The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1874-12-12
THE SAD STORY OF LITTLE
CHARLIE ROSS.

disappearance make it one OF the sad.
dest cases on record:
Mr.. Christian X. Ross, father of the
abducted child, Charlie Ross, is repor
ted to bo in sinking condition It is
said that for several days past his reason
has been growing weaker. This dis
patch, which camc from the associated
press at Philadelphia, on the 18th inst,
by most persons will be deemed sutfi
cient refutation oftlie hcarless ISLANDERS
that have been publish d in connection
with ono Of the saddcst abduction cases
on record. It was hard enough, surely,
tina. MIR. Ross should have been robbed
Of an idolized child, without adding
thousandfold to tho poiynau,y of his
grief by deliberate atatements tn the
effect that he himself had been the
abductor, aud that the correspondence
Of the supposed kidnappcrs had all
been written by his own hand, for tho
purpose of obtaining $4,000 or 1000
from the public. Pressel down by the
weight of this suspicion, by anxiety Of
his wife's health, and t.y the continual
torture that came of false reports of the
discovery of his boy, it would have been
o wonder, indeed: if his reason had re
maiued unaffected
Gin the 1st of July the little boy
Charlie Ross, then four years of ago,
while playing with his brother oy
Of six. was taken into II buggy hy two
men and carried beyond the reach Of
barcnts, us well us detectives. The
father Immediately offered Il reward Of
$500 for the restoration, but this OIL
elected an anonymous communication,
in which it was stated that lie could IL H.
lie returned for u less sum than $40,
600. Tic distracted father prom pity
replied by Il "pt rsonal" i'll the Phiialcl
lhia L2grr that he was ready to
nego,iatc to the cxteut of his ability.
SEARCH By TIE POLICE.
police department Of Philadelphi,
l.aving been awakened to The necessity
of doing something to save its rcputa,
ton, issued circular describin; the
vehicle into which the boy was cnticsd
Ia falling-top. ynchtbndy buggy,
painted dark all ovcr, lined with dark
material To this vas added the i'm
pc..ant information that the wagon was
drawn 'by dark bay or brown horse.
fifteen and u half hands high, anl
driven, it is believed, without check
rein." Then there was description of
thc two mon who were engaged in the
abducation. One wore broad brim
med straw hat, looking us it had been
worn G scason' or two, and much s.u
Drowned: The other wore high
crowned dark colored straw hat. One
wore linen duster; the other gray
alpaca dustcr. One had light, with a
tendency to sandy, complexion, sandy
mustache, and rather red nose aud
face, and aboGt thirty years Of agc. aud
FIVE feet eight or nine inches high.
The other was five feet eight or ten
inches high, about forty years of age,
with a mustnche and full ,eard, or
Whiskers Of brown or sandy color
With such "wild" description, it
wns not at all surprising that SO many
cnses of
MISTAKEN IDENTITY
followed. The arrests ut Philadelphia
were Of piece with the character OF
tho circular. I he police failed utterly
to find particle of evidence to connect
their prisoners with the crime, and the
latter had to be discharged. In the
meantime poor Mr. Ross was receiving
anonymous letters from the kiduappers,
containing. plans for the surrender Of
Bis, nupon payment of the ransom, at
q certain bridge in the outskirts of the
city. He would then have borrowed
sand begged until he had procured the
amount demanded, and would have had
fhis boy, bntit was not considered right
that public justice should be defe ,ted
tnS-. A l.: 4, Il,