The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-06-16
BarnIm and Charley Ross.


The negotiations between P. T. Bar
mum, the Snowman, and Christian K
Ross, the father of the kidnapped Char
ley, by which the former is to offer So
700 for the return of the child and the
latter to agree not to attempt any prose-
cution of those bringing him back, were
finished at conference in this city yes
terday, and the formal offer is now made.
The first idea occurred to Mr.. Barnum
when he was in Philadelphia two years
ago, but he decided not to countenance
any condoning of the offense. Lately,
however, the idea has been growing upon
him that the persons who have had the
child in custody since the death of the
original abductors must find him bur-
den on their hands which they would be
glad to get rid of for money if they could
be sure they would escape exposure.
These parties being only accessories
after the deed, there would be little or no
moral harm in giving them their safety
for the return of the child. Mr.. Barnum,
having no connection with the Ross
family, could best negotiate with those
holding the child and thus relieve the par
entail anguish that has been so strained
for the last three years, while helping
himself to keep before the public. Ac-
cordingly he telegraphed his offer to Mr.
Ross and requested that gentleman to
visit him at Bridgeport, and the two men
met there for the first time May II. Mr.
Barnum's proposition then was that he
should offer the reward as proposed, and,
r
ments should be made for exhibiting him
by which Mr. Ross should have large
share of the profits and thus, perhaps,
restore his estate of 100000 which he
has spent in the search. Mr. Ross made
no answer at that time, but returned to
Philadelphia to consult with his wife and
her brothers, who are quite wealthy, and
met Mr.. Barnum at the Haynes House
yesterday to accept the offer, with the
condition that, if the boy is found, it
shall be discretionary with the family to
reimburse Mr.. Barnum or arrange for the
childs exhibition, but in no case is any
other exhibitor to have the privilege, and
these terms were readily accepted by Mr.
Barnum.
Mr.. Ross is man of medium height,
with rather sandy beard and complexion,
the effect of his long and severe trial
showing rather in his quiet manner than
in marks in his face. He is determined
to devote his whole life if necessary to
the work of unraveling the mystery,
a work which he deems of unusual I'M
portance 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 involved for
them to drop the search. Mr.. Ross
three years experiences have shown him
many phases of detective work, and he
has encountered the extremes of human
character, the baseness that would take
advantage of his loss to swindle him, and
the readiness, on the other hand, to as
sist him with means of labor. The rail
road and telegraph companies have
given him free 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 shrewdly.
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 present time. In
these investigations. Mr.. Ross has come
across the very interesting fact that Mo-
sher possessed literary ability, wrote a
novel sixteen years before this affair,
in which the plot turned upon the abduc-
ton of child, and the scheme was
doubtless maturing for all that time.
The long story of the fruitless negotia-
tions and wearying investigation are well
known through the papers. He accepts
this offer of Mr.. Barnum as last resort,
only hoping, as will every other parent,
that by this or some other means he may
soon see his boy again. The following
is the formal announcement Of Mr.. Bar
nuns offer:
l Will pay slU,VUO Ill CdsI lOI tHt uCllNtl y
30 me alive of the kidnapped child, Charley
Ross, or for information that will lead to his
recovery. | most solemnly and sacrcdly
pledge my word of honor and my reputation
as an upright business man not to attempt
for myself to discover the identity of per-
sons negotiating with me in this matter, nor
to convey to any other person any hints or
clews by which an accusation, or even sus-
picon, shall be directed against them. The
parents of the child unite with me in this
pledge, and agree, if their darling child is by
this means restored to them, to abandon all
| attemps to punish any person connected with
! this abduction or concealment; 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 Mo
sher and Douglass, the real abductors, are
dead it is hoped that the persons who have
the child in custody will be willing to ac-
cept this reward and immunity. The reward
shall be paid in current money as soon as the
child is identified by its parents. AS an addi-
/ tional security to the person bringing him, a
reasonable time shall elapse between his de-
livery and the public announcement of the
fact, that the parties delivering him shall
! have every opportunity to avoid discovery.
P. BARNUM, Bridgeport, Conn.
/ sanction the above arrangement for my
self and wife. CHRISTIAN X. Ross.
-SprinateId (NasS.( Republican.