The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-07-17
CHARLIE ROSS.
oOMETO IMHoME ANDPARENTs
Mr.. and Mrs. Ross Hear His Story, But Do
Not Know the squint-Eyed Boy
His Ten Years of Wandering
and Adventure.

l, blue eyed little Charlie Ross, tb5
)n oil christian Il. Ross, was kidnap-
eli from his home in Germantown.
1t an early hour yesterday morning
squint-eyed boy about fourteen years
Id rang the door bell at Christian X.
toss residence and announced him.
elf as the long-lost Charlie. He car
led in one hand long, thin oil-cloth
,ag and in the other greasy basket.
lie was taken in and seated at the
breakfast table. When his battered
SHAW hat was removed little, bullet
shaped head, Us DEVOID of hair as clip
ping, could make it, was revealed.
the stumps of hair which
seemeA to be of dark brown color.
show eda dozen white scars of dozen
differentshapes and sizes. The boy
was comfortably dressed in brown
suit. Theie was not much in his ap-
pearance togecall to parents memo
ry the golden,haired little fellow who
was lost. Nevertheless he was cltsa-
ly questioned III Mr.. and Mrs. Ross, to
whom he told aeonnected story of his
kidnapping and his wanderings with
a band of gypsies during the past ten
years. He had arrived in Philadel-
phia at o'clock yesterday morning
from Quincy ILL.,, andwa directed to
the Germantown depota Ninth and
Green streets. Arrived in German
town he had soon founa, Mr.. Ross
house. To the two person. whom he
claimed as his parents he told his
story.
THE BOYS ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF.
"a good many years ago" he said,
while / was playing about thehouse
two men came to me and offerSd to
buy me some candy if would go With
them in wagon. l climbed in add
they whipped up their horses and
drove out of town. One of the men
kept me quiet until we had Travelled
| for about an hour, when we stopped.
l remember that l had long, yellow
curls. The men cut these off and
burned them. We then started off
again and never stopped until we
reached small wood n house near
New York, where they locked me up
in a dark room. We stayed here for
long time, but never saw any one
except the two men who carried me
off. After that we Joined band of
gypsies and went off in wagons. We
Travelled through New York for a
time and then came back through
Pennsylvania to Harrisburg, then to
Pittsburg and out through Ohio to the
West. After time we got down IN
to Texas where made several attempts
:. to escape, but was captured each time.
Once thought | was going TO get
, nv liberty sure, but was chased by
the captain and fell in ditch and
brokeimy leg. The captain was the man
=, who stole me from home. His name
was John Hirst and l was called
Charlie Hirst for several years and
then they gave me the name of Char
= lie Gilbert. Whenever l called my
{ self Charlie Ross l got a beating. AT
ter nv unsuccessful attempt to escape
the band started east again and we
. STAYED around through New York
u state for year or two and then trav-
u eled west as far as California.
ESCAPING FROM THE GYPsIEs.
"Last fall we camped near Austin
% Texas, and while here the band lost
s. several horses. A few days after tina
~ Hirst took me with him to look fol
v. the stolen horses. lie put me OF
Re watch at certain point and told m,
D. to wait there until he returned, anG
he before he rode away he warned mi
10 that he would kill me if l attempte,
,e to escape. 1 escaped, all the same, ant
ID worked my way to Quincy, Illinois
le where family by the name of Alex
ne ander cared for me-"
if In answer to question, the DO,
ae said he knew his name to be Charli
AZ Ross because he remembered havin
ID been called that at home. Mr.. Ros
ne taxed the boys memory with severs
ne questions as to things that oGsasre
re before he left home. He remembers
a a color ed boy nomed Dipps and ma
nd named Allen.
it "Can you remember anything G
off your home life? asked Mr.. Ross.
adj 81 remember that my father taugt
,e- me to sing What friend we have i
s. Jesus and Happy day."
ne "But," replied Mr.. Ross, "unfortU
en- nately, [ don't sing"
I'd Mr.. Ross brought the boy to thi
e. city and left him at police headqual
at tiers, where he repeated his story t
N Chief of Police Stewart. The chic
eff was impressed and again sent for M
s. Ross, who consented to hold a secon
nj interview with the boy. At its cor
M clusion he was more firmly convince
in than ever that he was not his son.
ID DISAPPOINTMENT ON BOTH SIDES.
10 The boy was greatly dissppointe
II when he learned that he had been re
W JOCLcQ duu oODU6Q DIS IL Ills uOdTb Wd
at breaking for greater part of the at
ternoon on a bench back OF the lieu
at tenants room.
~ "Pm sure / am Charlie Ross even i
4 they won't own me-" he said Is ;
l. Times reporter. In Quincy they al
,e thought must be Charlie Ross ;pt
Is said that l looked exactly like hi PIC
4 lures. People t. led 10 get me IF III
y train dozen times etW eel this an
g Qui Dcy, and in Chicago had 10 vel
d for help or two fellows would have
j. carried me off. l guess now they
ID must have been reporters" he added,
IS with rueful glance at q half-!oZsu
l. reporters of afternoon papers who
, stood at the other end OF the room and
b from whom he had just been rescued
s by Turnkey Murphy.
oil The boy will be Temporarily cared
= for at the Wayfarers' home
It At dusk last night, in Germantown
+ Christian X. Ross patroled the yeran
e da in front of which the mystery was
" begun.
It "You saw the boy who came in
b town to-day?" was asked.
C 4" Yes; long ago ! told them not to
s send him here"
q "What are the points of difference
b between him and your SOM"
y "The points of difference it is not
4 worth while to discuss. There were