The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-01-31
SEARCH FOR CHARLIE ROSS
A Rascally New York Police Captain
Prevented Success.

So many years have passed since
the child Charlie Ross was stolen
from his home in Germantown that
the crime is lost to the memory of
many people, but that has not
deferred some people from still max
ing the attempt to palm off a bogus
youth upon the afflicted family as the
lost son. The latest effort of this
kind was made by woman who rep
resented herself as the widow of one
of the two burglars who were killed
at Bay Ridge, i. l., while trying to
rob the house Of judge of the courts.
The woman brought with her a
young man who, q relative of the boy
says, was flat-headed and beetle
browed, and could in no way have
borne resemblance to what little
Charlie would have been at manhood.
She had the story of the disappear
ance pat enough-how the two chill
dren, Charlie and Walter, were de-
coyed away from the lawn Of the
house, at Washington lane and Chew
street, by the two men in a wagon,
Mosher and Douglas; how they were
driven into the country, where Walter,
the elder, was dropped, and h-,y <20,-
600 ransom had been offered fn, the
recovery of the younger son. ssaer
facts she seemed familiar with Int
her scheme had nothing else in II
Many believe the boy to be denn.
There have hundreds or more alleged
Charles, but in no one instance has
the father, who has Travelled all over
the country, had any hope after once
seeing the alleged child or youth pro-
duced. The secret Of his fate prob
ably died with the Bay Ridge burg
lars, one of whom expired Immediate
ly after being shot, while the other
had lived only long enough to say
that his companion had known where
the child was, that the lad was still
alive, but that he himself knew moth
ing Of his location.
In narrating some of the facts the
relatives of the Ross family also shed
more light upon the efforts to find
the boy, and made the important
statement that once when success
seemed assured they were frustrated
by one Of the police captains of New
York. a man who was charged before
the Lexow committee with having ac-
quired wealth by the most corrupt
means. It was there, he says, the
kidnappers had arranged to deliver
their prisoner upon the payment of
the $4,000. They had exacted the
COnuiliOu tndI MT. hOSS ana THOSE
helping him should leave New York
upon board of special train, loco
motive and one car. bound for Albany
AT one point along the road a col
ored lantern light was to be waved
md the money. at this signal was to
he dropped by the side Of the track
Further up the line there was. to be
another light shown and there the
boy was to be delivered to them.
According to the relatives story, the
rescuing party took along with them
IN expert rifieman, with the object of
manning the kidnapper, whoever he
might be, and effecting his capture.
They made the trip as directed. but
nothing came of it. No lights were
shown and no other clew was OBJ
tanned. The police captain in ques-
ton, the relatives say, gave the tip
to the thieves that the sharpshooter
would be on board the car Walter
Ross, the son who was. dropped by
the country roadside, was married
about two months ago.-Philadelphia
Inquirer.