The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-10-08
THE ROSS CASE.

II RUSS NASL.
Proba biiity that Little Charley wai Never
he Restored to His Pare nts-Jeaiousya and
Cupidity of the Police Officials.
The trial of Westervelt for the abduc-
ton of Charley Ross, ended last week in
the conviction of the prisoner under
some of the counts in the Indictment,
but the fate of the child is still pro
found mystery no nearer solution than
on the day that Mosher and Douglass,
his undoubted abductOrs, died and made
no sign. Though Westervelt WAS con
victed of conspiracy to kidnap. and of
a conspiracy TO extort money by means
of threatening letters, his connection
with the case was not shown with that
satisfactory conclusiveness which would
! Justify feeling of thorough satisfaction
at his punishment, which will doubtless
| be long. He will he sentenced for not
less than nine years, andswill, probably,
end his days in prison. The evidence
raised little more than presumption of
| his guilt, presumption necessarily in
volving doubt, the benefit OF which
the jury was unwilling to give hum. 1t
was evidently sentimental jury, and as
the Ross agony had been long and Ell
during, it wanted a victim, and therefore
! it declined to permit Westerve!t 10 es-
cape. That he had some after knowledge
of the abduction ; that he endeavored to
shield Douglass and Mosher, who had
been his friends, and, in good deal OF
villainous work, his companions, WAS APP
parent even from his own evidence, but
that he had such felonious knowledge of
! the affair as justified the verdict against
him may be doubted.
| One will not be inclined to waste much
sympathy upon Westervelt. His career
! has been bad one and merits the close
! that ii will meet. Admitting that he was
| fully concerned in the Ross abduction,
it is sad reflection that though the
principal parties have all been punished
-Westervelt imprisoned by law, Doug
lass and Mosher meeting with violent
deaths-the boys whereabouts, ii indeed
he be still alive, is yet unknown. His
anxious parents are no nearer the object
of their search than before Westervel
Douglass and Mosher were heard of in
connection with the kidnapping. Glad
| ly would they have the two burglars
| killed ut Van Brlnt's restored % life
gladly would they consent to the en-
largement of Westervelt if thereby they
might recover their child. HIS re
covery was their first thought. The
punishment of his abductOrs was an
after consideration. 1t is strange that
punishments in one form or another
came first. It is a sad prophesy that the
recovery will never come.
The trial OF Westervelt developed one
atrocious fact with more certainty than
| Dol ol,n1
any one connected mediateiy or imme-
diately with the melancholy case merits
severe punishment, the Superintendent
of the New York Police and the Captain
of the Philadelphia Detective Force
should not escape. But for their ieal-
ousy and cupidity the child might have
been recovered months and months ago.
Within thirty days after the boy was
stolen, both the officers knew that
Mosher and Douglass were concerned in
his abduction. Each was afraid of the
other. Both were anxious for the honor.
but more especially the reward for re-
covering the boy. Neither would let his
subordinates into the secret. The cul-
prits came and went. They were now
in New York, now in Philadelphia. They
might have been arrested, but neither OF
the police officers made q movement in
that direction. They were waiting for
developments. Finally they came to
gether for consultation, and though re-
solved to work the case thereafter in
unison, they admitted no one, not even
the boys father, i'll their counsels. The
recovery of the boy was only a means to
an end, only an incident of the search,
the main purpose of which, as conduct
ed by these two officers, was the reward.
They were fearful that some private de-
tectives would flush their game, and to
avoid what to them seemed so great
mishap, they were slow TO move on the
quarry. They kept Mosher and Doug
lass in sight. But there came time
when these scoundrels, having to engage
in little business of their own, passed
from under the ken of the police officers.
Killed while attempting midnight
burglary, the secret of Charley Ross
concealment died with them. The
Superintendent and the Captain lost the
game which was to be exclusively theirs,
and with it Charley Ross father may he
said to have again lost his child. He was
abducted second time, now by the
cupidity of two scoundrels IN official
dress If there is any more punishment
to be meted out in this case, let it fall
upon them.
Unless something extraordinary and
unexpected should arise, some develop
ment which cannot be anticipated, we
have heard the last of the Ross case.
And so far as it may be said 30 have IN
ending it is most melancholy. - chicago
Times.
An AstOnished Mayor.
L II