Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-08-12
THE CHARLEY ROSS CASE
AN ABDUCTION CASE THAT ATTRAc-
TED WORLDWIDE ATTENTION.

Never Recovered by His Parents
The Philadelphia Telegraph gives
the following account of the abduction
of Charley Ross, brought to mind by
the recent death of the boys father:
Charley Ross and his elder brother,
Walter, were playing in front of then
home on East Washington street, Ger
in buggy or light spring wagon.
These same men had passed by on
three or four preceding days and had
given Charley candy. On this fateful
day Charley, according to the story
subsequently told by Walter, had
asked the men for ride. The men
told him they would give him a ride
from the top of "a nearby hill, and
also promised to give him frecrackers.
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
the abductors said they would take
them to "Aunt Susie, fictitious per-
son. The men piled the boys with
candy, while the team was driven
rapidly toward Kensington. Charlie
cried and begged to be taken home.
At Palmer and Richmond streets
Walter was given quarter and di-
rected to get fireworks in a cigar
store. The boy obeyed, and returned
to find the wagon, the men and his
curly haired brother gone. His tears
brought crowd, and in this crowd
was H. G. Peacock, friend of the
family, who took the boy to his par
ents.
The elder brother told an accurate
and coherent story of the abduction
and gave full description of the ad-
ductors. His story was corroborated
and a general alarm was sent out to the
police. A reward of $500 was offered
for the return of the boy and adver-
tisements were sent to all newspapers
in this part of the country. Mrs.
Ross was i'll at Atlantic City, and the
news of her loss was kept from her
for some days.
The police were unable to discover
trace OF the child, and it was not un-
til July 4 that anything in the nature
OF a clue came to the searchers. This
was in the shape of q letter from the
supposed abductors. 1t was grossly
illiterate and evidently purposely So
The letter informed Mr.. Ross that the
abductors held the boy so securely
that no earthly power could reach him,
and that he would not be delivered
without the payment Of big ransom.
The father was warned that any at
tempt to recover the boy by detectives
would result in his instant death. The
writer promised to communicate with
Mr.. Ross within few days.
Two days later they wrote demand
Ing $4,000 ransom for the return of
the boy. This sum was promptly
raised by friends of Mr.. Ross, but the
police stepped in and asked to be
given the conduct of the case. This
was granted, and Mayor Stokeley Of
fered a reward of $780, 900 for the ar
rest of the kidnapers and the return of
the boy. This immense reward attract
ed worldwide attention and set thou
sands of detectives at work and mil
lions of tongues wagging.
During several weary months Mr..
Ross received sixteen letters from the
abductors, but they were so carefully
disguised that no clue to the writer's
could be found The entire COM
munity had become intensely excited
guard over almost every letter box in
the city, but with no result. Public
interest was at fever heat, and meet
ings of citizens were held in every
part of the city.
Staid men of business dropped
their commercial pursuits and became
amateur detectives. Others wrote
books on the subject, some of which
were serious and of value, while others
were the emanations of cranks.
Several persons became absolute
maniacs on the subject of the abduc-
ton. Two men who had devoted
years of study to the subject took the
lecture platform, in addition to writing
books, and kept up the agitation until
receuu years.
What became of the child was never
positively settled. 1t is generally be-
lieved that he was drowned in the
North River, New York, while his
abductors were fleeing from detectives.
But it was pretty well established that
William Mosher and Joseph Douglass,
notorious burglars, took the boy from
his home. They were shot while try
ing to rob the residence of Judge Van
Brunt at Bay Ridge, N. Y, and in
their death throes confessed that they
had taken Charley Ross. Walter Ross
fully identified them.
William Westervelt, brother-in-l law
of Mosher, had acted as go-between in
the negotiations with Mr.. Ross and the
abductors. He was brought to Phila-
delphia, tried and convicted of com
plicity in the conspiracy to abduct the
boy, and was sentenced to seven years
| in the Eastern Penitentiary.