St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-05-25
Charley Ross and Barnum.

The arrangements between Mr.. Bar
mum and the father of the long missing
Charley Ross, have alreedy been allud-
ed to. These were completed at Spring
field on Friday last. A reporter thus
speaks of the case:
Mr.. Ross is ii man of medium hight,
with rather sandy beard and complex
ion, the effect of his long and severe
trial showing rather in his quiet man
ner than in marks i'll his face. tie Is
determined to devote his whole life if
necessary to the wolk of unraveling the
mystery, work which he deems of I'M
usual importance from this being the
first case of the sort in this country and
an imitation of Italian brigandage. He
and his family dislike the publicity the
affair has given them, but feel that their
honor and affections are too deeply in
vOlved for them to drop the search.
Mr.. ROss's three years experiences have
shown him many phases of detective
work, and he has encountered the eX
tremes OF human character, the base
ness that would take advantage of his
loss to swindle him, and the readiness
on the other hand to assist him with
means and labor. The railroads and
telegraph companies have given him
fIe use of their facilities, but he has
nevertheless spent all his means, and Is
now practically bankrupt. His grasp
of the case to which he has given his
whole thought is of course complete,
and he discusses it calmly and shrewd-
ly.
The family cling to the hope that the
child is not dead, and base it largely on
the ascertained fact that he was living
at the time the abductOrs were killed
on Long island, five months after he
was stolen. He passed out of their
hands within two days after he was
stolen, and the family think if he was
so closely kept to that time that no
trace of him could be found, it would
be as easy to conceal him to the pres
ent time In his Investigations, Mr..
Ross has come across the very interest
ing fact that Mosher, who possessed
literary ability, wrote novel 10 years
before this affair, in which the plot
turned upon the abduction of il child,
and the scheme was doubtless matur-
ing for all that time. The long story
of the fruitless negotiations and weary
ing Investigation are well known
through the papers and Mr.. ROss's
book, which has been published both
in this country and England. He ac
cepts this offer of Mr.. Barnum as last
resort, only hoping, as will every other
good parent, that by this or some other
means he may soon see his boy again.
The following is the formal announce
ment of Mr.. Barnum's Offer
TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS REWARD FOR
CHARLEY ROSS.
will pay $4,000 in cash for the de-
livery to me alive of the kidnapped
child, Charley Ross, or for information
that will lead to his recovery. | most
solemnly and sacredly pledge my word
of honor and my reputation as an up
right business man not to attempt for
myself 20 discover the identity of the
persons negotiating with me in this
matter, nor to convey to any other per-
son any hints or clews by which any
accusation, or even suspicion, shall be
directed against them. The parents of
the child unite with me in fhis pledge,
and aglee, if their darling child is by
this means restored to them, to aban-
don all attempts to punish any person
connected with his abduction or con-
cealment; they agree never to appear
against such parties and with myself
will use every endeavor to shield them
from exposure. For the last three
years these parents have suffered more
than death, and, now that Mosher and
Douglass, the real abductors, are dead,
it is hoped that the persons who have
the child in custody will be willing to
accept this reward and immunity. The
reward shall be paid in current money
us soon as the child is identified by its
parents. AS an additional security to
the persons bringing him, a reasonable
time shall elapse between his delivery
and the public announcement of the
fact, that the parties delivering him
shall have every opportunity to avoid
discovery. 2. II. BARNUM,
Bridgeport, CT.
l sanction the above arrangement for
myself and wife. CHRISTIAN X. Ross.
Springfield, Mag Is, 1877.