Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-10-05

the Philadelphia Times says:
Another act in the Charlie Ross drama
has closed, and one Of the actors retreats
10 prison cell in obedience to the man
date of violated justice. Thus three OF
those most intimately associated In the
public mind with the strange abduction
| have been brought to retribution- Two
fell before the avengers bullet when at
| tempting 10 perpetrate fresh crime, and
their lips are sealed In death. Mosher and
| Douglass died without revealing anything
10 aid In the recovery OF the chiid--the first
because he died without utterance, and the
other because he had no information TO
| rive. Now Westeryelt goes 10 prison To
atone for his part in the most incompre-
bensible crime of modern times, and the
notice authorities have no one left 10 whom
they can point as clearly meriting punish
ment. So here the chapter Of facts ends,
and conjecture and romance play fantastic
parts in gratifying the interest that peryades
the community on the subject.
The hunt for Charlie Ross thus far by
the police authorities has been either I'M
pardonably bungling or positively crimi-
nal, and the development OF mean jealous
les and unmingled selfishness Is appalling
when dispassionately considered. We do
not assume To say who should answer Tor
trusting case of such supreme importance
NJ officers who Rugged their secrets TO
themselves lest others might find the lost
child and receive the honors and reward.
But that IL was done Is now no longer
matter Of dispute, and the absence
of Charlie Ross to-day is undoubtedly
due TO the cupidity or perfdy OF those
who accepted the sacred trust OF discover.
ing him. Superintendent Walling, Of
New York and Capt. Helms, chief OF the
Philadelphia detective force, are the men
who. Judged by the evidence in the IVES
te.velt case, are responsible for the failure
to recover the child. 1t is fair TO assume
that they meant To succeed in their WORK,
and that they were not in completely with
the child stealers; and 1t is possible That
they acted in good faith under the belief
that 10 enlarge the circle Of information
would endanger their success. All these
assumptions may be pleaded for Walilng
and Helms, but their refusal to cooperate
with other detective forces forbids their
acouittal before the tribunal Of enlight-
ened public opinion. The jealousies and
petty riyalries OF the detectives limited
the efforts for the recovery of the child 10
one particular theory and line Of action,
/
tensest interest In the restoration OF the
stolen boy now awakes to the fact that
our detective system is but plaything
of mean ambition and consuming selfish
ness. 1t Is admitted that Walling and
Helms knew that Mosher and Douglass
had been concerned in the abduction Of
Charlie Ross as early as month after he
had been stolen, and yet Mosher and
Douglass were in New York and Phila-
delphia under the noses of these detectives
until they were killed without arrest.
Why was this allowedp The answer is
that the secret could not be confided to
others; but why not? If the purpose was
10 obtain the reward then the chiefs Of
New York and Philadelphia were pru-
dent in not coDfiding in their subordi-
mates; but II their purpose was the recoy-
cry Of the boy and the punishment OF the
abduct0rs, regardless Of the place the re-
ward might land they were not only UNI
wise but unfaithful. There were dozen
or perhaps thrice as many detectives in
New York and Philadelphia who knew
Mosher and Douglass, and who could
have arrested them had they been advised
of their guilt Had they been found and
put upon the track Of the offenders, can
anyone doubt that Mosher and Douglass
would have been in the clutches of the
law within sixty days after the abduc'
tom But Capt Helms makes it his midi
vidual case then Walling makes it his in
divIdual case, and when Walling commu-
nicates with Helms and they get together
Mr.. Ross Is not 10 know of the discovered
criminals, nor Is the private committee OF
citizens TO be advised, lest some private
detectives should get away with the case
and strip the professionals Of their laurels
Thus, between the criminal jealousy and
inordinate greed Of the detectives, Mosher
and Douglass remain at large until the
laundering or perfdious officers learn that
these thieves are in the agonies of death
and the only one Of the two who could
have told the truth was found with his
lips forever hushed in death. Ii Is not
logical to condemn Mr.. Walling and de-
fend Mr. Helms, as Mr.. Ross is reported To
have done in the Inquirer Of yesterday
Capt. Helms could have arrested Mosher
and Douglass If he had taken the respon.
sibility 10 do so independent OF Superin-
tendent Walling, and he is without excuse
for not doing so. He Is not 10 be justified
for trusting TO Mr.. Walling when Walling's
information came TO him with conditions
of secrecy, which, at best, were selfish 10
the last degree, and which, judged with In
the pale OF reason, were worse than self
fish. What Mr.. Ross and the community
| wanted was the recovery OF the boy and
the punishment Of the offenders, and II
was of no consequence whether Capt
Helms or Superintendent Mailing or the
PinkertoB agency should effect the result
but the police detectives wanted, first, 10
defeat rival detectives, and, next, to keep
the secret and the possibility of recovery
| 10 themselves so that no outside subor-
dinaie should blunder on the boy and the
reward. Upon the whole, IL Is one of the
most painful exhibitions of the inefiiciency
| and selflshness of our regular detective
system that could possibly be presented,
| and IL is a question to-day who are most
| responsible for the continued absence Of
| Charlie Ross--those who hold him in
fultillment of the purposes of the thieves
or the regular detectives VINO undertook
his recovery
OF course everything is left TO conjec-
| ture in the end after the most diligent
study, and there can be no settled conf
dence In the correctness Of any particular
| theory; but several facts seem To us To be
demonstrated, and we present them, VIZ. :
First. We believe that Charlie Ross was
not stolen for ransom. Why he was taken