The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-05
A NEW CHARLIE ROSS.
MI. Ross Closely Questions the Wanderer and
Then Declares He Is Not His Son.
PHILADELPHIA Press. Friday.

The very latest genuine Charlie Ross arrived
at the Broad-street Station, on q Western train,
at o'clock yesterday morning He wore a
shapeless last summers straw hat and dark
blue suit Of clothes. What appeared to be q
Bingham shirtcollar struggled undoubtedly up
ward between the lapels of his coat; and a hand
kerchief, rather the worse for wear, passed fire.
quently from his pocket to his eyes He wanted
to know what time the first train went to Ger
mantown. One Of the ushers told him the hour,
and he went into the station to wait for it He
managed to sleep little on the seats, but at s
o'clock was going again, and soon reached Chel-
ten avenue. There he told policeman who he
was, and, after a long argument, got him to 60
with him to Christian K Ross's house, on Wash
ngton lane He did not appear to be moved as
they approached the place, but kept up one side
OF conversation manfully until they stopped at
the gate:
Mr.. Ross's dog stepped out slowly to observe
the couple as they stood there and as soon as
they clicked the gate and passed inside he adj
Vanced rapidly to receive them. The boy re
marked as he backed toward the fence that he
had hardly expected so much warmth in his re-
ception He had expected open arms not open
jaws. The policeman attempted to cover his re-
treat. but the odds were with the dog until Mr..
Ross attracted by the noise. made his appear
ance at the front door, He recognized the situ-
boys before and he acted promptly. First he
called off the dog, then he called off thepolice-
man, and finally he motioned for Charlie to
come into the house. The family were atbreak
fast, and the wanderer was invited to Join
them.
I Mrs. Ross looked at MIN anxiously and care
fully, but said nothing at all and Mr.. Ross said
very little to her during the meal After it was
finished they had long conversation, but the
boys story did not seem to be satisfactory Mr.
Ross could find no good reason for believing his
son had come back, and told him he had evident
" made a mistake. The boy accepted the
opinion very composedly, and soon made his way
back to the city, bringing up finally at the Cen
trail Police Station, where he told the detectives
whom he claimed to be- They were not very
credulous, but gave him quarters downstairs
while they sent word to Mr. Ross. That gentle
man appeared very shortly afterwards, and
again had long talk with the boy, ending as
before, with the words: you are not my son.
The conversation was hardly ended when re-
p0rters, detectives and curiosity seekers sur
rounded the boy. He was sick, he said, and
tired out, and wanted to sleep, but that did not
stop the flow of questions, and he was actually
talked into such q condition that he fell help
lessly from his chair. Policemen lifted him
to bench near one of the windows and for five
minutes he apparently slept Then one anxious
inquirer opened his hands to see If his palms
were hard; another pried open his swollen eye
lids to see the color of his eyes; another wanted
to investigate his general health by opening his
coat and tapping his chest. He finally woke up
under the pressure of these attentions He said
the sleep had not done him much good Later
in the afternoon he was taken to the Wayfarers'
Home on Lombard street
To all questions about his early life he gave
fairly intelligent answers He had been taken
by the Gypsies, first to New York, he said, and
afterwards to various parts of the South and
West He left them finally at Austin, Texas
and made his way to Quincy Illinois, where a
number of persons took an interest in his story
and furnished the money to send him here. His
right arm and his face bear marks of scalding
which he received from pail Of hot coffee while
attempting once to escape. When Mr.. Ross
questioned him, he developed some knowledge
of the locality Of the home he claims, but he
made some serious mistakes. Among other
things, he mentioned the plan of a man in St
Louis who had talked to him, and was going
to write book of his adventures in ease he was
acknowledged as the genuine Charlie Ross. He
was to receive some share OF the proceeds of the
sale of the book. His conscience, he said told
him what his name was, and he often heard it
sounded in his ears when he wakened in the
nighttime.
The appearance Of his father and mother be
could not remember, and he said he recognized
nothing about Mrs. Ross that put him in mind
of any one he had known before he was taken
away. His last recollections of home was when
two men drove up as he was PLAYING in the back
yard and lifted him into buggy with them
Both men were red-faced and red-Whiskered
Ol6 wore a IIlll D6afu ana the OG1er a. mliStaClo.
and side-whiskers. They were gypsies, the boy
says, and he thinks he travelled with them or
with their friends ever since. He was first taken
to the outskirts of New York. and confined in a
small room, and then carefully moved out to the
West, stopping in the vicinity of several large
cities. Where his original captors now are, be
could not say.
There were one or two marks on him that
might help in his Identification On his arm is
scar which he saysIwas made by an arrowhead
chofn Mt hxy how
gave him a bow and arrow This was while he
| lived in Germantown. The peculiar turn of his
eyes was supposed by some Of the detectives to
indicate strong resemblance to the Ross fam
| lily, but the flesh surrounding the right one has
been so scalded and SCARED that it is difficult to
tell how much of the popularity is natural His
| eyelids yesterday, were also so much swollen by
the dust of travel as to increase the difficulty Of
deciding anything by his eyes He told Mr.
! Ross, at the end of the second interview that he
remembered his father teaching him to sing
i.sWhat Friend We Have in Jesus, and Happy
Day
''Unfortunately,p said Mr. Ross, dryly, /
never sing.
In spite Of all the Incorrect answers If the
boy, several of the relatives believe him to be
i Mr.. Ross son. They will make q further III
yestigation into the case, Yesterday, as he lay
in the Central station, tired and dusty, he did
not present very progressing appearance
His face is not particularly intelligent, and the
scars are always visible. His forehead is mar
row. He is apparently about fifteen years Of
age, well grown, and in good health He says
however, that his lungs are gone and that he
needs some one to take care Of him,
i aE31
Freddie Gebhard with the Langtry Troupe.
San Francisco Special to Chicago Tribune
Mrs. Langtry and party. among them young
/ Freddie Gebhard, left for Yosemite Valley ID.
day. During her two weeks engagement
Gebhard has been IN the city continually. al
/ though the fact Of his presence was carefully
concealed. The opening night he was IN the
peanut gallery; and two or three evenings later,
no illusions to his presence being made in the
move resulted in his being found out, and the
local papers noted the fact that he was in the
city, Mrs. Langtry, when interviewed on the