The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-10-18
A ST. LOUIS SENsATION.
The Celebrated Charlie Ross Case Fairly
- EcIIpsed,


Ninth is densely populated by colored
folks and one or two white families. The
alley seems doomed to be scene OF tribu'
Luton, and at times OF wailing and weep
ing, among the highly excitable denizens.
BY night may be heard the glsh Of uproar'
iOus laughter and singing, indicating light
heartedness and the utter absence OF cark-
ing care and earthly troubles,
But the principal cause OF cOmmotion
which has disturbed the equanimity Of the
cOlOred colony during the past summer has
been the occasional raid OF the dOg'catchers,
who seem to take u delight in pOunCing up
on and making away with any unhappy
dog which may happen to be astray, taking
his morning walk in the alley, without u
license collar around his neck. The dog
catches are generally successful in
Throwing THEIR LASSO
Over some small specimen OF our tribe,
which prOvokes tumutuOus uprOar
among the female portion OF the p0pula-
ton, who sally out with their brOomsticks,
but are almost certain to be late for res.
cue, seldom arriving before the miserable
cur Is got safe into the wagon and the dog
CatCheH are of.
Oi late the dog.CatcherS have been TAX
ing a rest for want OF the sncws OF war, but
there has another form Of sensation Just
developed 10 fill in the interregnum. This
time the man.CatChcrs are the disturbcrs,
and in Charlie Ross style they kidnapped
II bOy-a white boy atthat-named Johnny
Ferguson. JOhnny's parents are Irish,
Woodworking people, md live on the north
side Of the alley next TO the Drlids hall.
Johnny is thirteen years old, and has
been attending, until quite lately, the Je-
suits college, but more recently he has
been n pupil OF st, Johns parish school,
lie started on Monday morning for school,
US usual, with his slate and books strapped
together in II package, and this was the last
that was seen Of him. lie failed to return
home that night, and the next day he WIS
not seen about. His fond parents became
alarmed about him, and when the second
day passed without any signs OF Johnny, it
began to look serious, Search was made in
all directions, even the cOlored people, out
Of sympathy for the distressed parents,
taking an active part in the hunt.
THE POllCE WENh NulIFIEDi
advertisements Of lost boy we're put in the
newspapers, and money was libenlly ex-
pended to the extent OF several dollars for
Nny information that might lead 10 the re-
COvery Of the school boy.
Was he truant from school, and Oh a lit
tie lark on his own hook, or had he been
cruelty kidnapped by the man stealer
and taken away to parts unknown? These
questions were debated pro and con, by
the denizens Of the alley, all ofwhom knew
little Johnny 9nd had i fond side for him;
The general belief was that the boy Ind
been kidnapped, as he WIS known to be
too good II boy to stray away OF his own 70.
Iiton, and thereby plunge his father and
mother in distress. The mother especially
grew frantic, and called on father llennes.
scy and impaired to him her grief. The
missing boy was her only child, the only
one left OF six children, Day after day
rolled away, and the poor woman passed
several slGepGss nights. At length, on
Friday night, 'IOhnny came marching
home" with his bundle Of books under his
arm, and there wns rejoicing in the lowly
mansion over the little returning prodigal.
His clothes, which were clean and neat
when he set out for school on Monday
morning,
WE'RE s0ILED AND TATTERED.
lie told his story Of how he had been
carried off by man, which story was re-
pcated to reporter by the boy yesterday
In the presence Of his father and mother,
the latter remArking that "Johnny tells
nothing but the truth" The boys story,
though little lame in It's geography, when
connected together was about AZ follows:
lie said he WIS on his way to school, when
he saw II man with wagon and II yoke Of
oxen standing in front Of II saloon. lie
did not know the name OF the saloon. The
lnan asked him TO stand by the wagon until
he went in and got Il drink. lie then came
out tand asked JOhnnyto get into the wagon
and take u ride. lie passed over the big
bridge, and when Johnny wanted to get
out the man gagged him by placing his
hand over his mouth. After crossing the
bridge the nun left the wagon and took
Johnny down along the bank Of the river
n piece, when he made him get into II bout
which WIS more like u raft than skifl.
There were two women nnd another man
on board the raft. They struck out into
the river and went down stream. Johnny
WANTED TO GET OFT,
but tho people OH the boat wouldn't let
him. lie screamed out and they told him
o stop.
They iloatcd down till they got to an
other river and went up thNt. lie heard
the name oft called the Mernmce. But he
thought II was the Ohio, and TINT he was
near Cairo. At night lie slept in the weeds
and thought he was bitten by Il snake. lie
shows four small sears on his left hand,
which look like big mosquito bites.
Johnny said he made mp his mind TO
escape, and he got away from these bad
people. lie wandered along and came TO
Il river. II was Il narrow stream. lie pre-.
vailed on II man to take him across the
river in boat.
The man was hunter and had several
wild geese with him, which liG had shot.
They had hardly got into the stream when
Un Indian sqllAw came up TO the shore
they Ind Just left. She was dcCked out
with ear rings that hung down her should
ers, and she Ind 4 belt around her waist
from which dangled scalping knife and IL
number OF hHtChets. She gave whOOp,
and here Johnny showed how slledid It by
shrill yells graduated by rapidly striking
her mouth with her hand. Tile wlioop
was II signal which brought n cOuple
Of male Indians To the shore
wiiO wOnE LEGGlSs
stuck aong the scams with feathers. llav.
Inc escaped from the Indians and got TO
shore, he walked till he reached railroad
station, where he met lnan who gave him
n nickel to 20 and buy him some tobacco
When he got buck with the tobacco, lie
told the inan where he belonged, md how
he wns taken away from 81. Louis. The
man OIL hearing his story, went 10 the agent
and procured him Il passage to st. Louis,
on tie railroad, which he says was the
Iron Mountain road. This was the long
and short Of the boys story. II was little
inconsistent as may be observed, but
when questioned lie stuck TO the main
A t.. Ia