Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-01-14
The Charley Ross Sensation.
AN EXPOSURE OF SOME OF THE CLAIMANT
VAIsEHOODs


FALsEHooDs.
The good people of St. Adams asserted
as one of the principal reasons for believing
the stories told by the Milford boy. that his
descriptions of Germantown and Pliiaaei-
mia were accurate to the smallest detail,
and number of persons having the reputs'
tion of thorough acquaintance with the
Quaker CITY and its environs corroborhtea
the bows statements. But Philsdelphla
correspondent of the New York Herald
shows up the falsity of many Of them, Is
| follows
The bow first stated that he lived in West
Albion street, Germantown. and Afterwards
in Walbion street Both places are utterly
unknown in Germantown. Charley Ross
I lived in Washington lane, Germantown. and
nowhere else. The ST. Adams boy says
I that be went TO school, names his school
mates, claims Mr.. Hall Stanton's son Tor
/ one OF them, etc. Charley Ross never went
TO school in his life, and none OF the names
be gives are genuine,
In every particular his description OF
/ Germantown is false, except the one isci
that il has Main street IN IT, As II
.
that has not Main street there Is nothing
strange in this. Neither the street he
claims to have lived in nor any OF the
Others that he names now exist or ever
did IN Germantown. Neither Is there
park there, a. he describes, nor prison,
nor horse - cars drawn by mules. MI
Ross house, which he says Is near the
cars. only -four or five houses. Is about
half q mile away The stores at the
corner exist only IN the fertile imagins-
ton Of the bogus Charley Ross.
The St. Adams boy was asked, Can you
get to the depot from Main street - - es'
sir and when you 90 into the depot YOU
have 10 pass through place, and there l.
man there who makes you show ticket
Now. in nine eases oct Of ten this lngenl-
Gus youth would have been right IN this as
sertlon. this being the usual practice oil
railroad companies. Butt happens II TINS
case that he has Overcome the matter and
oyerreached himself. Passengers do not show
their tickets at this depot. In not one IN
stance does this boy give true answer. Inc
Mr. Gregory who claims TO have been
four wears in Philadelphia, and 10 be well
acquainted with Mr. Ross and family, de-
clare> Ms place Of business, the Masonic
IemBle. 10 have been in the immediate
vicinity OF Mr Ross ; residence. The TACT
j. that the Two places are a. wide apart as
they possibly could be within the city limits,
heln. about eight miles from each other.
Furthermore. M-. Ross does not know MI.
Gregory neither has ne ever heard OF
the credul0us Mr.. Kenyon. who de
clared himself fully convinced, and II this
individual l. not q fraud, he at least knows
nothing about Germantown. In Drlei, the
81 Adams boy l. 3 cOnsummste liar.
Charley Ross. Il living Is i've wears and
ten months old. while The 81. Adams fraud
l. evidently ten 0r twelve years OF age, but
very much older II precOciOus yIllany
Ny. Ross. the father Of the lost boy, feels
very keenly the cruelty Of charging him
with not Investigating the 81. Adams case.
The truth Is the poor gentleman neglecis
all his business affairs and spends his whole
ZINE II investigating stories that are even
more plausible than tins one The pubic
docs not know, and never will, the agony OF
suspcnseand disappointment that he endures,
and the wonder l.. not that his friends see
nm daily weakening under the strain,
but that human nature can endure 50 much
without breaking down utterly.
1HE DEPARTURE FOR MILFORD.
The Messenger describes the boys hnal
departure f0r Milford a. follows Thursday
forenoon the " eden House coach. contain
ing Col Crosby and Ny. Mcguire, Of the
New YORK Herald, quietly drove TO the jail,
and taking 4 the boy drove to the depot.
lie was delivered Up by order Of the select
men. The lad did not seem 10 care much
whether he went o. not tie tripped up
into the telegraph office with the Colonel,
with hali-Smile upon ms face, and when
jokingly questioned by some present there,
virtually admitted in some Of his answers
that be Wa the Blanchard boy, though
when the direct question was put to him
be denied 1t. Some one said 10 him "Aou
have got better clothes than YOU had when
you left home. haven / YOU, jimmie lie
answered. Yes. and laughed. When he
Wa taken into the car. however, ne cried
little IL was soon learned that the lad was
10 De taken away, and quite 3 crowd gath
cred u the depot before the train start
ed. and, for moment, Il looked g. Il they
would iorcib.y take the boy out Of the car
More peaceful counsels prevailed. however.
and purse was hastily made up 10 detray
Mr. L. 7. kimpt0n : expenses 10 Milford,
and back. lie got aboard OF the train Just
before Il started. and some one told Col.
Crosby, that Mr.. Newton desired Ny. kImp-
ton 10 take charge OF the boy. Col. Crosby
said be was very glad 10 resign his charge.
IL the afternoon, an informal indignation
meeting was held IL front OF the Weldon
House. and IL was decided 10 telegraph IL
have the boy brought back. Accordingly,
Mr.. Eugg telegraphed 70 Mortified 10 Mr..
himpton 10 come back with the boy if the
latter 50 desired The despatch was signed F.
by Nj. Rugg and several others, and II II
he stated that the people Of II. Adams I
were not satisfied with tho manner ID
which the younEster was taken sway.
INCIDENTS Oh TIE affair
A. was TO be expected. al sorts OF ~ I
mors were II circulation. At one time It
was SAID that Col Crosby had been arrest
ed as one Of the abductors Of the Ross child,
and he was voted al imposIor OF worse.
We are told that crosby alluded 10 the St
Adams people, with g good deal Of prOiani-
~. a. q "credulous set Of Vermont gum
,hewers, and the citizens Of the rural
hamlet were Justly indignant therest, and
placed no confidence in the author Of 50
atroci0us scandal.
The Latest-CompIete Proof that the
Lnd is Jimmie blanchard.
us ARRIVAL AZ XlLToRD-CRASD RECEPTION
IT 1HE CITIZENS.
a Geographic despatch from Milford. y
/. says There Is no longer any doubt con
erning Jimmie Blanchard, alias Charley
las-. BE arrived Oh his native heath at g 30 !
clock Friday morning, and received an ova-
i0n from large crowd Of citizens. Every
,ody was on the broad grin, and shout upon
h1ut rent the air. His mother struggled
hrough the crowd and embraced her boy
fectionately, kissing him and promising,
Z the request OF Col Crosby, that she
would not whip him lie shed few tears,
Ut in a moment was again smiling. and
7hen placed upon the same seat Of wagon I,
min HI parents, smiled II acknowledge
lent Of h.s pleasure Of meeting his friends !
nee more. The streets were thronged :
nd Milford had the air Of 8 gala I
ay- Al controversy ends here c
i Jimmy blanchard and nobody else. =
Z
ans. eourteously, and. alter some eIplans- 5
ons on both sides and good deal Of laugh a
=. visited the parents Of the boy. with q y
ew Of making arrangements TO take HIM 2
lck 10 81 Adams, TO be adopted by MI "
ugg. 1t is hardly possible that they will =
We the boy up. q
TIE BOY S CONFESSION. q
Jimmie Blanchard. on being questioned p
Nashua. said that be went to St. Adams 9,
ID other places because he enjoyed it be il
! it for fun, and be would DO so again ID
hen he wanted good suit of clothes. He n,
Is then dressed in the neat. new suit of if
1thes given him at St Adams His Jacket W
i ornamented with g chain and be con- y,
intly twirled in his hands watch which So
= also q gift from the deludei ST. Alban- al