Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-08-19
A KIDNAPPING CASE IN ENC
LAND.

A correspondent sends the Boston
Journal, the following account Of u kid
mapping case in England nearly forty
years ago, which In some Of It's aspects
resembles very much the case Of the
Ross child in Philadelphia. A similar
explanation Of the Ross case has been
hinted at in some Of the newspapers,
but the suspicious seem to be satisfacto-
rily explained away.
ABOUT thirty-eight years ago sim
liar case TO that Of the Ross boys kid
mapping at Philadelphia occurred in
England. A beautiful child was stolen,
and the robbers notified the father that
his chIld could be ransomed for the
sum of five thousand pounds, The
father replied through the directed
channel that he was poor man, and
could not raise five hundred pounds
{ (e50O). Thcreupon the robbers re-
piled that they knew he was poor
man, but they also knew that he had
rich relatives and friends from whom
he could borrow the amount, and if he
did not send it by certain day the
child would be killed for a sclf-protec-
ton In the meantime the whole affair
had got into the papers, and all Eng
land was aroused at the audacity Of
the scoundrcls. Large rewards were
offered ministers preached from the
pulpits about ii. Great sympathy
was felt for the parents, the mon
ey was raised, the child was re-
covered, but all his beautiful curlh1lad
been cut close of. The police and de-
tectives were totally unable to make
any discoveries as to who w1{l the
criminals. Many arrats were made,
but with no result.
at is n well-lSnown fact that the
Bank Of England never reissues any Of
its notes, If they have only been out
even ~ fsw minutea. One - ths sen
tlemen who contributed to TIM fund
for the ransom Of the child, knowing
the above fact, went TO the Bank Of
England and got its officers to mark
and register the bills he was going TO
give the father to obtain the release of
his child, and requested the bank Of
ficcrs to notify him when the bills
should be returned to the bank. lie
did this, in the hope Of getting some
trace of the scoundrels who had fright
cned the whole community. Several
months elapsed, when one day he was
notified that the bills had been return
ed TO the bank. Upon inquiry he
found that they had come from a bank
in the North of England. Thereupon
he posted North and found that the
bills had been deposited by person
who opened the account with them.
The gentleman and bank clerk return
cd to London, when, upon arrival at
his house, a detective was sent for and
at the same time the father of the
stolen child was requested to meet
them in order to inform him of their
discovery. Immediately upon his com
ing into the room the bank clerk said
why this is the gentleman who de-
posted the bills with us And so il
proved. In order to raise money he
had abducted his own child. 1t was
noticed that he had lived better since
the restoration of the child, but moth
ing was thought of that, as it was sup
posed that sympathizing friends sup
piled the means.
Gle was arrested for conspiracy to
defiaud, tired, convicted and sentenced
to penal servitude. So ended the great
child kidnapping case, and people who
had little ones slept easier