Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1874-12-19
FIRST EDITION.
PHILADELPHIA.
OUR sATUR DAY LETTE

cLosUREs-REvoLUlIoNIN IN THE UNION LEAGUE
LOCOMOTIVE AND STREET CAR coLIIsIoNs-Po-
LIrIoAL-oHRIsrMAs TRADE, &o.
Special Correspondence Of the Commercial.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec, 10.
The oyershadowing sensation of the week has
been the Charley Ross deyelopments-if they
are such-coming from New York when the
news of the Long Island tragedy was first re-
ceived, there was general impression |
that we were at last to have |
definite solution of the kidnapping mystery. |
That belief is now somewhat changed, for not |
only has the delay in producing the stolen child |
where no object eau be served by bis further |
concealmenb told against the supposition that |
the clue can altogether be depended on. but the |
impression gains ground that Mosier would long |
ago have availed himself of the advances made |
by the Ross family. Added to this is the belief |
that Douglass, il he knew the facts as alleged |
would have made capital out of them on his own |
part. Altogether, although 1t Id admitted the |
story told by Douglass may be true, there is
very great doubt expressed, and much fear as
10 making the fact, II it be fact, available.
The shocking possibility must be faced, sup
posing Afoser and Douglass to have been the
veritaDle abductors of Charley Ross, that their
little victim il not in the land of the living.
Even IL Douglass told the truth in his last strug
gle with nature, what he said does not go TO
show III sssariy that the boy Will be found.
. It's no use lying now, said the dying burglar,
lelpeQ 10 bLehl Oudflby nOSb
words Bat he did not go on to say where Char
ley was or what had been done with him. We
possibly he did not know. Mosier may have taken
sole charge OF the boy, and il last foul deed was
committed may have chosen to have no confed-
crate aud to hide the secret for perfect security
iu his own guilty beast. Douglass may all the
while have believed that Charley was in safe
hands, when i'll fact the poor boy, his troubles
over, lay at the bottom Of Long Island Sound.
This is the darkest view, and 1t may be proved
| l1,fa toua hpnDmIpp liz
| ingly adopted. II it s not the true one, and II
| Alosier was the real kidnappef, why does not
Charley turn up2 1t ID proved that Mosier had
| no confederates save his dead :" pal Douglass,
and his wife, who was doubtless ill the plot, can
not hope to carry the matter of unaided. What
can she or any one possibly make by 80 doingf
and consequently why is Charley, IL alive. not
set adrift To be picked up as an ordinary stray
| We hope for the best but have not much faith.
| Although have termed the Ross matter the
| great selieaIion of the week the Developments
IN the " Katie Kpg" spiritual business have
been sufficiently surprising and have engaged
the attention OF great many people. hoDt.
| Dale Owen and DR.. Henry L. Child, two leading
authorities in spiritual circles, recently astonish-
| ed believers IN the " matei1alizing phenomena,
no ees than the outside body Of skeptics, by
disavowing any connection with or responsibility
| for tue Holmes manifestation TO which they had
previously given 30 much publicity. The re.
canting OF these prominent spirtuallstB showed
| there was something very wrong in the matter
and it appears now to be sufhclently
proved that the wrong consisted IN nothing less
than the charging Of heavy admission fee Tor
witnessing come bogus phenomena, palm
ing of OF certain presentations for genuine
spiritual appearances The parties charged with
this swindle, Mr.. and Mrs. Nelson Holmes, re-
side in small house on North loth 81, the znu
story front room OF which they have fitted up
with " Cabinet and other appliances. From
this Cabinet, alleged, the spirit of Katie King,
a woman who died in England. 200 years ago
appeared in earthly shape talking to the com
pany assembled, receiving presents, and giving
in return locks of her hair, pieces of her angel
robe, &c. Mr.. Owen believed in these
appearances" no firmly that he wrote elaborate
ARTICLES about them which were published IN no
less a periodical than tue Atlantic NJ nhty. 80
great was the demand to see these wonders that
, places had to be secured long III advance. The
mediums were particular as to who were admit
ted to their SednCes. Parties desiring entrance
had to come recommended, and it is now sup
. posed this surveillance was exercised to keeI
out individuals OF an unpleaHantly lnquirlng
turnof mind. Applications for places were CON
e sldered by DR.. Chlld, who had the enterprise
under his especial protection. 80 the SHOW MAI
gone on until now the "Mediums" ra
King in no body knows how man.
