The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-07-23
the STOLEN BOY.
Philadelphia Excited but No Things.
philadelphia letter (Julv 1S) New York Sun

lfu1IaueA pIi1a ACGhOi \oeAA' ~ A'o' 49, '''1
Poor little Charlie Ross is not yet in
his home. The police say that they are
sparing no pains to find him, and the
parents Of the child are frantically en-
deavoring to discover his whereabouts
1t is now seventeen days since he was
kidnapped, and those who undertook
the search for him are as far in the
dark as ever. All Philadelphia is ex-
cited over the disappearance of the lit
tie fellow. Chief of Police Jones seems
stupefed, and Capt. Hines of the detec-
tive force says he knows nothing about
the case, although several Of his subor-
dinates are understood to be hard at
work on it. 1t is the first case OF the +
kind ever thrown into the hands OF the |
police of this city, and it is a puzzler.
One Of the detective Wlseacres sald 10
the Sun correspondent:
at is a crusher for us. The child
stealing business belongs to the old
world. and is patterned after the work
of the Italian brigands. 1t is little
too much for Philadelphia. We have
tried all the devices known to detec-
tives to unearth the scoundrels, ana
have been unsuccessful, and we are sat-
isfed neyond a doubt that the work
was done by persons who do not make
this CITY their abode. | think that the
abductors are Englishmen, and | know
that they have made great mistake in
their man. They would gladly, if it
were safe for them, return the boy to
his parents. They must know by this
time that they can obtain no ransom
for him, and consequently he is an ele-
plant on their hands"
THE MAN UNDER ARREST.
Christopher Wooster, who was ar
rested yesterday by Detective Joshua
Taggart on suspicion Of having some
thing to do with the abduction, is still
in prison. He is tall and thin, with
sharp cut features, and sallow COM
plexion. and he has coarse, struggling
beard. He has served several terms IN
the penitentiary, and but few months
ago was released from Moyamensing
prison, where he was confined for black
mailing. He was known to the police
rs a confidence man, and last attempted
20 impose on physician in Walnut
street. Detective Taggart, when called
upon by a number Of citizens and di-
rected to begin a search for the alb
ductors, made himself acquainted with
Wooster's movements. The detective
learned that since Charlie Ross disap-
peared Wooster has been mysteriously
prowing arouud the post-o1iice. and
thinking that he might be in some way
implicated, arrested him. Some of the
police and their allies have been busy
circulating stories that Mr.. Ross knows
the whereabouts of his little son; that
he had him taken away for purpose
that purpose being to gain sympathy
from his creditors and to obtain money
from them ostensibly to be used in the
search for the boy. Those who know
Mr.. Ross pronounce such stories false
THE PARENTS GRIEF.
The fact is patent to all that he and
his wife have suffered terribly in the loss
of their child. The father has worked
almost incessantly to discover the little
fellows whereabout's and it is but fail
that the story of his attempt to gather
money from his acquaintance wa:
started by those who were unable to ex
tort money from him. To-day's N
Quirer prints a communication from on
who says that every parent S heart mus
have been made to bleed by the pub
lished accounts Of the abduction o
Charlie Ross. The writer suggests tina
the amount demanded by the scoundrels
$4,000. for the return of the boy b
raised by public contribution of from
one to five dollars. He asks that tw
hundred responsible persons be appoint
ed by the mayor to 60 from house t
house soliciting money for the purpose
The Inquirer says:
I'VE advocate it because we believ
it to be the only way by which tn
stolen child can be restored to it's sorel
stricken parents. The machinery Of tn
law, which was thought sufficient
have affected the rescue of the child Ion
before now, has proved itself to be al
solutely worthless, and it is folly
place reliance upon it any longer. Notl
ing can be more humiliating to justit
and the community, or more disgracefi
to the agents of the law, than that
enormous felony as this must be cor
pounded: but to Mr.. Ross the rcstor
ton of his child is greater than any a.
stract idea of justice, and every pare,
will sympathize with him in this fee
ing. The harm of it all is that con
pounding felony of this sort once
gun. no one can tell where it will en-
and a subscription raised in July for Il
recovery of child stolen in June W
have to be supplemented by anoth
subscription in August for the recover
of a child stolen in July, and so on i
definitely. A better plan, we thin
would be for citizens to raise a SUI
scription as reward to any person
persons to hunt down the stcalers of t
child. 1t should be made large enou
to induce men of intelligence and disc,
ton to play the part of detective.
wholesome precedent should be esta
lished by this case that child-stealing
crime which this community will n
tolerate
WHAT MAYOR sToKELY SAYS.
The correspondent visited Nav