The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-24
CHARLIE ROSS'S FATHER
DEATH OF HEART-BROI MAN RE-
CALLS KIDNAPPING MYSTERY.
Christian Il. Ross Spent 100000
Searching for His Child, Who Is
Now Supposed to Be Dead.

Now Supposed to Be Dead.
PHILADELPHIA, June 23.-Christian K.
Ross, the father of Charles Ross, whose
abduction on July l. 1874, from his parents
home in Germantown, was one of the most
mysterious and sensational crimes ever
committed, and which up to the present
has never been satisfactorily cleared up,
died last Monday at his home on East
Washington street, Germantown. He was
seventy-four years old, and had been i'll
but three weeks Mr.. Ross was master
warden of the Board of Port Wardens, and
leaves a widow, two sons and three daugh-
tiers.
Just twenty-three years have passed
since the crime was committed which
wrecked the life of Christian K Ross, cost
him a fortune and made his name a house
hold word all over the world. On July l.
1874, Charlie and his elder brother, Walter,
were playing in front of their home on
East Washington lane, Germantown, when
two men came along in a buggy or light
spring wagon.
Charlie had, according to the story told
by Walter, asked the men for a ride. The
men told him that they would give him a
ride from the top of the HILL and also
promised to give him some firecrackers.
The two boys walked to the top of the
hill and they were then taken into the
wagon. Walter wanted the men to take
them to Main street for the fireworks, but
they said they would take them to Aunt
Susie's,' a fictitious person.
The men piled the boys with candy while
the team rapidly driven toward Ken
sington. Charlie cried and begged to be
taken home. AT Palmer and Richmond
streets Walter was given a quarter and
directed to get the fireworks in a cigar
store. Yhe boy obeyed and returned to md
the wagon, the men and his curly-haired
brother gone His tears brought a crowd,
and in the crowd was II. G. Peacock, Il
friend of the family, who took the boy to
his parents.
Walter told an accurate and coherent
story of the abduction and gave a full de-
scription of the abductors. The police We're
unable to discover any trace of the child,
in the nature of clew came to the search
erS. This was in the shape of a letter from
Ties the supposed abductors. It was grossly il
nterate and evidently purposely so. 1t in
formed Mr. Ross that they held the boy SO
securely that no earthly power could reach
him, and that he would not be delivered
without the payment of a big ransom. The
father was warned that any attempt to re-
cover the boy by detectives would result in
n. promised
communicate with Mr.. Ross within a few
days.
Two days later they wrote demanding
$4,000 ransom for the return of the boy
This sum was promptly raised by the
friends of Mr.. Ross but the police stepped
in and asked to be given the conduct of the
case. This was granted and Mayor Stokley
offered a reward of $4,000 for the arrest of
the kidnaperS and the return of the boy
Ihis immense nm reward attracted world wide
a yV1p rcri ms
During several weary months Mr. Ross
received sixteen letters from the abductors
but they were so carefully disguised that
no clew could be found to the writer's.
The entire community had become in
tensely excited over the case, and voun-
teers stood guard over almost every letter
box in the city, but with no result Public
interest was at fever heat, and meetings of
citizens were held in every part of the city
The true solution Of the question Ito the
satisfaction of the police came many years
ago. Superintendent of Police Walling of
New York, found a clew that ended in fix
ing the crime of the abduction on William
Mosher and Joseph Douglass two notorious
burglars, who had long had their head
quarters in Philadelphia. Detective Shar-
key and his surviving partner, Detective
Charles F. Miller, of this city, We're con-
WINGED of the authenticity of this clew, and
confirmed it to the satisfaction of nearly
every one connected with or interested in
the famous case.
This confirmation came through William
Westorvelt, a brother-in-law of Mosher
WIZ IlttQ dClcu DIS SO-D6lWeeIl III the at
tempted negotiations with Mr.. Ross and
the burglars. Westervelt was evidently
willing to sacrifice Douglass but wanted to
save his brother-in-law. The police of the
country were looking for the two burglars
when the residence of Judge Van Brunt, at
Bay Ridge, was entered by burglars on
Dec. IA. 1874 and were attacked by a broth
err of the judge and several servants One
of the burglars was shot dead and the
other was MORALLY wounded.
They were MoSher and Douglass. MoSher
was dead when their slayers reached them
and Douglass was in death throes. The
latter gasped Its no use lying now
Mosher and l stole Charlie Ross. Mosher
knows all about him
The dying burglar was told that his part
ner was dead. Then God help his poor
wife and family gasped the dying man.
"He knew about Charlie. The child will
be returned in a few days" The child was
never returned. The bodies of the dead
Former associates of Mosher and Douglass
We're ARRESTED all over the country, but
they could or would not throw any light on
the mystery. Westervelt was brought to
this city, tried and convicted of completely
in the conspiracy to abduct the boy and
ern Penitentiary.
In the presence of Detective Miller the
wife of the convicted man begged him to
tell what he knew of the crime, but he
knew anything he never told it, He served
his sentence and is supposed to have re-
turned to New York.
Charlie Ross's father had detectives en-
ployed for years, and is said to have spent
$50 000 his entire fortune in his effort TO re-
boy was that burglar Mosher had left him
with an old woman, a friend of thieves
who died, and all trace of the boy was lost
He is supposed to have died.