dollars; and honest and conscientious men likt
Child aud Owen being egregiously hoodwinke'
Z and deceived. Wm. Owen says, indeed. that III
means to withdraw his approval only from re
o cent 'manfestatons.' and that no still believe
/ the first CONGRATULATIONS" offered by tn
Holmes eswere genuine. He implies that hati
g KING" found after awhile that she was being re
II moved to higher spiritual sphere ana coni
& not appear as she had been used to do on earth
and that the Holmeses, finding it impossible o
bring her back and being both to lose so valua
bic an ally, then descended to personation an
deception But in the light OF the exposur
now made this qualification in doubtfully &c
ceived.
The exposure was made in detail by the IN
qutrtr of this morning. gentleman connecte
with that paper has discovered the young VIC
man who personated Katy King" This pei
son OF ac c,omodating morals displayed the GIFT
TO that had been made her, and which the donor
O supposed were being conveyed by some unknow
at route to the spirit land, but which in fact wei
O. only carried under this young persons shawl
I'd be deposited in her trunk at her boarding hous
The proof was, in short, conclusive, ,andiwhen u
Child and Mr.. Oven were shown u the
we're compelled to admit themselves sold:
There was a false back to tho Cabinet throue
CD which the bogus " Katie entered the enclosu
as from another room than that in which the aud
ence sat, the music, which was a necessity oil I'll
sednce smotherng any noise which mlght ma
as bsen heard by the expectant ghostseers
a., a., remains TO be seen what effect al TINS WIZ ma
ny upon the other s. mat. ralizlng phenomena
~ Vermont Spiritualiam here ID just now under
-, cloud
let There was an unusual excitement over the a
ss- nual meeting of the Union League wni
'o' took place this week. The League Is su
ny a big institution that whatever moves
ol moves the community, 30 to speak,
m molli that is, the portion of the csmmuni
ow which makes opinion and controls events IL
nt- not a mere social organization, having fine rooI
III where men may dine and play. billiards IL IS
! ah society comprising nearly all OF our weait
lsk leading citizens. Having roll OF nearly 10
melnbera each one the centre or an lnnuen
ne of his own, it may be seen that convulslon
INK B Dad and SAMSON streets would be likely to
generally felt. The melting cause was the qu'
non OF change of management and poilt
,r. Two tickets for officers were voted FOR, one
~ yoring the old rule OF corporation with {
r.@ rao Repnblican local "ring." and the 9th
,rt popularly called the "memoers ticket "-cutti
,is, ,;S loose from former political associations.
.n ars " members ticket, headed by Mr. John
,a, yerree for President, was largely successful, u
,a ,au giving another decided hint OF the change
No. political sentiment hereabouts.
r. Relative to politics the managers are very pt
~ manipulating things in good season for the III
"a ruary contest. Interest centres in the n
Police Magistrates, and most agreeaple uI'
aity of opinion prevails as to the dutles'and
spopsibties of those, as yet, untried oincis
}. Gol. McClure's snewspaper.venture ID the occas
the of much unsatisfactory speculation. hum
,me are plenty but facts particularly ~
are 10 get at. 1t has been posltiy
,ere asserted that the bold Alexander mas bought
,ad Aqe, and quite AZ positively affirmed that ne
aud piichased the Inquirer. Ii Mcclure wanted
,hst afternoon paper, now, he would have pier
ave ful supply from which to choose. The hard !
AL tune OF the Republic, in New York, is douptl