The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-07-15
kidnapping.
ugAarhEss ABDUCTION OF CHILD --A RANSOM
or $4,000 ASKED NO cLE% TO THE IDENTITY

Il
OR WHEREABOUTS OF TUE BkAcKMATLERs.
| Philadelphia, July -, 1874. On July 1
as two little boys were playing In Washing
| ton lane, at Germantown, two men ap
preached them in a carriage and invited them
| out to ride. No one save the children and
The men was near at the time. For several
days previous these same two men hau ap.
nroached the boys in different ways, and
thaying during these conversations given
Them candies, toys, &C., the little ones en-
| pec;ed them before they arrived on the day
mentioned above, and so readily consented to
20, into the carriage. After having driven
| for some distance the oldest one Of the two
lt.,le ones was asked TO get out Of the car
riace and buy q few packages OF hre-crackers'
Boyiike he most willingly complied. NO
sooner had he disappeared in the store than
the two men dashed the horse and made away
with the little our-year-old, whose name is
| CHARLIE BREWSTER ROSS,
| and who has never since been seen by those
| who knew him.
The father, after searching everywhere ID
the neiyhoorhood, came to the police ofhce,
where upon his arrival your correspondent
learned the above. The police, under the
direction OF Captain Helms, made the most
scr,,tniZing search everywhere. 1hey con,
| tinucd their operations increasingly gay ana
night, and were determined 10 leave no stone
unturned that would restore the lost one ana
punish its prosecutors. All IN VAIN ines
iaborcd to no purpose for three days ana TOT
| three nights. There was no clue After 'h,s
the following advertisement appeared III III
| the newspapers:
Three hundred dollars reward will be
\ IN n
| Sixth street a small boy, four years old,
having long, curly, tlaXcn hair, hazel eyes
clear. light skin, and round face; dressed IN
| brown linen suit with short skirt, broad
trimmed straw hat. and laced shoes. The
child was lost from Germantown on Wedncs.
| Gay afternoon, 1st instant, between and j
| O'clock
! This advertisement, too, met with no re-
Spouse, and on Mondsy, July 6, another was
inserted in the Pubic Ledger. The neXl
| morning, in the "persona column " Of this
same journal, appeared the following:
| HOss-We be ready 10 negoiiate.'
| On the same day the father, Mr.. Ross, re-
| ceiyrd an anonymous letter through the
| nost-Otlicc, in which it was stated that little
charlie would be returned for $4,000. Ii
also went on to say that the boy was IN gooo
hands That the treatment given HIM was
cxrclui; that it had cost the PARTIES great
| deal of money TO get him, and that they
could not think of returning him for less
than $4,000.
The father returned the following answer
through the Lcdger personals:
Ross will come to terms to the extent OF
| his ability"
Another ANONYMOUS letter at once vas re
ceiyed by Mr.. Ross, stating that the partle:
who he'd the child would not part with Il
| for 4 smaller sum than tie one already
named. Now, mark how 4 fathers love
rises supreme above everything! lie haO
not in his possession the amount necessary
TO regain bis dear one, bat he answered the
villains through the personals thus:
" floss is willing: have not got 1t; am DO
ing ny best TO raise it,"
Thus the matter stands. Detectives have
watched the Ledger building and the post
office day and night. but so carefully 90 tho
kidnappcrS wolk that no clcw whatever
seems to have been obtained TO their identity
or their whereabouts The child has now
been absent twelve days, and 1t is doubtful
whether, during this time, any OF the mem
btrs of the household TO which it belonged
have had an hour Of unOroken rest.
are somewhat remarkable throughout. Fol
five days previous to july the day upor
which the child was stolen) the same mel
were seen around the nceh0orhood, ana
each day approached the two children anC
tunverscd with them. 1t Is presumed thai
they would have made off with the youngcs
Ntte Charlie Ross several days before the
lst instant, but ut each time there chancec
\ H. ali Hp
rinr a conversation with the father l asked
hin whether he had any enemies who oweC
|! HIM grudge, and who would be likclyic
take revenge in such a rare way. The father
replied that he was Unaware that there was
any one in the world who entertained any
| bitterness against him. The name Of the
father is Mr. Christian II. Ross, of the hrn
o. Ross, Shott Il Co.. Wholesale dry goods
dealers on Market street. The house was
unfortunate during the late panic. and hence
Mr. Ross is unable to pay at once the sun
demanded by tie blacknaIerS. 1t is hoped
that he will not be Obliged to do so, bu
that it will be the kidnappers WHO will bt
obliged to pay the penalty worthy Of theil
| inhumanity.
THE LETTERS OF TIE BLACKMAlLERS.
II p. M-Siuce writing the above youl
correspondent has gained more direct ldea
of the nature of the letters which the KID
| nappers have sent TO the disconsoiate father
More tcndish, cruel, or inhuman epi>te:
human hand never perned. One Of then
reads similar 10 this:
! ave know you are not worth much mo
ney, but we are aware that you have rict
friends of whom you can borrow. 1t yot
| love money better than your child its blooC
be on your own head"
Another letter reads to this effect:
| ANY attempt 10 ascertain the chIld;
hiding place will result in is entire annihla
ton. We will turn the child up on oul
own terms"
Meaning that in case the money is no
forthcoming they wilkkill The infant.
| No Que can read the letters without tceln!
his blood boil. Four letters in all have beer
received, and each of them Is cool and cruel
| "We know our business" says one OF To-
letters, "and we are going 10 fight it ont.
| Correspondence Ne,r York Herald.
| Novel Breach OF Promise.
| ,rrpru,S NJ sTrEc A GESTIPHAS'S DACGETEI