The Opelousas courier., 1897-09-04
THE CHARLEY ROSS CASE
AN ABPcTIoN CASE THAT AT7RAc.
led WORLDWIDE ATTENTION.

never Recovered by His Parents
The Philadelphia Telegraph gives
tne following account of the abduction
Of Charley Ross, brought to mind b,
the recent death of the boys father: =
Charley Ross and his elder brother.
waiter, were playing in front Of their
nome on East Washington street, Ger.
naasown, whom Two men came alone
II a buggy or light spring wagon.
lhcse same men had passed by on
,aEee OF four preceding days and had
Gwen Charley candy. On this fateful
cay Charley, according to the story
subsequently told by Walter, had
asked the men for g ride. The men
told AIM they would give him a ride
from the top Of a nearby hill, and
also promised to give him irecrackars,
lne 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
taem to Aunt Susie" a fictitious per-
son. The men piled the boys with
candy, while the team was driven
rapidly toward K~ensington. Charlie
cried and begged to be taken home.
At Palmer and Richmond streets
Waiter was given a quarter and di-
rectel to get fireworks in a cigar
store. The by obeyed, and returned
to find the wagon, the men and his
crrly-haired brother gone. His tears
brought a crowd, and in this crowd
was H. c. Peacock, q friend of the
family, who took the boy to his par
ents.
The elder brother told an accurate
anu coherent story of the abduction
aad gave q full description of the adj
ductors. His story was corroborated
and G general alarm was sent out to the
police. A reward Of $500 was offered
tor the return Of the boy and adver-
tlsements were sent to all newspapers
IN this part Of the country. Mrs.
Ross was ill at Atlantic City, and the
of her loss was kept from her
for some days.
The police were unable to discover
a 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 a letter from the
supposed abductors. It was grossly
1lliterate and evidently purposely SO.
The letter informed Mr.. Ross that the
abduetors held the boy so securely
that nc earthly power could reach him.
that he would not be delivered
without the payment of a big ransom.
The father was warned that any at
to recover the boy, by detectives
would result in his instant death. The
writer promised to communicate with
Mr.. Ross within a few days.
Two days later they wrote demand.
ing $40, 600 ransom for the return Of
the boy. This sum was promptly
by friends of Mr.. Ross, but the
police stepped in and asked to be
given the conduct of the case. This
was granted, aud Mayor Stokeley Of
sered a reward of $50, 900 for the ar
'est Of the kidnapers and the return of
he boy. This immense reward attract
ID worldwide attention and set thou
sands Of detectives at work and mil
ions of tongues wagging.
During several weary months Mr..
Ross received sixteen letters from the
Ibductors, bat they were so carefully 8
disguised that no clue to the writer's
;ould be found. The entire com S
nunity had become intensely excited
'ver the case, and volunteers stood /
owe almost every letter box in b
he city, but with no result. Public O
interest was at fever heat, aud meet 9
ags of citizens were held in every +
art Of the city. n
Staid men Of business dropped a
heir commercial pursuits and became b
nateur detectives. Others wrote v
'ooks on the subject, some of which g
sere serious and of value, while others i
ere the ~enlaaations Of cranks. e
;everal persons became absolute f.
on the subject of the abduc- 1
on. Two men who, had devoted a
ears Of study to the subject took the Il
,cture platform, in addition to writing S,
ooks, and kept up the agitation until a
acsnt years. b
What became Of the child was never 81
ositively settled. It is generally be- Y
eyed that he was drowned in the "
orth River, New York, while his cl
oductors were feeingfrom detectives. pl
ut it was pretty well established that to
lillian Mosher and Joseph Douglass, Ell
burglars, took the boy from tt
s home. They were shot while try hi
G to rob the residence of Judge Van W
runt at Bay Ridge, n. Y, and in pa
cir death throes confessed that they bi
ID taken Charley Ross. Walter Ross W.
lily identified them. m
William Westervelt, a brotherrin-law or
Mosher, had acted as .go-between in w
. negotiations with Mr.. Ross and the W.
'ductors. He was brought to Phila- Nj
lphia, tried and convicted of com
lefty in the conspiracy to abduct the
y, and was sentenced to seven years
the Eastern P~enitentiary. OF
In the presence of Detective Miller we
9 wife of the convicted man begged nj
to tell what he knew of the crime, A
he maintained a stolid silence, and no
he ever knew anything he never II
ID it. He served his sentence andis he
to have returned to New tai
rk. MI
| HI
Bore It Like o Soldier. FOL
The real name of General Smolen- "
i, the gallant Greek commander, is r.