Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-03-13
CHARLIE ROSS.
The Kidnapping Of Child Which Occurred
Long Ago.

|
the kidnapping of Charlie Ross tho
most celebrated crime of the sort
since the middle ages.
| 1t happened about thirty years
ago, and though the younger gene
ration had never heard the details of
the affair, and in tho minds of the
older people they have grown vague
and indistinct with time, the name
"Charlie Ross" is as familiar to
every ear as the name of Little Red
Riding Hood herself, and his sad
story is still theme of conversation
in every land. There was never
another crime that 80 deeply moved
the heart of humanity as the theft
! and death of this four year-old and
golden haired boy.
The man who furnishes the facts
for the following story of the kid
mapping, is at present an Atlanta
business man. He was, for twenty
four years Pinkerton detective.
And when the kidnapping occurred,
he was chief of the Pinkertons'
New York Bureau, and, as such,
directed the work of the sleuths who
followed the case.
The criminals and who they were
the crime and how it was accom-
plished; the pursuit and how it was
eludcd: the fortunes that were
offered in rewards; the tragic death
of the kidnappers, and the pathetic
end of Charlie Ross are told fully
and automatically in this narrative.
In the little suberb of German
town, lovely and historic, and hard
by the City of Brotherly Love, there
is great expanse of greensward
near the center of the town, whercon
stands stately and elegant man
sion of red brick and white mortar.
In days agone this stately house
and this spreading sward was the
demensc of one Christian Il. Ross,
wealthy, aristocrat, we'll liked by
his fellow townsmcn, and unknown
to fame.
And he lived there for time in
quiet happiness, with his wife and
two little sons, enjoying all the
comforts and ease which the pos
session of money makes possible,
and seeing fewer clouds in the skies
of life than the average men.
Then he fell upon evil days. His
richness took unto themselves wings
and flew away. And it came to
pass that all he possessed vanished,
save greensward with its house, and
the wife and boys.
Which stroke of fortune was not
sufficient, however, to entirely over
cast his skies. He still had more
than the average man to make him
content in life.
Then another stroke fell. The
two boys were playing upon the
sward one sunny morning, and sud
denly one of them vanished.
He was four ar-old youngstcr,
this boy. And he was exceedingly
winsome. He had the face and
figure of the little aristocrat, and he
wore the dainty garments Of a lady's
son. His eyes were blue and dane
ing. His hair was golden and curly
His complexion was milk and roses
!, and his name " Charlie.
The brother returned to the house
and told prattling story Of how
two rough looking men accostcd
them while they played and took
Charlie away with them to buy him
some candy-"hc was such a pretty
boy, they said"
That occurred on the second day
y
Of July, 1S74-a little less than
thirty years ago. And the alarmed
parents who waited, hoping tha,
, each succeeding second would bring
| to their ears the sound of pattcrins
footsteps upon the gravcled walk
have never seen him more.
Two days after the child dsap
pearcd the father received a com
: ,nunication, roughly and illitcrately
scrawled and advising him that tn,
lad had been kidnapped and was
being held for ransom.
This set the father frantic. An(
nc appealed wildly to his friends fo
the loan Of the money to buy bacl
his boy.
:. "Wait," the friends said "th'
police can catch them. TO pay th'
ransom would be to invite othel
i crimes Of the sort"
lie saw the reason in their argu
ment and waited.
The police were set upon the tracl
q of the kidnappers, and the story o
. the kidnaDDinp was sent ont to tn,