Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-12-25
CHARLIE ROSS.
zz c Siill Lives e I'd Is Welt he De.
n,ands or tits POsSeSsors.

The Philadelphia Public Ledger of
Monday contains the following:
1t is generally known that on Mon
day last, Immediately after the receipt
OF the news of the killing of Mosher
and Douglass in the Bay Ridge burg
larry, Captain Helms, chef of TIE de-
tsc-ive force of this city, went to New
York, accompanied by private citi-
zen. for the purpose of learning every
thug possible rs TO the identity of The
burglars with the hbductors.
Alter the identification was compile
ted they, in company with Mr.. francis
ID. Lewis, IT relative Of MIR. Ross, en-
gagged IN cooperation With Walling.
the superln .enden5 Of the New Yo.k
police department, lii al Hort to get
some new clue to the whereabouts Of
the stolen child. Tie result of these
Efforts has already been published.
Tnty, however, il the course of the
searchlng inquiries made III New York
during the last week, obtained cIrcum-
stantlal information confirming the
dying statement of Douglass, that the
| child. contrary to the very general
belief on the subiect, is still living.
This Information was given direct
and in unmistakabie form to one of
the Philadelphia party, aud ly him to
the police authorities, who were close
| at hand, but it cannot be published in
| specific form as he got it, because that
might defeat the expectation of getting
| further information from the same
source. The following, however, will
| give some idea of the facts that con-
firm the belief of the police depart
ments of the two cities that no harm
has come To little Charlie Ross.
| The abductors had always adhered
stubborn!y to one plan; that is, they
demanded that the $4,000 ransom
| should be paid to them. That they
should then have some margin to ex
anime the moIey and see that it was
not marked and to get away to some
distance; aud that for these purposes
they must have the money from five
to ten hours before the child was
handed over, the boy being held fol
that time as kind of hostage for ths
good faith of his friends.
This plan the ebductors stuck te
from first to lest. On the other hand
the police departments and those who
represented the family and the citi
zen's reward fund were as reso!ut,
that no such plan should be carried
out; that they would make every pos
sible effort to recover the child ans
make his recovery the means of cap
turing the brigards, and that Their
. should be no compromise of the matte
that would enable the thieves to ge
the money and make their escape.
, Thus there was a struggle involving
endurance and determination on bot
sides, the thieves expecting to wea
out the patience of the suffering famil
and the resolution of the police, an
the latter being determined to wea
out the resources and purpose of tn
thieves. After a struggle CT fv
months it became manifest TO the al
. ductors at the close of November tina
plan they had stuboornly held to f,
so long a time, end that they wou.
have to adopt soRle her.
They becane very hard pushed fc
the mcans of living, and this doub
less compelled them to tske the ris
OF the burglary at Bay Ridge. The
; bad finally cone to the Conclusion /
, abandOn their irot plan. and on tt
lle h bef.are they We're killed at b
, kIuge, IL. Y we're considering auoth.
ttat they had PARTIALLY worked on
for ro-openlug the negotiations OH til
basis of i simultaneous ex-hange {
the Child Tor Tie 1aony.
The ubv.ous deduction from this
; that the chlid must have been alive E,
that TIM. Saturday. December ~ {
else taa ..Hductors ~ouid have had Il
necessity for considering any chang
Of p,aLs. ,sp. clai'y a change III,
! MGsIt'tI I,I,ltstA the nTOEnrflOn Of II
: child at tie time when the money ws
, 10 be paid. Il may be added that I'll
.. police authorities never had any re,
: son TO suppose the child had dice
and now they have the foregoing res
son for the belief that he was living
few hours before the ab6uctors We,
killed