1909: Boy Mysteriously Disappeared in Air on Christmas Eve

I love reading old newspapers and finding interesting articles.
Here is one I found written in the Dresden Times on December 23,
of 1978 retelling a mysterious incident that happened in Wales
in 1909. I tried to find the original article, but I don't have
access to those newspapers. I was able to find an Owen Thomas
who was a farmer living at Crickhowell, Breconshire, Wales in
1911. Oliver is not listed on this census.

Could this be a possible alien abduction?

Sharing this article because some of you
might find it as interesting as I do.

a reply to: virraszto

Abductions have been happening for a long long time it seems. I guess we will have no answers for these continuing cases.

I think I've heard of this before. Different name, possibly a different location. But definitely I have read about a boy fetching water and being carried away. S + F

Found one version!

Oliver Lerch/Larch Thomas disappeared near South Bend, Indiana on Christmas. (about midway down the page under Picnic at Hanging Rock)

Oliver Lerch

I can't get enough of the Historical Papers.

Use the search term " Wild man" and you will read some incredible stuff.

Would you mind giving me the search words you have been using ?

I would like to work together to cover all the queries.

a reply to: whyamIhere

I search using all kinds of search terms. I have saved many articles and have some uploaded
online. Some terms I find in the articles I read. If you'd like to share, I'd be happy to.
I'll send you a 2u2 message, so look for it.

If a boy disappeared overnight and no footsteps were found (in fresh snow) leading away in any direction then he never left there and those people were covering for what really happened to him.

a reply to: intrptr

There were footsteps found. Seventy-five feet of footsteps that just stopped. The foot steps were leading to the well, but
the boy never made it that far.

originally posted by: intrptr
If a boy disappeared overnight and no footsteps were found (in fresh snow) leading away in any direction then he never left there and those people were covering for what really happened to him.

I considered this too, but with no way to look at the scene or for evidence, I guess we'll never really know. The one thing the parents have going for them, is respectable witnesses, and an apparent lack of motive. It would be interesting to go there today, and see if a body could be found.

Question is, did it happen or is it fantasy?

Quick look up of George Butler, he had a column called "Its a strange world" in the Times. Which dealt with myths and mysteries. Yep, even Atlantis.

This particular story is just that, a story. Its clearly very elegantly written and "made interesting" in every word. Of course there may be an original story behind it, but without such evidence/source its fiction. There's plenty of stories about people vanishing into thin air though so it may have been a real disappearance.

a reply to: virraszto

There were footsteps found. Seventy-five feet of footsteps that just stopped. The foot steps were leading to the well, but
the boy never made it that far.

I now thats what the story "says", it also says they stomped around looking for him. How long do you figure that crime scene was preserved? Some investigator probably said there are no footsteps outside a certain circle and the perpetrator(s) said "oh, well he must have been carried off."

Since he was never found the explanation stands.

But thats impossible. He was there somewhere. Wouldn't be the first time someone tried to cover for malfeasance by claiming "disappearance" with a fantastical tale.

Weird! I’m from the area and never heard this story before! Checking it out though some believe it to be a hoax, that the same story circulated regarding an Oliver Larch (not Thomas) from Indiana….

en.wikipedia.org...

www.humanities360.com...

So interesting though because a young lad named Tommy Jones was found dead on much higher ground than where he was last seen - same area and just a few years before this story…. I done a thread about it once....

www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: Klassified

The one thing the parents have going for them, is respectable witnesses, and an apparent lack of motive.

Someone had a motive, they wouldn't otherwise hide an accident. Why did the father say go get water at "11" at night? Were others all asleep or awake at that time of night? Back then people basically went to bed at dark and rose first light.

It would be interesting to go there today, and see if a body could be found.

Didn't mention they searched the house, just the "outbuildings and surrounding slopes". Thats how they would have determined that he never left because there were no tracks in the fresh snow, "past a certain point".

I don't think he was "carried off". They made that up to cover for something else. The fresh snow made them invent a
mystery. Probably murdered and the same perp threatened to kill anyone who told.

originally posted by: paradisepurple
Weird! I’m from the area and never heard this story before! Checking it out though some believe it to be a hoax, that the same story circulated regarding an Oliver Larch (not Thomas) from Indiana….

en.wikipedia.org...

www.humanities360.com...

So interesting though because a young lad named Tommy Jones was found dead on much higher ground than where he was last seen - same area and just a few years before this story…. I done a thread about it once....

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Same area? Uh ohhh… serial killer perhaps?

a reply to: paradisepurple

It is very possible the story is false. I did check and there
was an Owen Thomas living in the area at that time and
he was a farmer. Maybe it's possible to find other records?
The article mentions an inquest. There should be a
police report if it is true or not. Does anyone
have access to those records?

With other stories so similar, maybe it is a hoax,
but it's still an interesting read.

Same area? Uh ohhh… serial killer perhaps?

Sorry the above is a post from intrptr, don't know what happened here lol.


Maybe, if this story is actually true.

What I don’t get is that the story mentions Oliver Thomas was ‘in a farmhouse on a Brecon hillside’ yet ‘police were summoned from the nearby town of Rhayader’… which is nowhere near Brecon, actually about 35 miles away.

a reply to: virraszto

Yeah it certainly seems to be circulated as a hoax.... Which makes me think it may have actually happened and the incident is trying to be covered up...

a reply to: paradisepurple

What I don’t get is that the story mentions Oliver Thomas was ‘in a farmhouse on a Brecon hillside’ yet ‘police were summoned from the nearby town of Rhayader’… which is nowhere near Brecon, actually about 35 miles away.

Dunno, maybe they were the nearest available on Christmas day?

There are missing elements. The story is a century old now. i was just playing to the facts, not the "here say". If kids went missing around there it must have been a terrible time for them. They didn't have modern forensics.

Merry Christmas. Good time for a killer to act, there would be a limited response by authorities.

Doesn't anyone think it odd that the boy covered 75 feet in 5 inches of snow in just 10 seconds while wearing wellies?

The article reads like a work of fiction rather than a factual report...

originally posted by: Yeahkeepwatchingme
I think I've heard of this before. Different name, possibly a different location. But definitely I have read about a boy fetching water and being carried away. S + F

Found one version!

Oliver Lerch/Larch Thomas disappeared near South Bend, Indiana on Christmas. (about midway down the page under Picnic at Hanging Rock)

Oliver Lerch

Yeah, story sounded very familiar to me as well but not identical to the one I know of, thing is... the one I know of I think its a grown man rather than a boy who gets taken or at least the retellings of the story ive read in various books on the mysterious.

Thing is having a story with variations like this would indicate that either the story is a complete fake (which is a disappointment given Ive always liked this one) or all the variations are based on something that happened but probably alot less 'mysterious' than the retellings make out.

The wording and writing of it also seems to smack of 'additions' for additions sake... which is something papers and magazines have always done, i personally just prefer the facts straight (the version i know of was short and concise, unless they were simply paraphrasing a more longwinded version themselves).

Interestingly, I wonder if its got any kind of connection to the historical stories about various nuns or monks who seemed to basically just up (pardon the pun) and float off, although most of them tend to come back down.

Oh also, in the retellings of this 'event' ive read the people can hear the victim calling out, this is the first time ive ever read one stating what he was saying... somehow I think his plees for help being taken by 'them' might be a dramaic addition.