The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-11-05

the papers or packages, as the very
fact that they have passed into the
post-ofice at all is proof of the prepay.
ment of postage. -
The Charley Ross Case.
From the Chicago Tribune.)
The abduction of little Charley Ross
is one Of the saddest cases which has
ever been made public, not only in the
event itself, but in the distressing con-
sequences which have resulted from it
to the family. The alternate hopes
and despair which the father and moth.
er have suffered; the ISLANDERS which
have been heaped upon them; the cruel,
practical jokes which have been played
upon them by heartless people. and the
malicious manner in which certain jour-
nails have followed them for the mere
sake Of sensation, have been hitherto
unparalleled in such cases. The little
boy was abducted by two men on the
LIST Of July last, while playing with his
brother. and was carried off in buggy
beyond the reach of his parents.
The father offered reward
of $500, which only brought
out an anonymous communication that
the boy would not be returned for less
than $4,000. 1t was not until nine
days after the abduction that the Phil
adclphia police took any steps towards
ferreting out the abductors, and then
commenced operations by issuing de-
scriptive circular. which was SO loosely
and vaguely drawn that numerous in
nocent parties we're arrested upon sus-
piston; meanwhile. the father kept re-
ceivlng anonymous letters offering to
surrender the child for stated sum.
The police authorities, however, would
not allow him to act upon them, upon
the ground that public justice ought not
to be defeated. The city of Philadel-
phia then offered reward Of $4,000
for such information as would lead to
the discovery of the child. The
largeness of the reward induced
Allan Pinkerton and numerous de-
tectives, both public and private, to go
to work, and Mr.. Ross had hopes some.
thing would be done. Something was
done but that something was OF such a
nature that it only added to the dis
tress of the family. On the 25th day
of July. news came of the arrest OF q
man in Richmond, Va, having the
corpse of a child supposed to be Char
ley Ross, but it turned ont to be a
child 10 months Of age. On the 4th Of
August woman was arrested in West
Philadelphia with child which subse-
quently she proved was her own. Then
came a dispatch from Bennington. VT,
that woman had been arrested there
with child answering the description
of Charley Ross. Like the others. this
child was shown to belong to another.
Thus MIR. Ross was kept travelling from
point to point, always in eager antici-
patton of finding his child, but always
disappointed. Then came the news
from Odell, in this State, with which
our readers are familiar, containing an
account Of the arrest Of two men and a
woman having child supposed to be
Charley Ross in their possession. who
turned out to be the son of one James
Henderson. Next came the story of
mythical Pittsburgh detective, who was
on the very eve of discovering the
child,--a story which was soon exploded
like the rest. Similar stories followed
each other i'll rapid succession from
Washington, Jeffersonville. Ind, Lin
coin, Neb., and scores Of other places
of similar character, each one Of
which excited hopes in the minds of
the parents only to be cruelty dissi-
pated. Other dispatches have been re-
ceived from parties who are confident
they have seen the child. In addition
to these distressing disappointments,
the family have been in the constant
receipt of threatening, scurril-
Gus. and cowardly letters
from anonymous sources. Sen
sational newspapers, under glar-
ing headlines, have printed all sorts of
vile ISLANDERS. cruel descriptions Of the
family and heartlcss narratives Of their
grief. and some have even accused them
of being corrupt and mercenary, and of
having connived at the abduction Of
their child for the sake Of gain. The
sacredness of their grief-1OFicken home
has been intruded upon by prying and
ungentlemanly reporters and correspon-
dents, who have written up most false
and cruel letters.
These heartless ISLANDERS. cruel perse-
cutions, and heart. breaking alterations
between hope and despair have at last
so worked upon Mr.. Ross that they
have driven him insane, and his physi-
clans report him in a sinking condition.
The friends of the family, unable to stop
the malice and recklessness of these
sensational journals in any other way,
have brought suit for libel against the
most of them, which will probably have
the effect to silence the rest of the
pack. The poor mother who waits and
watches against hope for the return Of
her child will have the profound sym
pathy Of the public, and the heartless
wretches who have added to her tro J.
bles by their 6endish cruelty nothing
but its profoundest contempt and in
dignation.
Atte0pte Release Of r. II. Winter
mute - Rail-.