News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-10-07
WAS IT CHARLEY ROSS?
A Story of MOOnshiners, IA Lonely Island'
and n CurIy-haired Boy.

NoRwALK, Conn Just after the war
a number of Yankees ran an Illicit dis
tlllery on Cockenoes Island, and manu-
featured vast quantities of whisky.
They sold it in the towns and cities
along the Connecticut coast. The dis
tillery, which long since has fallen in
ruins, was erected in the middle of an
almost impenetrable thicket, and at the
rear was high bluff which completely
shut out a view from the sea. The
roof was ingenlously obscured by bushes,
grass and weeds. So well hidden and
protected from sight was it that boat
men passing along~a quarter of mile
! away would not distinguish it from the
side of the hill. Up to about the year
1870 these people continued to carry on
their lawless business, when a few Gov
eminent officials got wind of the affair,
and one night visited the island with
the expectation of putting a stop to the
business and capturing the lawless gang.
They were unsuccessful in carrying out
the latter part of their intentions, how
ever, for the wary moonshiners had in
some way learned of the intended raid
and had fled The whisky had been
taken to an island some distance along
the coast and was afterward disposed
of. The building was partially de-
stroyed, and as it was continually
watched by the Government agents, no
further attempt was made to resume the
business.
A few days ago an event happened
which has caused a revival of the inter
est in the story about the island. A
suspicion has long been entertained by
people living in the vicinity that on the
island lies buried the remains of the I'M
fortunate Charley Ross, whose remark
able disapp ara &C is an oft-told tale
About the time of the excitement over
kidnapping several hard looking men
were living on the island, occupying an
old two-stOry frame house, which still
stands, although very much dilapidated.
If fishermen or sailing parties visited
the island they were threatened to keep
away, but some did not fail to catch
glimpses of, bright, curly haired boy,
who was always hurried out of sight.
The evident anxiety of the men to keep
the boy from view at last began to cause
comment and no little curiosity, which
finally resulted in grave suspicious that
all was not right, and it was surmised
that tie men and boy we've connected
with the much talked-Of kidnapping
case. Numerous attempts to get a closer
view of the supposed prisoner were
baffled, and one day the men were seen
to leave the island. The boy was not
seen in their company. Parties were
Immediately organized and rowed out
to the island IN the hopes that the mys-
teries of the place would at last be
Gle red. The house and outbuildings
were searched in the hope of finding the
boy, but no trace of him could be found.
The house contained nothing but pile
of rubbish lot of straw, an old,
rickety stove, some broken dishes, and
a few articles of furniture. The build
ing looked as if it had not been occu-
pied in many years. The window lights
were broken and the doors splintered.
The strange disappearance of the curly
haired boy was talked of, and one of
the searchers suggested that ne might
have been murdered and buried IN the
cellar. People dug up the dirt floor,
but no success rewarded their efforts.
Years rolled by and the events previ-
ously narrated were almost forgotten,
when they were recalled to memory in a
rather strange way. A few day ago an
elderly man, poorly dressed and of a
very rough appearance, rowed to the
island and visited the old house. He
drew some rough plans of the building,
made few measurements of the cellar,
and departed as mysteriously as he
came. During the time he remained at
the house several questions were asked
him, but his answ ers were vague and of
little import. His singular proceedings
revived the old story of the boys dis
but he left the island with
out giving any information.