The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1874-12-24
TWO BURGLARS SHOT NEAR NEW
YORK.
One Confesses that They Were the Alb
duCtorS Of Charley Ross.

burglars were discovered in a summer res
ldence at Bay Ridge, near New York city.
whose owner for the time was not occupy
ing it. \ gentleman who lives about one
hundred yards away has burglar alarm
IN his residence connecting with the un-
tenantcd house, and collecting his neigh
bors he attempted to capture the robbers.
The thieves made desperate fight. One
OF them was shot and died almost instantly.
The other attempted to escape and was also
shot, but lived long enough to tell who he
and has companion were, and that they
were the abductors of Charley Ross, who
was kidnapped in Philadelphia last July.
The one who was killed instantly was named
William Moshcr. The other was Joseph
Douglas The confession of Douglass was
as follows:
We came from New York. My name
Is Joseph Douglas. That man living over
there is William Mosher He lives in
Phliadelphia, and has wife and six child
rem. If he had not been Killed outright
ne might have told you where that boy
who was stolen from Germantown Charley
Ross is to be found" Have YOU any re-
latiyes about here p inquired Mr.. Van
Brunt. i have, was the answer, "two
sisters living somewhere, but | have not
seen them for more than ten years You
will find in my pocket $40, and all | ask
Of you is to see that get decent burial. 50
Douglas fingered for upwards Of two
hours in agony, and expired about half
past FIVE O'Clock. The police know the two
men and the officers in Philadelphia say
that all along they suspected that the pain,
We're implicated in the stealing Of the Ross
child. We anxiously await further develop
ments as the detectives are working for the
recovery Of the lost boy from the clue here
obtained
Mosier and Clark, it would seem, were
members of gang Of outlaws, who were
river pirates and burglars, the first named
being its captain. Police Superintendent
WalIing, OF New York, was the first to
suspect the connection Of Mosier and Clark
with the abduction, and he put his own
men to searching for them and also notified
Chief Helms, Of Philadelphia, who started
his force on the trail. 1t was ascertained
that the two were in the habit of commit
ting burglaries along the shores Of Long
Island Sound, and taking refuge on some
Of the many uninhabited islands in that
vicinity. Superintendent Walling had Z
small tug-boat fitted up for cruise among
these islands, up the Hudson and along
the canal. and manned by his kecnest de
tectives. Twelve days and nights were
spent in the quest, forty different islands
having been visited and every house and
piece Of woodland thoroughly searched
Notwithstanding repeated disappointments,
vigilance was unrelaxed, and the police were
weaving a web around the abductors which
must soon have resulted in their capture,
had not death stepped in ahead Of them.
Clark, dLais Duglass, was not permitted by
Mosier to know the place ofthe Ross child's
secretion, but stated that Mosicr had wife
and children, and the Philadelphia child
might be with them.
Mosier, who has numerous aliases, was
a fugitive from justice, having escaped from
Jail at Huntington county, \. j., where
he was confined on a charge of burglary,
before he went to live in Philadel-
phia. Here he rented house in Monroe
street, where Clark, elias Douglass, lived
with him part of the time. They pretend
ed to be peddlers, and, to keep up the ruse,
had a horse and wagon with which to sell
wares about the city 1t was with this
horse the child was driven away. Once,
away from Philadelphia with Charlie Ross
in their possession, they drove their horse
leisurely to New York, hawking their wares
by the way. Mrs Mosier remained in
Philadelphia several days after their de
parture. when she too went aw'y, taking
her children it was known to the phlla-
delphia officers that it was Mosier who
wrote the anonymous letters TO Mr.. Ross:
sending them on from New York to bis
wife in Philadelphia, who caused them to
be delivered
1t is also known that two other men
were engaged in the abduction of the Ross
boy, but if the police have any knowledge
of their identity, they keep it to them
selves OF the prospects Of recovering the
child, Detective Wood, Of Philadelphia,
who has been engaged in working up the
case from the beginning, says
Il don't think they can keep 1t out OF
the way Either the two other men have
rot it, or Mosier's wife has it. / don't
think she can keep out Of the road. She
has no means-neither have the other two
men-for we know that the whole gang
were reduced so low that they had to make
foravs into the town and commit house
robberies. 1t was while upon such an
errand that last night Mosier and Clark
were killed. They had to steal to live, and
to steal to be able to hide the child.
THIRTEEN SHOTS WITHIN TWO
MINUTES.