Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-01-22
THE FATE OF CHARLEY ROSS.
After Thirty Years of Mystery New
York Judge Clears Up the Mystery.

AlIeT years iilpSlCll cplC
mystery in the case of Charlie Ross,
during which furtunes have been
spent and continents have been
searched in vain efforts to find the
stolen boy, or to learn his fate.
revelation has been made of many of
the most important facts in the case.
These disclosures have come from
Senator Plunkitt, member of the
state legislature, who says he has Sc
cured information never before made
public in connection with the Phila-
delphia kidnapping.
Acting upon this information Sena>
tor Plunkitt has introduced at Albany
an amendment to the present law
against kidnapping and providing more
severe penalty for the crime.
"The abductors of Charles Ross"
says Senator Plunkitt, were two New
York river thieves, one of them named
Mosher. The wagon in which Ross
was carried away was hired in New
York by Mosher and driven to Phila-
delphia SO as to prevent the possible
discovery of the offenders. The wa
gon was driven about thirty miles out
of Philadelphia and was there aban-
doned Mosher and his companion,
accompanied by their victim, taking
passage on the train to New York.
Fear kept Ross quiet.
Upon arriving at New York Ross
was taken on on of Mosher's river
craft, and finally, to prevent detection,
Charlie was thrown overheard in the
bay, after having been tied to iron, so
as to make it impossible for his body
to rise to the surface. The New York
man who let the horse and wagon to
Mosher never claimed his property
for fear of being charged with compli-
city in the crime.
When Mosher was shot while at
tempting to rob the Van Brunt man
sion at Bay Ridge, several months at
ter the kidnapping, he attempted to
explain the Charlie Ross affair, but
death came as soon as the name pass
ed his lips.
II know my statement is correct"
said Senator Plunkitt, because / got
it from bigger man than any OF us
here. got it from supreme court
Judge"
The senator would not name the
judge, but it is known that he refer
red to Judge Van Brunt, who success
fully resisted an attempt to rob his
house at Bay Ridge by shooting Mosh.
er and his pal
On July /, 1874, Charlie Ross, then
4 years old, was playing with his old
er brother, Walter, in front of their
home in East Washington Lane, Ger
mantown, suburb of Philadelphia.
Two men in light spring wagon,
! who had been seen to pass the house
number of times before, induced the
boys to go with them "for drive"
| They promised the children some can
dy and fireworks for the approaching
Fourth. They would also visit Aunt
| SUSIE tie men said. This was fic-
titious parsonage invented for the oc-
| casion.
| AS the vehicle neared Palmer and
Richmond streets Walter became
| frightenel and began to cry. One OF
the men gave him quarter and told
him to go and buy some fireworks in
a store near by. When Walter re.
turned the wagon had gone. Charlie
Ross never appeared again.
Soon after the abduction an adver.
tisement appeared in the Philadelphia
Public Ledger offering to restore the
| DOy IL tilC luIliSl, Vii IA LSoSo
would pay the abductors $4,000. Mr.
Ross was man of moderate means
and such large sum was impossible
for him to pay.
The abductors had made their terms
in very ingenious manner and the
| money could have been delivered II
Mr.. Ross had it, without possibility OF
the detection of the abductors. But
all Mr.. Ross could do was to Offer
them $500 and promise them more as
soon as he could raise it.
The abductors then wrote letter
| to Mr.. Ross threatening that Charlie
would be killed if any attempts were
made to trace the perpetrators of the
crime Then the friends of Mr.. Ross
promptly raised the 100000 and pro
/ posed that the conditions of the kid
napers be complied with.
The police, however, interfered with
this proceeding and Mayor Stokely o.
Philadelphia, turned the case over tt
the detectives, at the same time offer
ing a reward OF $4,000 for the arrest
of the kidnapers and the return Of
Il oh Pose Tho cffar of fha 30