St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-08-07

my mission to know that a drunkard is
least able to withstand tropical and
malarious climate.
The Child-Stealing Case.
The ease of kidnapping at Philadel-
phio is aS hopeless as ever, so far as
gaining the ends of justice are concern
ed, perhaps also as regards the redcmp-
ton of the stolen boy. 1t is now three
weeks since four-ycars-o Charley
Ross, playing in suburban lane. was
cnticcd, with another little fellow. to
ENJOY IL ride with two men who had for
days before ingratiatcd themselves with
the children of the neighbOlhood with
candies and toys, the elder of the two
boys soon desired to get out, and was
allowed to do so,-onc child was enough
for the first experiment. The father
advertised 500 reward ~. u.e eI:II'..
return; the abductors paid no heed to
the paltry sum, for theirs was no i'm
pulsivc seizure of opportunity, but ev-
identity Il definite business plan. In il
few days they, too, advertised. saving.
eve he ready to negotiate" Then the
father received Il letter demanding. not
Il reward, but Il ranSom.-thc great sum
of 10000. Mr.. Ross is Il man of small
means. with nothing like that in his
possession, but he did not hesitate to
promise the money. a series of inhu-
man letters 20 the .disconsolatc man
followed. in which the villains have
threatened the ..hild's life if any at
tempt is made to find his hiding-placc.
and varied the father that, if he loves
money better than his child. its blood
is on his head. Meanwhile, the police
hav" been blindly following imaginary
I-clcW>. arreStinS this man because he
is Il .'ountarteitcr, thai one because he
wears green goggles. rs one of the kid
napprr~ did, il such knavc would
he fool enough f' wear his disguise
abroad. ans suspicious character is
still III jail. bui without Il particle of
evidence. Il. connect him with the crime
The post --'tfie-. and the newspaper ot1i
-'=.S hav. been watched. but. though the
iett,rs and dN"rtiScmentS continue. no
traces Hf th-. writers thereof can I've
found. Ih-' police. then. have failed.
W. new fcarn that the mayor of Phila-
dclphia Offered Il reward of go 900. the
amount ~ the required ransom, for the
apprehension sf the trading thieves.
and the restoration of the child. Mean
while MI. Ross tells them. in the per
f"nalS-~ that the money iS ready. and
asks how he shall know their agent
And unless the police watch too closely
r"r 7hcir safety. the kiduappers will
>"ou hav~, achieved their purpose. and
the -hill h,: restored Ia its home.
|-W crimes could cau>c more an
gui>h than this Of stealing little child
4 T. I l,.,n IL ],
inr il fills the future with appIchcm-
>iom>. Where is the lost one. and how
tended? l. lac abused. starved. i'll
created. his pretty child-way> dying in
discomfort! What horrible thing is he
growing I" he. what wicked lite falling
into? On i he dead! What to think
the "cr"avcd father and mother cannot
know, hut they know Il constant. rest
less. tnI1ulc>> fear. an una>>uagcablc
aud wearing grici. 1t is all very well
for tie officers of the law and the crit
les @t human actions to condemn com
promise with crime where mere money
and moneys worth i> concerned. but in
such Il matter Us this let these Ice silent.
If money would bring back his child.
lost like Charley Ross. there's not the
father living. worthy of The name of
man. bat would Civ" his last dollar.
sell all ne had. even to thr uttcrmo>t.
yea. "cuin his heart and drop his blood
for drachmi>. to redeem that treasure.
careless What wretch his hard won sub
stance benefited.
The mere abduction of child i not
new in this country: II is only in this
ease done under new circumstances
Husbands and wives. separated 10y law.
have often taken AWAY children. the
one from the custody of the other: enc
mics have stolen infants toI revenge:
and the common curse of England. the
smatching babies 10y hcggarS. to aid
them in the way of trade. has not been
umkn"vn on this side the water But
these Philadelphia villains are that pro
fcSSi"nal composite of gypsy and hri-
gand. 81 familiar to London; they tilch
Il child like the gypSy. aud cNtort Il
ransom like the brigamd. If they suc-
cecd i'll this fist cndravor. and they
are organized for SucccSS.-thcy will
have introduced here Il new order of
criminal avocation, and America will
have little to say about the hrigandawc
of southern Europe, and the weakness of
the governments that fail to suppress
it. .SprjngfcH RcpHbIicdH.