The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-02-06
CHARLIE ROSS.
The kidnapping of Child Which
Occurred Long Ago.
By Joe Hit in Atlanta News

Occurred Long AGO.
BY Joe Hit in Atlanta News
The following is the full story Of the
kidnapping of Charlie Ross-the most
celebrated crime of the sort since the
middle ages.
1t happened about thirty years ago,
and thought the younger generation
has never heard the details Of the affair
and in the minds Of the older people
they hove grown vague and indi-tinct
with time, the name of 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 conver.
sation in every land. There was never
another crime that so deeply moved
the heart of humanity as the theft and
death of this.four year old golden haired
boy.
The man who furnishes the facts for
the following story of the kidnapping,
is at present an Atlanta business man.
He was, for twenty-four years Pin.
kerton detective. And when the kid
mapping occurred, he was chief Of the
Pinkertons' New York Bureau, and
as such, directed the work of the sleuths
v ho followed the case.
The criminals and who they were
the crime and how it was accomplish.
ed the pursuit and how it was eluded
the fortunes that were offered in re-
wards the tragic death of the kidnap.
pers, and the pathetic end of Charlie
Ross are told fully and authenticity
in this narrative.
In the little suburb Of German town
lovely and historic, and hard by the
City of Brotherly Love, there IL a great
expanse of greensWard near the center
of the town, whereon stands q stately y
and elegant mansion Of red brick and
white mortar.
/ In days agone this stately house and
this spreading sward was the demense
of one Christian X. Ross, wealthy
aristocrat, well liked by his, fellow
townsmeD, 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 possession of money
makes possible, and seeing fewer clouds
in the skies of life than the average
man.
Then he fell upon evil days. His rich.
es took unto themselves wings and
flew away. And it came 10 pass that
all he possessed vanished, save greens.
ward with its house, and the wife and
boys.
! Which stroke of fortune was not suf
ficient, however, TO entirely overcast
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 suddenly one OF
them vanished.
He was four-year-old youngster
this boy. And he was exceeding win
some. He had the face and figure o.
the little aiistocrat, and he wore the
dainty garments of lady's SOD. His
eyes were blue and dancing. His bail
was golden and curly. His complex
ion was milk and roses. And his name
was Charlie.
The brother returned to the house
and told prattling story of how two
rough looking men accosted then
while they played and took Charlie
away with them to buy him some
candy-"he was such pretty boy they
said"
That occurred on the second day o1
July, 1S74-a little less than thirty
year. ago. And the alarmed parents
who waited, hoping that each succeed
ing second would bring to their ear
the sound of pattering footsteps upor
the graveled walk, have never seen
him more.
Two days after the child disappered
the father received communication
roughly and illiterate y scrawled and
advising him that the lad had beer
kidnapped and was being held for ran
som.
This set the father frantic. And HI
appealed wildly to his friends for th'
loan of the money to buy back his boy
"Wait,n the friends said 1.-The po!
ice can catch them 70 pay the ransom
would be to invite other crimes of, th'
sort"
| He saw the reason in their argumen
and waited.
The police were set upon the track o
the kidnappers, and the story of th'
kidnapping was sent out to the press
1t was a new crime, this kidnapp
ing of child. And it 80 appealed, il
all its many phases, to the hearts
men, that search such as never seel
before was instituted.
And day after day the writers Of the
press furnished fresh inspiration to tn
. searchers. They painted word-pict
ures of the charming little fellow tortur
ed by the rough usage OF his crue
captors, and sobbing for his mothe
and little brother. They described
the silent anguish of the father th'
wondering grief of the brothe
and heart rending tears of tin
mother, as week followed week with
out developing trace of the where
abouts of the goldenhaired one. They
said, these writer's, that the captor:
would probably murder the boy and es
cape the country unless quickly appre
hended. They declared revengefu
mutilatlon upon the little body wa
} likely to be perpetrated and they ap
pealed, by one means and another, Il
everybody to join in the search.
Christian Ross friends later came t
him and rendered the money he hat
asked and more in addition, and said
"Give the kidnappers this-in ou
name n'
And individuals all over the countr.
rose up and offered rewards for them
and for the child, And in Phildelphi'
a party of rich men, among then
e Childs, Drexel, and Others, met togeth
: and resolved to employ the best detec
tive talent in the world at their owl
expense.
t They sent to the Pinkertons, thes,
milIionaires and told them to put