Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-07-31
The Lost Charlie Ross.
THE STORY OF A GREAT DOMESTIC AFFLIc-
TION

THE STORY OF GREAT DOMESTIC AFFLIc-
TIoN
In the following letter from Philadel-
phia to the Cincinnati Eaquirer the
writer tells in vivid language the world
famous story of Charlie Ross and the
! fruitlsss search for the lost boy:
stood for long time before pic
ture yesterday, the life-size portrait of a
lovely, laughing child. The face was
that of boy of four years, fair and
dimpled, with little rosy mouth jus
made for kissing, large, clear brown
eyes, through which happy little sou
shone brightly, and soft, faxen curls
shading broad, white brow, and fall
ing about round, white neck.
One could imagine how the artist en-
joyed putting that witchery Of color and
baby outline on canvas, how proud the
mother who clasped the original in her
arms-her own. Yet if those rosy lips
could part, and the voice of soul take
sound, should we not hear in childish
accents the familiar words of David,
Let me fall into the hand Of the Lordf
but let me not fall into the hands O:
man2n
THAT is Charlie; my little Charlie, !"
said the master of the house, sadly. and
looking from mis- careworn nervous face
to the cherub vision on the wall for the
first time an understanding of the
tragedy of Charlie Ross dawned upon
me, and for the benefit of the new
| generation and those to whom the tiny
hero of mournful tale has been but a
newspaper myth am going to take up
the freshest threads of a well worn
story, as related to me by Mr.. Ross in
view of the green lane where his little
son was stolen from him.
The house itself is situated at the end
of broad and beautiful thoroughfare in
Germantown. called East Washington
lane. On both sides of it are handsome
substantial mansions of gray granite,
such as Pennsylvanians love, and built
far back from the road in the midst of
spreading lawns shaded by fine trees and
sprinkled with beds Of gay flowers.
More peaceful and beautiful surround
ings one could hardly find, and a minia-
ture farm of few acres now dotted with
sweet-smelling haycocks next to Mr..
Ross place even suggested the country.
The house of Mr.. Ross is spacious
double one, built of stone and sur
rounded by a cupola. # stands on the
summit of great slope, and with its
broad plazzas covered with climbing
honeysuckles and roses, its huge baskets
Of plants and ferns, and its friendly elms
and oaks, looks secure and pleasant
retreat from the noise and turmoil, the
dust and confusion of the world
Sitting on the front veranda, 1 re-
marked how thoroughly the great hedge
of fir trees at the foot Of the lawn cut off
the view of the street.
'sYes, said Mr.. Ross, ''too thoroughly,
for it helped the wretches who stole my
children to escape with them. Ten years
ago the first of july" he continued,
"my little Charlie, just four years old,
and still in petticoats, was playing in the
road with his brother Walter, two years
older than himself. While they were
frolicking about two men came along in
a wagon drawn by one horse 1t seems
they had seen the children before and
\ given them candy. That day they in
vited the boys to get in for little ride,
promising them fire crackers and candy.
They, fearing nothing, complied, and
were seen, as we found later, by some Of
I the neighbors
"When got home at six o'clock tc
tea, Mrs. Ross and my eldest daughter
being at Atlantic City for their health,
the children had not returned. The
nelghborhood was secured IN vain, aud
at eight o'clock on my way to the cen
tral Office to telegraph the police stations
we met Walter returning home with Mr.
Peacock, friend of the family, who had
found him crying bitterly on stree
corner in the northern part of Philadel
phia, just seven miles from home.
"The boy was nearly paralyzed with
fright, but managed to relate how these
men promised to take them to Aun
Susie's to buy sweets and fire-crackers;
that they had lifted him out Of the Wagon
and sent him into ashop to get them, ,anf
when be came ont they had disappeared
With Charlie The police thought thn
~ III x>zo - drunken ff6lic W