Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-07-20
II ;s the reperal belief that Char

IT is the general belief that Char
lie Ross was stolen for the purpose
of extorting money to have him re
turned. The body of A I. Stewart,
of New York, was stolen for the same
object. Such fendish methods of
making money have not been much
practiced in this country. Indeed,
on every occasion where they have
been attempted they have failed. In
the old countries of Europe, however,
child stealing, and the stealing OF
grown people, is no uncommon oc
currence. The mountains of Italy
have been more or less used by peo-
ple-thieves ever since the Roman gov
ernment was broken up. To-day the
mountains contain certain bands OF
robbers that frequently descend into
the populous valleys and carry cff
rich people, and then demand GER
tain sum for their release. Some
months ago band of people-thieves
made raid on a road on which an
English preacher was travelling. The
preacher was caught and carried
away. Twenty-Five thousand dollars
was demanded of his wife for his
restoration. Rev. Mr.. Rose was his
name. Mrs. Rose could not give
that sum; she did not have it; but
before she sent an answer the brig
ands wrote a second letter to the dis
tracted wife, threatening that if she
did not forward the money by return
mail they would cut off one of her
husbands ears and send it to her.
Her friends tried to cheer her and
laughed at such threat. She wrote,
refusing to pay the ransom, when the
brigands carried ott their horrible
threat, and the third letter she re-
ceived enclosed the right ear of the
unfortunate clergyman The same
letter also contained a threat that if
the money was not now sent like
package would be sent to her con-
tanning her husbands left ear. Soon
after the wife received her husband S
left ear and letter telling her that
his nose would be sent next, and
other parts of the body would follow.
Upon receipt of this letter Mrs. Rose
fell seriously i'll and her friends, by
great efforts, at last raised the money,
which was forwarded, wheroupon the
clergyman was released and returned
to England, having suffered the loss
of his ears only. When Mr.. Rose
related his grievance to the home au-
thorities the English Government at
once took the matter up, assuming
such Il position that the Italian Gov
sent out strong military
force and thoroughly searched the
retreats of the brigands.
In these raids, which were pursued
with vigor, many of the bandits were
killed and large number captured.
Among the prisoners was the captain
of the band that stole Rev. Rose
The bandits name is Esposito. He
escaped and came TO the United
States, and engaged in the fruit trade
at New Orleans. He was captured
and taken to New York on the 18th
of this month. He was arrested on
a warrant issued by Secretary of State
Blaine, and will be sent back to Italy
for trial. His personal appearance
is described by correspondent of
the Philadelphia Times as follows, {,
. The brigand has a dark, piercing
eye, Jet black curly hair, beard and
regular features, and is
what might be called a handsome
man. His height is five feet seven
inches and weight one hundred and
iorty pounds. He had on a pepper
md d-salt colored suit well worn, blue
check muslin shirt and a soiled and
broken Panama hat. He looked like
the average street vender of fruit.
There is nothing in his appearance
10 indicate that he is a man of brutal
whose hands have often
been dyed in human blood, and who.
as the leader of a band of banditti,
created terror throughout a large
part of Italy"