Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-05-25
Darnum and Charley Ross.

From The Springfield Republican, May 49,
The negotiations between p. T. Blruum,
the Snowman, and Christian X. Ross, the
father of the kidnapped Charley, by which
the former is to offer slO,O for the return
OF the child and the latter to agree not to at
tempt any prosecution of hose bringing
him back, were finished at conference in
this city yesterday, and the formal offer is
now made. The idea first occurred TO Mr..
Barnum when be was in Philadelphia two
years ago, but he decided not TO counte-
nance any coudoning OF the oflense. Late
ly, however, the idea has been growing up
ON hun that the persons who have had the
child in custody, since the death OF the
original ali duclors, must find him burden
on their hands, which they would De
glad to get rid Of for money If they could
he sure they would escape exposures.
These parties being only accessories aiter
the deed, there would he little or no moral
harm in giving them their safety for the re-
turn OF The Guild. Accordingly he tele-
graphed his offer to Mr.. Ross, and request
ed that gentleman TO meet him at Bridge
port, and the TWO men met there for the
nrst lime on The llth OF this month. Mr..
Barnum proposition then was that he
should offer the reward rs proposed, aud, if
the boy was secured, some arrangement
should be made for exhibiting him by
which MI. Ross should have a large share
Of the profits, aud thus, perhaps, restore
his estate OF $50, COO 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 net Mr.. Barnum at
the Haynes House yesterday 10 accept the
offer, with The condition that, ii the boy is
found, it shall be discretionary with the
family to reimburse Mr. Barnum or ar
range for the child's exhibition, but in no
case is any other exhibitor to have the priv
ilege, and these terms were readily acce pit
ed by Mr.. Baruum.
Mr.. Ross is a man Of medium height 4,
| with rather sandy beard aud COM lexIun,
| the effect of his long and severe trial show
| ing rather in his quiet manner than in
marks in his face. lie is determined to de-
vote his whole life, IL necessary TO the
work of unravelng the mystery. lie and
| his family dislike the publicity the al
| fair has given them, but feel that their hon
| or and their affections are too deeply in
| volved for them 10 give up the search. Mr..
| Ross three years experiences have shown
him many phases OF detective work, and
| he has encountered the extremes oil human
| character, the baseness that would take adj
| vantage of his loss TO swindle him, add the
| readiness, on the other hand to assist him
| with means and labor. The railroads and
| telegraph companies have given him free
| uSt VI lutll ldNllllte, DuL lie uhs ntNtIlut-
| less spent all his means, aud is now pracli-
cally bankrupt. His grasp of the case, 10
| which he has given his whole thought, is of
| course complete, and he discusses il calm
| ly and shrewdly.
The family cling to the hope that the
child is not dead, and base ii largely on the
| ascertained fact that he was living at the
time the abductors were killed on Long
| Island, fvo months alter he was stolen.
| He passed out Of their hands within two
| DAYS after he was stolen, aud the family
| think If he was so closely kept mp to that
time that no trace of him could be found
| it would be as easy to conceal him 10 tn G
present time. In his investigations, Mr..
| Ross has come across the very interesting
! fact that Mosher, who possessed literary
ability, wrote a novel Is years before this
affair, in which the plot turned upon the
abduction Of child. He accepts this offer
of Mr.. Barnum as a last resort, only hop
ing, 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 announcement Of Mr.. Barnum's Of
fer:
$4,000 REWARD FOR CHARLEY ROSS.
1 will pay $4,000 in cash for the delivery
to me alive of the kidnapped child Charley
Ross, or for information that will lead to
his recovery. l most solemnly and sacred
| ly pledge my word OF honor aud my repu-
tation as an upright business man not to at
tempt for myself to discover the identity of
the persons negotiating with me in this
matter, nor to convey TO any other person
any hints or cews by which any accusa-
ton, or even suspicion, 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 Testor-
ed to them, TO abandon all attempts to pun
| ish any person connected with his abduc-
ton or concealment; they argee never TO
appear against such parties, and with nv
self will use every endeavor to shield them
from exposure. For the last three wears
these parents have suffered more than
death, and now that Mosher and Douglass,
the real abductOrs, are dead, ii 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 as soon as the child is iden
tilted by his parents. As an additional Sc
curity to the persons bringing him, a rea-
sonable 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
+. Il. BARNUM, Bridgeport, Conn.
sanction the above arrangement for my
self and wife. CHRISTIAN X. Ross.
Springfield. May Is, 1877.