Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-01-23

in the peDitentiary for completely In
the crime, but Douglass and Wester.
welt both admitted that the boy
would never befound, because he was
beyond life.
Since that time many cases oi
alleged Charlie Rosses have appeared
in various paris OF the country. Mr..
Ross spent his little fortune trying
to tind his son. but without avail.
and about 10 years ago his mind gave
way under the strain and be was sent
to an asylum for the insane.
"Mosher and Douglass were un-
doubtedly the men who kidnapped
Charlie Ross" declared w. A. Pinker-
ton last night, but l do not believe
they threw him into the river while
alive. AN satisfied that after hav-
ing kept him for IA long time on a cat
boat on the East river the boy, who
was afflicted with disease when taken
from his home, died. After his death
the men probably disposed OF his
body by sinking it in the river.
douglass and Mosher were two
rough thieves, after the style of Pat
Grove, and they operated in New
York. 1t wac their custom to take
their catboat up and down the river
and. after committing II burglary,
escape in It. | first secured a ell W
regarding them by reaso ofthe horse
and wagon they hired in New York.
A brother of the liyeryman told me
that the horse was the horse that
laughed BY that he meant that the
horse had a habit of shipping up his
lip In a peculiar manner.
From his description we traced
the horse from New York to Phila-
delphia and back again. We also To-
Gated Douglass and Mosher as the
men who drove the rig and located
their house on the east side Of the
Stun districts. think 1t was in the
Fourth ward. | rented rooms in
front Of the house and In the rearsta-
toned men In each place toawait the
return of the thieves. At the time
they were away in their catboat en-
gagged In n series of raids.
"One night they went to Judge
Van Brunt's house, and while they
were going through it the Judge
awakened and called his two sons.
The three got their shotguns and
waited on the lawn for the thieves to
come out. As Mosher and Douglass
left the house all three shot ut them,
the guns being loaded with buckshot.
Douglass was killed instantly and
Mosher died In n few minutes after
having been shot. He lived long
enough to point to Douglass and say
that he (Douglass) could tell all
about Charlie Ross.
II think that was in 1875 or 1876.
The Ross boy was stolen under the
impression that his parents were rich.
This was a mistake, as Christian
Ross had failed In business and was
without means. He had rich rela-
tives, the Lewis sand Others, in Phila-
delphia, who stood ready to spend
any sum to find the boy, but who
were not ready to spend S25,OO0upon
the chance OF having him returned.
Westervelt, n cousin to Mosher, and
a carpenter living I'm Philadelphia,
was arrested for completely In the
crime. He stated that he knew Doug
lass and Mosher were the men who
kidnapped the boy. but insisted that
beyond that beyond that he was un-
able to tell anything about the affair.
He was convicted and served n sent
ence Of seven and one-half years. He
always maintained his innocence.
During the hunt for the boy | had
one chase across the water. The po-
lice of Toronto informed me that a
woman was there with a boy who
Tailed exactly with the pictures and
description Of Charlie Ross. The
woman was about 80 years old and
would say nothing except that the
boy was hers. She went to Montreal
and the police there wired the same
information, stating that they were
positive that the boy was Charlie
Ross. She took passage for Glas'
Cow, two men, strangely disguised
helping her onto the boat. With q
cousin OF the boys named Lewis
went to Glasgow, Belfast, Aberdeen
and back to Glasgow. In each place
the information was given that tn,
boy was certainly Charlie Ross
When we got to Glasgow the SECOND
time we found that the woman ant
hoy had taken passage for Halifax
We then went to Abetdeen andfOunt
that she had taken away the sam,
child that she had brought. that sb,
was a native Of that place. and W,
also found a photograph OF hersel
and the boy. The liking to Charlie
Ross was SD striking that young
Lewis was almost certain that Il
was he.
"When the woman arrived In Hall
fax she was met by one Of my mer
and another relative OF the boy. Al
though the boy was wonderfully lik'
the missing child IL was not he. Thu
woman was the child's grandmotheI
and she had been induced to bustl'
the child out Of Scotland to proven
its father, a minister Of the gospel
from being exposed and driven from
the church on account Of This SIN"
LEFT-HANDFE UANDcUARP