The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-07-16
A Case Of kidnapping.
CHILD sToLEN-$2O, 900 DEMANDED AS A
RANSOM.

The history of the recent kidnapping case in
Philadelphia shows the plot to have been most
diabolical in its nature, planned by unscrupu-
lous shrewd men, with the apparent sole pur-
pose of enriching themselves by pocketing the
reward which they knew must be offered by
the afflicted father For several days previous
to July LIST two STANCE men have visited the
locality of the residence, Washington lane,
Germantown, of Mr.. Christian X. Ross-of
the firm of Ross, Shott sSS Co., wholesale dry
goods merchants on Market street, Phladel-
phia-and cultivated the.acquaintance of his
two little boys, by means of conversation, pres
ents of candy. ETC. On the day mentioned they
came again in a carriage and invited the little
fellows to ride, which invitation they were not
10th to accept. After having driven for some
distance the oldest one of the Two little ones
was asked to get out of the carriage and buy a
few packages of firecrakers. Boylike, he most
willingly complied No sooner had be disap-
peared in the store than the two men lashea
the horse and made away with the little four
year old, whose name is Charles Brewster Ross,
and who has neve. since been seen by those
who knew him. although the most scrutinzing
search has been made by the father and the de-
tectives On the 4th the following advertise
ment was published.
"Three hundred dollars will be paid to the
person returning to North Sixth street
small boy, four years old, having long, curly
haxen hair, hazel eyes, clear, light skin, and
round face; dressed in a brown linen suit with
short skirt, broad brimmed straw hat and
laced shoes. The child was lost from German
town on Wednesday afternoon list inst y be-
tween four and five o'clock"
This bringing no response, another adver-
tisement was printed on the 9th, and in the
personal column" Of the Ledger on the 7th the
kidnappers replied as follows:
'ROSS-We be ready to negotiate"
On the same day the father, Mr. Ross, re-
ceived an anonymous letter through the post
office, in which it was stated that little Charlie
would be returned for S20,0G0 1t also went on
to say that the boy was in good hands; that the
treatment given him was careful; that it had
cost the parties a great deal of money to get
him, and that they could not think of return
ing him for less than $4,000.
The father returned the following answer
through the Ledger personals:
Ross will come to terms to the extent of his
ability"
Another anonymous letter was at once re-
ceived by Mr.. Ross, stating that the parties
who held the child would not part with it for
smaller sum than that already named, aud
to this, through the press, the father respond
ed:
"Ross is willing, have not got it, am doing
my best to raise it.
Thus the matter stood at last accounts, not
the least clew having been obtained, although
the postoffice and newspaper offices have been
watched every moment. The family is heart
broken at the absence of the child, and the
firm to which Mr. Ross belongs, having lost
heavily in the panic, he is unable to cay at
once the sum demanded by the backmailers.
1t is hoped that he will not be obliged to 90 so,
but that it will be the kidnappers who will
be obliged to pay the penalty worthy of their
Humanity Mr.. Ross asserts that he knows
OF no enemy in the world who could be actuated
by revenge, and therefore the motive of the
villains must DE mercenary. This is indicated
by the fiendish letters he has received of which
the following are extracts:
We know you are not worth much money,
but We are aware that you have rich friends of
whom You can borrow. Ii you love money
better than your child its blood be on your own
head"
ANY attempts to ascertain the child's hiding
place will result in its entire humiliation
We will turn the child up on our own terms"
we know our business and we are going to
fight it OUT
The circumstances of the case are somewhat
remarkable throughout. For five days previ
Gus to July THE day-on which the child was
stolen-these same men were seen around the
neigh borhood, and each day approached the
two children and spoke to them. 1t is pre-
sumed that they would have. made off with the
youngest little, Charlie Ross, several days be-
fore the 1st instant but at each time there
happened to be some one passing along the
lane.