“Where’s Perry?” In August 1914, the Ridgeway Journal posted a $5 reward for any information about a printer of theirs named Perry Tschup (pronounced “chupp”) who had gone missing in the night of August 6. He was described as “22 years old, of small stature, 5’6” in height, weight about 130. Black hair and eyes, fair complexation, and at the time of his disappearance, had a slight wound over right eye. Will probably show up in some printing office.” (Ridgeway Journal, Aug 13, 1914)
That was the last anyone seemed to have heard of Perry in Ridgeway in 1914. I scanned through several weeks of Ridgway Journals after that notice and didn’t find another mention of him despite the $5 reward (about $140 today). Thanks to the power of the internet, I did find him – in Indiana. It seems that Perry returned home to Munster, IN where he worked as a printer in the winter and on freighters during the summer. He entered the Army during WWI and got into a lot of trouble when he assaulted a young woman and ended up in jail. He pled guilty and was turned over to the military and somehow ended up overseas to serve in the war. He fought, was severely injured and honorably discharged. He returned home to his old career as a printer, married, had children and grandchildren, retired from printing to become a farmer, and passed away in 1983 at the age of He died in 1983 at the age of 91. (Sources available upon request.) I wonder if anyone in Ridgeway ever heard from him again. I found him only because his name is rather unique and he is mentioned many times in the local papers throughout his life.
