The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-25
a GREAT CRIME RECALLED.
Death of Charley Ross Father Re-
wives the story of His Abduction.
From the philadeiphla Times

FROM the Philadelphia Times.
The death of Christian X. Ross. who had
for years held the office of master warden
of the board OF port wardens of Philadel-
phia, and who was known all over the
world as the father of Charley Ross, the
4-year-old boy whose mysterious abduction
from his fathers residence july /, 1874
caused such a profound sensation, calls to
mind one of the most sensational crimes
ever committed in this country The story
of the abduction of Charley Ross on July
!, 1874, has been told and retold in every
portion of the civilized world, and 1t lives
to-day as one of the celebrated romances
of criminal history.
Charley was years old. He was a beau
tiful child, idolized by his parents and rel
auves He was playing with his elder
brother, Walter on East Washington lane
near his home in Germantown, when two
men drove up i'm a light wagon The same
men had passed along on three or four
days preceding and given Charley candy.
ON the day of the abduction the little fell
low had asked them for a ride, and he and
his brother had eagerly followed them to
the top of the hill to gain a fulhlment of
a promise OF the desired ride and more
candy, and some fireworks. At the top
or the hill Charley and Walter We're taken
INTO the vehicle and piled with candy while
the two men drove rapidly toward Ken
sington.
At Palmer and Richmond streets Walter
was given quarter and directed to get
fireworks N a cigar store. The boy obey
ed, and returned to lind the wagon. the
men and his curly-haired brother gone
Ills tears brought a crowd and in this
crowd was II. c. Peacock. a friend of the
family, who took the boy to his parents.
The recovered boy told an accurate and
asf. - 4.
run description of the abductors The
story was corroborated, report was made
10 Sergt. Buchanan of the Centrai sta
uon, and a general alarm was sent out
to the police. A reward of $500 was offer
cd for the return of the boy, and adver-
easements were sent to all newspapers in
this part of the country. Mrs. Ross was
III at Atlantic City, and the news of her
loss was kept from her for some DAYS.
On July the first clew to the mystery
surrounding the child's disappearance
came in the form of a badll written, mis-
spelled letter to MIR. Ross, stating that
the little fellow would not be returned
without the payment of a large ransom
and that he would be killed if any pro-
ceedngs should be taken tending 20 the
arrest OF the kidnappers. Two days later
another letter was received demanding
10000 as the price of the boys return.
This money was promptly raised by rela-
SiNV9 anu AIlehuS OF the stricken family,
but the police stepped in and prevailed
upon Mr.. Ross to allow them 10 take
charge of the case, promising to find the
boy and bring his abductors to Justice
Mayor Stokley offered a reward of So
600 for the recovery Of the child and the
arrest of the men who had stolen him,
and the large amount of the reward at
tracted worldwide attention and set
thousands of detectives, professional and
amateur, to working on all sorts of sup
posed, and some of them absurd clews.
On Aug. 2, Capt. Hedden, of Tie New
York police, received information which
apparently implicated William Mosher
and Joseph Douglass, two well known
burglars, who had frequently made their
headquarters In this city, In the crime
The information came from "GiIl" Mosh-
er, Williams brother who stated that his
brother had once approached him with a
scheme for abducting one of the Wander
bilt children, but he had refused TO have
anything TO do with il. Then followed a
long and exhaustive search for Mosher
and Douglass, which lasted four and a
half months, during which time Mr.. Ross
| received sixteen letters purporting TO
come from the abductors, but all so care
fully worded that no clew could be found
to the writer's.
Meanwhile the citizens Of Philadelphia
and many people in other parts of the
country had been worked up to a fever
heat of excitement. Volunteers stood
guard over almost every letter box In the
I CITY, put with no result. Men of business
abandoned their pursuits and became am
ateur detectives. Books were written on
| the all-absorbing subject, some of which
| advanced the most wildly impossible theo-
ries and were manifestly the emanations
| of cranks. Lecturers were developed.
| whose theme was the Charley Ross KID
| mapping" and it Is even said that num-
~ he A11I
| came insane because Of their inability TO
solve the great mystery.
me late Detective John Sharkey and his
| partner, Charles +. Miller, who still sur.
| wives, were convinced that the Mosher-
| Douglass clew was the correct one, and
| confirmation of IL came through william
| Westervelt, a brother-in-law Of Mosher
who, 1t was concusively shown, had acted
as go-between In the attempted negou-
/ atoms between Mr. Ross and the kidnap-
pers. Once during these negotiations Mr..
Ross actually took $4,000 TO New York to
pay over TO the burglars, but the police
| were in the scheme, and the abductors evil
| IDENTIFY found It out, for they failed TO put
| In an appearance at the place where they
were to meet the stolen boys father.
| WesterVelt was evidently willing TO sac
| rihce Douglass, but he was anxious to pro-
tect his brother-in-law. He gave sum
Client Information to indicate that he
/ hAeW VI 1ndIlty , WNeitd bouts. and
| promised an appointment on the New York
| police force If he would reveal all he
knew. This he refused to do until the ap-
| pointment was made out. This was never
| done, and he maintained his silence In
the meantime the search for Mosher and
Douglass was being prosecuted with
| vigor, and the two men were unexpectedIv
/ found on the night OF Dec. "A, when, ac-
cording TO the ideas OF the police. the
whole mystery was cleared up.
on that December night the residence
Of Judge Van Brunt, al Bay Ridge Brook
Ign, was broken into by robbers II was
unoccupied, but was connected by a burg
lar alarm with the house OF the judges
| son on the other side OF the street The
son aroused his son and two men servants.
| and the whole party armed themselves
! and surrounded the judges house. The
burglars finally came out and were called
upon 20 halt. They replied with pistol
shots, and the quartette opened FIRE on
them. The scene that followed was dra-
matte.
One robber was dead. with his onntv