Published as it appeared on Dec. 1, 1918, in the Corvallis Gazette-Times, Page 1, Column 6.
Frank Wright
Is Missing
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Frank Wright, who lives near the junction of the Mary’s and the Muddy Rivers, disappeared from his home about ten days ago and has not been seen since.
A posse of men under Sheriff Gelatley went out to search for him this morning. They intend also to drag the river.
Mr. Wright had a paralytic stroke last summer and has not been very well since and it is feared he may have had another in the woods or on the river bank and died because of inability to get help.
Published as it appeared on Dec. 3, 1918, in the Corvallis Gazette-Times, Page 1, Column 2.
Body Of Frank
Wright Recovered
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The body of Frank Wright, missing since Friday, ten days ago, was recovered from Mary’s River about three o’clock yesterday afternoon. Mr. Wright was aged about 57 years and evidently committed suicide, as he had been in ill health for some time. A posse of men under Sheriff Gellatly went out yesterday morning to drag the river bed and located the body near the ranch home five miles southwest of Corvallis. Mr. Wright had no relatives so far as known.
The funeral was held at the grave in Newton cemetery at 2 o’clock this afternoon, Rev. E.G. Decker, of the M.E. church, officiating.
Published as it appeared on Dec. 4, 1918, in the Corvallis Gazette-Times, Page 4, Column 3.
Plymouth Paragrafts
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This vicinity was visited by a mystery which was cleared up so far as the finding of the man was concerned on Monday afternoon. Frank Wright, a resident of this community for the past 20 or 30 years, and living alone on his place about a mile and a half south of the Plymouth church in an isolated place, came up missing. The Rollan brothers visited his home last Sunday a week ago and found the cabin empty of humanity and a pot of beans and meat on the stove. They supposed him to be out on the place and nothing was thought of it until last Sunday morning, when they again went to the house and found it to be in the same condition, the beans and meat still on the stove. They immediately notified Terry Brown, and they and John Grey, Terry Brown, Brick Long, Laurence Goben and several other men of the neighborhood went to search for him. But he was not found Sunday. They visited his place again Monday morning and notified the sheriff and Mr. Bovee and another search was made of the place on Monday. Everything was in the house, nothing of value had been touched and only the axe was missing. In the afternoon on Monday, about 3 o’clock, his body was found floating in Muddy River, about 50 yards from the house. He had lain in the river long enough to cause his body to rise to the surface. Brick Long and Elden Mann found him. John Grey immediately notified Bovee. He came out and removed the body from the river and took it to Corvallis. The funeral services will be this (Tuesday) afternoon at the Mt. Union cemetery.
Mr. Wright came here in the early days of Oregon. He has brothers and sisters, but has not seen or heard from them for 40 years. Deceased was about 60 years of age; owned his farm and was well known everywhere for a hard worker and honest farmer.
Mr. Wright had a paralytic stroke some time back when he was found lying on his cabin floor, unable to rise, by the Rollan brothers. He was taken to the Corvallis hospital and kept till he was well enough to be about again, when he returned to his home on the farm. He never regained his health and at times had queer spells when he would seemingly lose his way and then come back to himself again. No one will ever know how he came to die. It is supposed by some that it was a case of suicide, by others that in one of his wanderings he fell into the river. But others think that while in the act of getting a drink, he may have again been visited by paralysis and fell into the river and drowned. The exact way will remain a mystery to be cleared only in the day of judgment.