The Indianapolis journal., 1883-10-27
MOsHER AND CHARLEY ROSS.
Robert KeIIy's Reasons for Relieving that the
Boy Is Undoubtedly Dead.

New York World.
DO 1 think Charley Ross is alive?" said
Mr. Kelly in conversation with a reporter
yesterday. mo more than Guiteau; and I'll
tell you in very few words why am of this
opinion. On an October morning in 1879,
the Rev. Father McCullom, pastor of the
Church of the Sacred Heart Brooklyn; Mr..
j. j. McCloskey, then stage manager of the
Brooklyn Park Theater, but now clerk in the
Marine Court, New York. and myself then
the advertising agent for the Park Theater,
started in a rowboat for Stapleton, s. l., on
little excursion. We remained there until
about o'clock, when we again seated our
selves in our boat and prepared TO return to
the city. We were moving along slowly
and chatting over the pleasure we
had experienced during the day
when my attention was attracted to a small
sailboat anchored between Robins Reef
light and the Jersey shore. She was sloop-
rigged and painted dark hue. Thinking it
strange that q vessel should be anchored just
at that point, and suspecting that it might
be private craft, l suggested that we board
her and ascertain who and what she was. l
rowed toward the boat but just before reach
ing it Father McCullom advised that we
should not proceed further, as we had no
authority to board a strange vessel. just
then there appeared on deck a hard-looking
character about five feet ten inches in height.
He was bareheaded. and wore blue over
brogans. He had red, sandy whiskers,
sprinkled with gray, and saw distinctly that
the cartilage of his nose had been eaten
away. AS we approached the vessel
he seemed alarmed, but nevertheless re-
manned on deck anxiously watching our
movements. We finally concluded that it
would be dangerous to attempt boarding the
boat, and left the man, who stood in the
same position for as long time as he was
visible. We then remarked upon the sus-
picious appearance of the craft and its navi-
gator, but scarcely anything more was said
after our arrival home concerning what we
had seen.
About a month later Mosher and
Douglass the Brooklyn burglars. were shot
dead by nephew of Judge Van Brunt, who
caught them robbing the latter's house at
Bay Ridge. The bodies were removed to the
morgne on Carlton street, Brooklyn. On
the day OF removal, l believe, Mr. McCloskey
avenue when it occurred to me
that 1 should like to see the bodies
of the noted robbers, and we visited
the morgue for that purpose. To our
surprise on examining Moshers body we
both recognized in it that of the mysterious
person of the sail-boat. The absence of the
cartilage of the nose led to his identification.
Stories were then being circulated connect
ing Mosher with the abduction of Charley
Ross. 1t was ALLEGED, on good authority
that he had treated with the father, under an
assumed name, for the restoration of his
child. A week or two later the body of a
boy of about nine years. answering as nearly
as could be to the description of the lost boy
as he might have grown since his disappear
ance, in 1874 was found, tossed up by the
waves on the Jersey fats, near Robins Reef
light The remains were so decomposed as
to be almost unrecognizable, but the feet
were clad in mems brogans similar to those
worn by Mosher the day we discovered him
in the boat.
II believe that Charley Ross was aboard
the boat with Mosher on that day. 1 believe
that Mosher, having given up all hope of Sc
curing reward for the recovery OF the child,
threw him overheard, and that it was his
body which was washed ashore on the Jersey
fats The brogans, / believe, which were
found on the boys feet were worn by Mosher
when we first saw him. The sail-boat was
found anchored off Bay Ridge on the morn
ing after Mosher and Douglass were shot.
This proves to my satisfaction, and to that of
several others 20 whom [ have related this
story, that Mosher on the sail-boat, Mosher
the abductor and Mosher the burglar are one
and the same person. Douglass, when shot.
was not instantly killed and tried to speak
His wound prevented his doing so and he
died soon after. Had he been able to say
but four words l think they would have
been, Mosher drowned Charley Ross