strange sounds were often heard accompanied by commotion and moanings in the night time, which reverberated over the landscape wide and chilled the blood in the veins of the cautious brave, and the recounting of this strange "hant" of the murdered peddler froze the souls of children as they sat about the fireside during the long winter evenings.

But all this happened a long time ago. Probably by this time the ghost of the murdered peddler has been reconciled to his fate or else has flown and taken his proper place in the spirit world.