The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-11-12
The Sad Story of Little Charlie Ross.

The Sad Story of Little Charlie Ross.
The New York Times gives the annexed his
tory of the noted Charlie Ross, whose abduction
and mysterious disappearance make it one of
the saddest cases on record:
Mr.. Christian K. Ross, father of the abduct-
ed child, Charlie Ross, is reported to be Ill q
sinking condition. 1t is said that for several
DAYS past his reason has been growing weaker.
This dispatch which came from the agent of
the associated press at Philadelphia, on the 18th
inst. by most persons will be deemed sufficient
refutation of the heartless ISLANDERS that have
been published in connection with one of the
sadlest abduction cases on record. 1t was
hard enough, surely, that Mr.. Ross should have
been robbed of an idolzed child, without add
ing thousandfold to the poignancy of his
grief by deliberate statements to the effect that
he himself had been the abductor, and that the
correspondence of the supposed kidnappers had
all been written by his own hand, for the pur-
pose of obtaining $4,000 or 2O,OO0 from the
public. Pressed down by the weight of this
suspicion, by anxiety for his wife's health, and
by the continual torture that came of false re-
ports of the discovery of his boy, it would have
been wonder, indeed, if his reason had re-
mained unaffected.
On the 1st of July the little boy, Charlie
Ross, then four years of age, while playing with
his brother, a boy of six, was taken into bug,
gy by two men and carried beyond the reach
Of parents, as we'll as detectives The faith
er Immediately offered a reward of $500 for
the restoration, but this only elected an anon.
vmous communication, in which it was stated
that he could not be returned for less sum
than $4,000. The distracted father promptly
replied by "personal' in the Philadelphia
Ledger that he was ready to negotiate to the
extent of his ability.
SEARCH BY THE POLICE.
In nine days after the abduction, the police
department of Philadelphia having been ava
kened to the necessity of doing something to
save its reputation, issued circular describing
the vehicle into which the boy was enticed--
"a falling-top, yacht-body buggy, painted dark
was added the important information that the
wagon was drawn "by dark bay or brown
horse, fifteen and half hands high, and driven,
it is believed, without check rein." Then there
was description of the two men who were en-
gagged in the abduction: One wore broad
brimmed straw hat, looking as if it had been
worn season or two, and much sun.browned.
The other wore high-crowned dark colored
straw hat One wore linen duster; the other
a gray alpaca duster One had q light, with
tendency to sandy, complexion, sandy mustache,
and rather red nose and face, and about thir-
ty years of age and FIVE feet eight or nine
inches high. The other was five feet eight or
ten inches high, about forty years of age, with
mustache and full beard, or whiskers of brown
or sandy color.
With such "wild" description, it was not
at all surprising that so many cases of
MISTAKEN IDENTITY
followed. The arrests at Philadelphia were of
a piece with the character of the circular. The
police failed utterly to find a particle of evil
dence to connect their prisoners with the crime,
and the latter had to be discharged. In the
meantime poor Mr.. Ross was receiving anony-
nous letters from the kidnappers, containing
plans for the surrender of his son upon pay
ment of the ransom, at q certain bridge in the
outskirts of the city. He would then have bor-
rowed and begged until he had procured the
amount demanded, and would have had his boy,
but it was not considered right that public JUS
tice should be defeated. Viewing the subject
in this light, the city authorities of Philadel-
phia finally agreed to offer reward of $4,000
for "such information as would lead to the re-
covery of the boy, and the arrest and conviction
of the abductors." This was the means of gain
ing the services of Allen Pinkerton and his men,
in addition to those of the regular detectives of
the country, and the scores of amateur detec-
tives who are always ready to take hand when
there is 4 prospect of turning an honest penny.
Finding so many persons at work IN his inter
est Mr.. Ross became more hopeful, and waited
day after day for favorable intelligence. 1t was
at ibis point that the terrible ordeal he had to
pass through was begun in earnest. On the
25th day of July fresh tears were wrung from
his heart by telegraphic announcement that
"a suspicious, apparently crazy, man" giving
the name of Myron Leasure had been arrested
at Richmond, Va, while en- route to Baltimore,
with "the corpse of child" that had died at
DAYTON, Ohio. His contradictory statements
gave rise to a suspicion that the dead body was
that of the abducted Charlie Ross. 1t subse-
ouently transpired that the deceased child was
only ten months old, but it nevertheless was
not considered cruel to send special dispatch
to Philadelphia to the foregoing effect.
On the 4th of August
MR.. ROSS HOPES WERE RAISED
by the notification that woman, giving the
name of Jackson, had been arrested at the
West Philade phia railroad depot in company
with a child that bore striking, resemblance
to the little Charlie. He fastened to the depot,
as may be supposed, with palpitating heart
to find that there had been q mistake. In his
sympathy for the childs mother he gave her
letter to secure her against further annoy
ance.
He had scarcely ceased to think of the Incl
dent at the West Philadelphia depot when he re-
ceived dispatch from Bennington, Vermont,
to the effect thata Mrs. Frederick Hamilton,
of that place, had been arrested with child in
her possession corresponding to the descrip-
ton given of Charlie Ross" The additional
information was vouchsafed that che has the
same colored hair and eyes his hair has been
recently cut He is about the same age, talks
plainly, says that his name is Charlie, aud that
he had nice home once" Surely this infor-
nation was enough the make poor Mr.. Ross
almost die of expectation. Mr.. Joseph Lewis,
Mr.. Ross brother-in-law, started at once for
Bennington, and arrived there only to find that
the little boy was the adopted son OF man Ill
the employ of Mr.. p II. Barnum.
On the 18th of August another telegram ar