The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-08-11

The Lost Roy Reported te NE la Bosson
How the Bereavsd Father Has Made
ths Discovery OF HIS BOY a Life b".i-

OCEAN botsEs iiAMfioN bhANhr
July "a, lS76.-To the Editor of the
GloJe-SIR: Your correspondents at
tention has been called 10 an article in
the Springfield Republican, in which the
writer censures Nj. Ross for writing n
book upon the loss of his boy, and calls
him mercenary. Having been very
much interested in the matter of find
ing Charley Ross from the start, and
having devoted 4 years time to that
object exclusively, your correspondent
feels warranted in assuring the public
that a less mercenary man than Mr..
Ross does not exist. He has spent a
fortune and all his time for two years
in fruitless efforts TO ind his child. lie
has been importuned by thousands to
write a correct history OF the abduction,
10 let the public know the work done
by the detectives, and be able TO Judge
for itself why the boy is not discovered.
He has at last yielded, and the book is
now going through the press. The pub
lie may rest assured that what profit
may arise from its publication will be
used for the purpose Of finding Charley.
Mr.. Ross issues this authentic history
OF the abduction with the forlorn hope
that it may bring his poor boy back TO
him. II will contain portraits of Char
ley, his brother Walter, and the home
Of Mr.. Ross, and should Charley be liv-
ing and identify himself by some stray
copy, the book will not have been issued
in vain. In this book will be fac-similes
of the twepty-four letters written by the
captors of Charley 10 his father, letters
which a certain sharp reporter offered
$500 for the privilege of breaking
into a SAFE to obtain. There are
men who probably take no nor inter-
est in the fate of this stolen child than
if he were bank stocks, bonds, or other
property. Such men will probably not
read the book, but they must moi i'm
pugn the motives of a father, the fate of
whose son makes 4 living death TO an
afflicted family. A close intimacy of a
year has caused your correspondent to
see Mr.. Ross under a variety OF peculiar
and trying circumstances. After miles
of weary railroad travel we would ar
rive at the end of our clew only TO find
il ~valueless. Patient and hopeful, he
would be ready to start in any other di-
r~ection, 70 examine into any circum-
stance that held out the faintest promise
of success. That some Of the scenes in
which he has been actor were harrow
ing to the feelings of q father can be
well imagined. A few weeks ago the
skeleton of a ~tive-year-old boy was dis
covered in the dark attic Of a suspicious
house in a bad locality in New York.
Covered with blood were the little stock
ings and cheap calico frock IL had worn
and there, by the testimony of the
physicians, il had lain for a year. No
one claimed it. The small regular teeth
were in the grinning skull. Charley
Ross had very fine, regular teeth. Gould
the father be gazing on all that remain.
ed Of his lovely boy? Scene The dark
basement of a police station; present,
Mr.. Ross, a policeman and your CORE
spondent. Slowly turning away, Mr..
Ross exclaimed: "Oh, that can not
be my boy,n He was right. 1t proved,
after d. vs. of inquiry, to be another
child. Still all these things have tc
be looked into. How can a father
rest easy without investigating such cir.
cumstances as the following? About
two months ago Mr.. Ross received tn,
following letter: II have on board my
vessel a woman and child, who act sus
piciously. The boy says he is Charley
Ross, and hat the woman is not hi,
mother. / will be in New York Oh
Monday; will detain the woman anC
child until you arrive etc. Mr.. Ross
was in Philadelphia; your correspond
ent was in New York, and was asked
TO investigate. / went to the place o
meeting. The Captain had been gone
an hour, and was then getting his YES
sci under way from in front of JERSEY
City. Hurried over. jumped into a boa
and was put on board. ! found thu
woman and boy had been detained BY
the Captain. Saw a big, lubberly fel
low who looked about as much lik'
Charley Ross as did Jimmy Blanchard
the champion liar Of America. Thu
writer (being a married many suppose
that a mans wife is apt TO find out al
he does, aDd some times more. Actin,
I on this supposition, he argued that thu
Z wife Of Bill Mosher, the abductor o
Charley Ross, ought to know what be
came of the boy her husband stole
Having had some fifty interviews witt
ncls 1t utA itIut.t MI HO-- WAS plt-rH
! at the last. The calm courtesy wit
7 which he treated her. while she per
~sistently lied 10 US, was wonderful I
see, while your correspondent stood b
: wishing to twist her head off to Obtain
her secret. Mr.. Ross's patience will hol
out to the end, and he will ceas
the search until he finds his boy aliv
or has certain knowledge Of his death
; The London Times of January, 1874
' devotes eight columns TO tn
Charley Ross abduction. As th
: London Times il not in the habit Z
4 devoting much space to tribes, it mere
ly shows the interest felt and show
abroad in this sad case. As many Boz
ton friends have been anxious to kno'