Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-05-04
DEEDS OF KIDNAPPERS.
Famous Cases of Recent Times.

Famous Cases OF Recent Times.
ITALIAN BRIGASDAGE FOR TUE PURPOSE or
ExToRTISG RANSOM MoNEY-THE STORY
on CHARLEY ROSS.
The London Standard says: We are
able to announce the recovery OF the
little boy Mareuard, who had been so
cruelty kidnapped at Berne. He was a
mere child of some seven years, and
was, we are told, the son OF q private
gentleman of considerable position in
the Canton. lie attended one OF the
schools in the Federal capital, and a
woman of respectable appearance pre-
sented herself at the school, stating
that she had been sent by the child's
mother, who was waiting Tor him in the
interchangeable, to take him Tor
drive. No suspicion suggesting itself
the boy was allowed TO leave, but as he
did not return home at the usual hour,
inquiries were made and the suggestion
that he had been kidnapped was con.
firmed by a letter which arrived a few
hours later informing Herr Marcuard
that his son was in safe custody, but
that he would most certainly be mur.
dered unless "A ransom OF two thousand
pounds were, within given time, safely
lodged in an indicated place. Herr
Marcuard had the courage to at once
put the matter in the hands of the
police, and the child was found in an
isolated house near the city, where he
had, our Geneva correspondent informs
us, been hidden by family of three
persons OF very bad reputation, all of
whom have been arrested and are now
IN nIgatNlu - fhan
has ended well, and it only remains for
the Swiss tribunals to award these mis-.
creants the severest penalty which the
law of the Canton allows. But it is
quite possible that the child would have
been murdered had the ransom not
been forthcoming, and had the crimi
mails been aware that they were being
run to earth. Some years ago the ma.
,jorty OF Swiss states, trusting little
too rashly to the peaceable and law.
abiding character of their inhabitants,
were induced to sanction the abolition
of capital puuishment--a fact upon
which the present offenders may, per.
haps, have reckoned. Within a few
years, however, there broke out almost
an epidemic of murder, the crime being
usually instigated by motives of the
most sordld kind; and so intolerable
at last did the evil become that move
ment was set on foot to reinstate the
old penalty Of death in extreme cases.
The present is the third instance OF
kidnapping that has taken place within
the last few years. Every one will re-
member the case of Charley Ross, who
in 1874, was stolen from the house of
his parents in the suburbs Of Philadel
phia. For his ransom the sum of 500
coo was demanded. Every effort was
made to discover the abductors their
plans, however, had been deeply laid.
The matter excited the very keenest
interest throughout the states. But the
police were utterly batiled, aud after a
time the letters demanding the ransom
ceased to arrive. IL is now generally
believed that little Ross was stolen By a
couple Of New York burglars, named
Douglas and MoSher, who were both
shot in Rn attempt TO break into the
house OF Judge Van Brunt on Long
Island. Mosher was shot dead on the
spot, and Douglas, while dying. declared
that be and Mosher had stolen the boy,
but that Mosher alone knew where be
was hidden. But from that day TO this
Charley Ross has never been heard of
and it is difficult to avoid the painful
conclusion that he is dead.