Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-09-23
Miscrllanrous.


The triIl ~ W cstvryrlt. who j. CHARGED
wilh cump,iciiy in the abduction OF little
Charlie Ross j. stlI gon. on in phlI,dvi.
phia. WHIST the rc-nt III be- cannot nov
BE- stated, but the impression seems to pre-
vail thar he VIII be- acquitted. although
there J., geueraI uelipf in ht, guilt. There
i little ii any doubt that not only Wc,tcr-
yeit and hi wife. but the widow ot Mo,h-
er also, know the fate OF the bov, and
whether lac IL lyin. or dead. but there
seems 10 be no way to make tlem disc. o,e.
The facts disclosed IN the trial. to which
We nave already referred, are new 10 the
public, and by these disclosures We are
now able to understand some things which
AZ one time seemed dark and strange. Al
the same time that the police force ot PM
adelphla were making every effort - clear
up the mystery, their efforts being -tlmu-
lated by the large reward offered, Mr.. Kos,
the iatner OF the boy, was IN almost daily
receipt Of letters from the kldnappers, ot-
icring 10 restore him for a certain sum
specified, aud threatening to murder him
II the police were put upon their track. la
consequence of these threats he was SO i'll
Inundated aud ,olicitUus concerning the
tate OF his child, that he withheld his con
tdence from the police.
According to the sworn statement of Mr..
Ross and that Of his wife, the bereAyed a.
thcr was Ia the habit of eOin. out day ant
er day, carrying the money for the rams om
OF his enid in small satchei, patroling
the streets OF Philadelphia, Or gong to-
New York or Albany upon freight tram,
and auXiOusly watchin. for the signal in
dlcated by the robbers. This accounts Tor
the reticence which was observed BY Mr.
Ross towards the police and public, for
"a Nhish h,4 "a rrtntly ....u.y,rg1 H..
in constant dread lest single disclosure
OF his might result in the immediate mud
er OF his child.
The letters received by Mr.. Ross con-
stitute the most interesting part OF the tes-
timony in the trial of Westefveit. There
are twenty-iour of them, all of which were
written III the disguised hand of Mosher,
betwel July l3 and Dec. 6, 1874. The let
tiers, of course. closed when Mosher and
Douglass were shot, the former dead aud
the later mortally wounded, while attempt
Ing To roo the house of Judge Brandt on
Long Island, in December last. The first
letter, which was dated July IS. was re-
ceived twelve days after the boy di,ap-
peared The following is al extract: '.We
Is got him, no power on earth can get him
ou. of our hands. If any approach is made
to our hlding-place, this Is a signal for an
Inhalation" The second letter, dated July
l6, says: We SEQ God, man and the dcv-
il at defiance. Ii you love money more
than the child, we will make an example
OF your child" In the letter OF July l6 the
kidnap.,ers say: III you give Us tn. mon
ey you will get your child alive; il not,
dead. Ii detectives approach our hiding
place the child will be killed.i
A letter received in July asks Mr Ross
whether he is willing TO pay S20,000 as a
ransom. and say il is beyond any earthly
power TO detect them. The next letter
says: We is set our price-we ask nc
more. we take no less. Ii cost $1,000 Il
prepare this work, and we have him in a
place where no one can approach without
the signal" A letter of July 18th says thai
a visit TO the boy revealed the fact that he
was in good health, that his hair had not
been cut off; and the next letter says that
Ii is probable the clOthin, he had on whef
he was stolen has been destroyed; that the
boys hair has been cut short, and that ht
has been put in girls clothes. The first
letter in regard to his appearance mention:
the fact that any arrests that will be made
will be OF innocent parties, whom we dc
not care about" and that II lone of US
should be taken into custody, the boy vii
| be killed in three hours.r On July l9ti
| kidnappers say that the money would new
er be solicited the second time, and tina
| Mr.. Ross did wise thing in not glvn2
| those letters to the press.
| 1t seems that the abductors were mad'
| acquainted with every movement of the po
lice. probably through Westervelt. When
the order was given to search the house
in Philadelphia. the kidnappers told Mr.
Ross that it would do no good, as Charlie,
was not in that city. A letter dated JUL
| 80, from Philadelphia. directed Mr. Ros
to proceed as far as Albany on the rea
| platform of a car, with white vaise con
tanning the $4,000. You may 20 %
miles before you meet our agent; and ma
| only go one mile" said the letter. On th
lst OF July Mr.. Ross was told not to flatte
himself with the idea that the boy hs
been placed in an institution, as such wa
not the case, and that lie would not be civ
j, en- up until the money was forthcoming