The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-16
THE STRANGE STORY
OF CHARLEY ROSS
An Abduction That Was the Talk Of the
World z3 Years Ago.
HIS FATE UNCERTAIN EVEN NOW
The Death of Christian X. Ross Re-
calls the Extraordinary Efforts Made
to Apprehend Mosher and Douglass,
the Assumed Abductors of His Son.
Far-Reaching Effects of the Search
in Finding Other Lost Children.
From the Philadelphia Times.

The recent death of Christian X.
Ross recalls vividly the worldwide SEN
sation created by the abduction of his |
son, Charley Ross, on the afternoon or |
July l. 1874. For twenty-three years |
the search has been kept up unavail-
ingly. The United States have been |
ransacked, foreign countries have been |
flooded with descriptions of the boy |
and the circumstances of his disap- |
pearance; a book has been published
by the boys father, describing every
event which could possibly throw any
light upon the subject. Many other
lost children have been restored to
their parents through the constant
stream OF inquiry which was evoked by
little Charley's loss, but of the stolen
boy no tidings have ever been heard.
At the time Of his abduction Charley
was years old, a rosy checked, fair
| haired little lad, living in Germantown
at his fathers house on Washington
| lane.
For several days previous to
his disappearance Charley and his
brother, Walter, had been given
candy by a man passing the
house in a wagon, and on the
1st of July this man invited them
to take a drive, promising to buy them
| some fire. crackers. With him was an
| other individual, who kept the boys in
| conversation while his companion
drove. After they had gone some dis
tance Charley began TO cry and asked
| to be taken home, but he was pacified
by being told that Aunt Susie's, where
the crackers were to be bought, was
| close by. On reaching Palmer and
| Richmond streets Walter was given
| twenty-five cents and told to go to a
| cigar store near the corner and buy
fire-crackers for himself and torpedoes
for Charley.
The boy did so, but when he came
out again with his purchase the wagon
and his brother had disappeared. Find
ing himself deserted Walter began to
cry; a crowd gathered round him and,
hearing his tale, took him back to his
home. The police were Immediately
notified, and on the Sd of July a re-
ward was offered for his return. The
same day the following ill-spelt letter
was received by Mr.. Ross:
July S-Mr. Ross: be rot uneasy you son
charley brUster be all writ we is got him
and no power on earth can deliver out of
| our hand you viii hav two pay us before
| you git him from us, and pay us a big
cent to. If you put the cops hunting for
| him you is only detecting yu own en6 we
| is got him put so no living power can gets
him from us live. if any APPROACH is
maid to his hidin place that is the signil
for his instant anihilation. If you regard
| his lif puts no one to search for him yu
mony can fech him out alive and no other
existin powers. don't deceive youself an
think the detectives can git him from us
| for that Is imDI ebpl. here from in
a few day.
y rigid search was inaugurated; ves-
sells in the rivers. the doubtful locali-
ties in the city, coal yards, lumber
yards and unoccupled buildings Of
every description were thorough exam
ined and descriptions of the missing
boy and his abductors, from his broth
er's recollection. were flashed over the
telegraph wires to every city in the
United States. Three days had elapsed
from the receipt by. Mr.. Ross of the
first letter, when there came another.
1t was as follows:
Philadelphia, July 5.-Mr. Ros: We sup
pos you got the other letter that told you
! we had yu child all safe and sond.
| Yu mite offer one 100000 it would avale
l w nothing. to be plaen with yu yu mite
r | invoke all the powers of the universe and
I | that cold not get yu child from us. we
| set goldman and devel at defiance to rest
| him out of our hands. This is the lever
| that moved the rock that hides him from
; | yu $4,000, not one dolcr les.-impossible--
! | imposSib.e-you cannot get him without
e | 1t. If you love money more than child yu
n | be its murderer not us for the money We
= | will have If we dc mt from you we be sure
TO git from some one els for we will max
examples of yur child that others may be
wiser. We give yu all the time yu want
10 consider wei wat yu be DUNG. Yu
'. | money or lis lif we vii have-,ion't flatser
yu self yu will trap us under pretens of
h paying the ransom that be impossible
=. don't Yet the detectives mislede yu thay
tel yu thay can git him and Arrest us to
, | II you set the detectives III search for him
as We ted VA befor they only search for
= his lif. for If any aproch be made to his
h hidin place by detective his lf will be in
o stant sacrificed. you viii see yu child
:, dead or alive If we get yu money yu get
d him live if no money yu get him dead
n wen you get ready to blsnes with us ad-
: vertise the fclerin in Ledger personals
(Ros. We be ready to negociate). we look
{ for yu answer in Ledger.
$ This letter was taken to police head.
h quarters and it was agreed that still
h more vigorous efforts should be made
to trace the writer. personal in
; the columns of the Public Ledger was
g inserted, as follows:
n "Ros, we be ready TO negotiate"
n This appeared on July and at
=. o'clock the same afternoon a letter wa:
# received through the post in reply, re-
" newing the demand for $4,000 anC
threatening to kill Charley in the even
" of treachery.
h About this time the public began t
n know that anonymous letters were be
, ing received; the most intense interes
a was manifested in aiding the search
"a suspicious looking men and womeI
n were stopped and examined. house
"a were searched, drop boxes, both out
h side and inside the post office, wer
a carefully watched. Mr.. Ross mail wa
flooded with suggestions for the cap
"a ture of the miscreants, from blood
hounds and clairvoyance to ambus
>, cades One man went so far as to offe
a. Mr.. Ross 100000 in cash, that he nigh
W get his son back, but from the heinou
nature of the crime ana the effect
might have in inducing other simila
outrages, Mr.. Ross believed 1t his dut,
: to let the matter rest with the police.
on July 22 a reward of $4,000 as of
fered by the mayor Of Philadelphia 70
the arrest and conviction of the abduc
tors. This immense reward attracte,
worldwide attention and set thou