The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-08-04
CHILD STEALING.
REMARKABLE CASES.


A CFIKB COMMON TO ALL AGES OF THE
WORLDS HISIORY-ELEAZER WILLIAMS,
TIE AMERICAN BOURBON-GERMAN AND
CANADIAN rHEFrs-MASY MISSED BUT FEW
FOUND.
The present excitement concerning the
abduction of little Charley Ross, at Ger
mantown, Pa. gives an added interest TO the
history of child stealing as a crime. The
New York Herald gives the following
examples as evidences of its prevalence
among all people and during all ages:
From the Garlic - ages he crime OF child
stealing has existed and besn severely pun
ished when the thief has bsen brought
within the power of the law. At first
thought the mind il not apt to recognize a
motive sufficient to lead to Its Preparation
with incident risks, but or reflection IL is
obvious thai there are many reasons which
NAV make it as natural as the theft of
money. horses or jewels. Among the rude,
savage and baTb6rous races children were
stolen both to increase tlIs numbers of the
rObber tribe, and as revenge upon the par
ents. Later on children were stolen from
motives of gain, which was made by sell
ing them into slavery. Thus Joseph, son
OF the Patriarch jacob was UNANIMOUSLY
entrapped aud sold z captive to
Egypt by his jealous brothers.
Victor Hugo, in the "Aian Who Laughs, :"
outIawed Comprschicos, whose deviish
traffic led them to torture and disfgure their
victims so that even the mothers who bore
them could not see in their distorted fea-
lures or dwarfed forms the semblance Of the
children of their affection and pride. \ dew
iiish smuggling converted an intelligent face
into 3 leering mask, or straightforward
boy into a sprawling squat hunchback. Sc
vera penalties were enacted against these
heartless scamps, who for money trained the
human form into hideOus shapes, as the gar
dener trains tIee espaler against a
wall. Still, in those rude ages there were
often urgent reasons why particular child
should disappear, and, with ample rewards,
the savage Comprachicos hourished in
spite of the rigOrs of the law and the canOnS
of the church. In more modern times the
system OF large estates in European coun-
tries, with laws of inheritance, which still
retain many features of the Olden times. has
led to the strange disappearance of many
child, either done to death at the hand of the
assassion or delivered to the child stealer for
the advantage of some enviouS relative.
These scenes have formed tbe theme of many
a startling novel or life-like drama, in which
sometimes the stealer Is made TO cOnSign his
own offspring to death or hopeless loss, and
Temorse thereat has played the Nemesis OF
his last weary years. Even in our own
country, where the property motives for
wishing TO put any particular child out OF
tue way are certainly small, there neverthe-
less exists
THE TENDENCY TO STEAL CHILDREN,
as will be noted by all whose memory re-
tsins tho news which daily meets the eye in
the sll-reportiDg press. Below will be
found some of the most notable cases OF
child-stealing 10 modern times in Europe
and America, from which it will be seen
that the recent Philadelphia sensation is not
unique. There are many old severe laws
against this offense. 1t was frequent at a
comparatively late period In Scotland and
Ireland, where, on account of the feebleness
of the law snd the geographical facilities
severe laws were directed against ii in vain.
BY the act of tenth OF George w., chapter
81, 1t was made punisha ole with death
IN Ireland. This was mftigsted to trans
portation by the acts of the fifth and sixth oil
Victoria, chapter %, the same punishment
which had been assigned in England to il
fourteen years earlier by Sir Robert PeePs
consolidation act. 1t is provided by the act
ri ninth George ~, chapter 81. that il any
person shall maliciously, either by force OF
fraud, lead or take away, or entice or decoy
away, or detain aoy child with intent to de-
fraud the parents or Others having lawful
charge of such child, or shall detain or re-
eeive and barber any child so stolen or en-
tced away, shall be held guilty of a felony
to BE punished by transportation for seven
years, or by imprisonment. with or without
lard LABOR, tor any term not more than two
Vars, and, If a male, to be- whipped i
TN court think fit. Under ths
Sc1tch law, as laid down by Sir Archi
bald Allison, in his Principles o
Criminal Law" the stealing OF child i: