, 1874-07-19
THE ABDUCTION OF CHARLEY ROSS.

THE ABDUCTION OF CHARLEY ROSS.
The telegraph yesterday brought the news o1
second case OF abduction, which, like the first,
is also in Pennsylvania This is new branch
Of crime, and one calling for the condign pun
ishment Of the guilty. The first case occurred
On the 1st of July, at Germantown, about four
miles from Philadelphia Daily, for week pre-
vious to that date, two men wero accustomed to
meet and converse with two small boys, giving
them candes, toys, ETC., thus winning the conf
dencs Of the children. On that day they asked
the boys to get into carriage and take short
ride After 3 while they gave tho elder boy
money to buy fre-crackers, and, wheu he got
out to make the purchase, they drove OF with
the other. The child's name ia Charley Brew
ster Ross. He has never been seen since. The
father, on his return to his house in the after
noon, searched for the missing child, and soon
after reported the loss to the police in Philade1-
phia- For several days the search was unremit-
ting, aud yet not word was heard Of Charley}
Finally, the father inserted an advertisement in
all the newspapers. which Was repeated in the
Philadelphia Ledger Of July 6. In that paper Of
July appeared the following:
Ross-We be ready to negotiate.
On the same day (7th) Mr- Ross received,
through the Post Office an anonymous letter,
informing him that Charley would be returned
for $50 900, at the same time giving an assur-
ance that he was treated well !; claiming that, as
it had cost the parties great deal Of money to
get him, they could not think Of returning him
for less than $4,000. To this Mr. Ross, through
the personals Of the Ledger, made answer;
Ross viii to terms to the extent Of his ability
Another letter was at once received by him
stating that the child would not be surrendered
for smaller sum than $780, 0,001 Mr. Boss Ia
man OF but moderate means, but be again
answered through the Ledger:
Ross Is willing; have not got it doing my best to
raise it.
In the meantime, the police had been at work,
but no effort on their part could discover clue
TO the mystery. Up to the latest. four letters
have bean received By Mr- Ross. Besides so
much OF their purpo1t "a ue have already given,
they further Say:
We know you arc not worth much money, but We ara
aware that you have rich friends Of whom you
borrow. you love mon4y better than your child, its
blood be on your head.
Any AHempt to ascertatu the child's hiding-plaee
viii result in its entire annihtatton. We will turn the
ohild up on our own terms.
We know our business, aud We going to fight Il
cut.
In the meantime, the father aud mother are
enduring agoniee for their child. It is impossi-
bic to conceive more distressing condition
Than that in which they are placed This is the
eighteenth day since the abduction, md there is
10 more prospect now Of recovering the child
Than before. The result Of it all will be that Mr.
Ross will have to pay the ransom demanded OF
him for his child, and herein is the danger to /!
,ther parents The SUCCESS Of this abduction |
Eill encourage the repetition of the crime, not
oulY IN Philadelphia but everywhere else. Any !
:hild may bspicked up in the street Of any town,
7ilage or even city. and an enormous price |
placed upon it's return. Let parents take wa1n-
ng. As for the vTetches who have stolen
Charley Ross, they should be taken over TO Dela-
Eaze, the State which has nobly adhered to the |
whipping post, and dogged within an inch Of |
heir lives They evidently belong to that class |
II despe1adoes to whom nothing but e1t1eme |
,hyaicl pain has any terro1s-