The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-14
FOUND CHARLEY ROSS.
Long-Lost Boy Now Machinlst In
Galveston, Texas.
A. V. BENNETT.
Chief of Fire Department

AfNSSNSttg SNaSs
Mt. Holly IN. j. Cor. Philadelphia Re
cord
ray-hesded and bent with age, Joseph
Likens, a carpenter employed by Tomlin-
now makes the statement that he is posi-
tive he had found Charlie Ross, kidnapped
in Philadelphia in 1870. and in support Of
this belief he gives a detailed account of
the crime and of his alleged discovery.
The man who he believes is Ross is Will
liam Won Hodge. connected with the Union
Pacific railway, and now living in Calves
ton. Tex.
Sitting under an oak tree at the Tomlin-
son residence today Likens told an inter
esting story, even If he is unable to fur
nish positive proof of his discovery.
Likens is a remarkable man. A greater
part of his life has been spent i'm travel
ing over the country having started from
Philadelphia in 1851, when he was attract :
ed to California by the discovery of gold.
The old mans presence in Mt. Holly at
this time was held in secrecy until it be-
came known that he had been traced from
Galveston to this place by those who had
become Interested in the case after hear
ing his story in the southern city, where
he has lived during the past year. A
preference for quietness to notoriety In
his advanced years is his only reason for
Withholding his narrative of the discov-
cry he claims to have made.
1T seems to me that l am too old to he
attracting attention" Likens said, "as
am now past 10 years of age. 1 was born
in the mining district of Pennsylvania,
remaining there until 1851. In that year I
went to California in search of gold, and
twenty years of my life were spent in
that section of the country Finally
started east, with the little money that
| have since let slip through my fingers
and | landed in Philadelphia again. At
the time Charlie Ross was stolen from
his parents | was living near their home.
and the interest that | took in the case
has never ended / don't care to state how
long l remained in Philadelphia the sec
ond time I became a resident of that
city, and have nothing to say as TO my
movements when | left. 1t was then that
/ began my search for Ross, and / have
Travelled many miles since then.
Thirteen years ago I struck New Jer-
sey and for some time | lived In the
towns along the Delaware river and sea-
shore. Finally making my way south I
reached Galveston, and there I found a
man known as William Won Hodge, whose
past was shrouded in mystery Upon In
quiring for this man I learned that he
wanted to know something of his parents
and | felt that I could give some infor-
nation. Through correspondence we ar
ranged to meet In a Galveston cigar store,
and as soon as | saw him I picked him
from the crowd and told him, before ne
knew who I was, that he was Charlie
Ross and the person for whom had been
looking for many years.
Il then went on to tell him how Ross
was kidnapped. I told him that the kid
naping was done by two men named
Mosher and Douglass. who drove to the
Ross house In carriage. seized the boy
during the absence of his parents and
hid him I'm n coal hole at the residence
of a man who was a party to the crime
The curly-haired lad was in this hole
carefully guarded, when the police were
walking near 1t and looking for him. Fail
ing to get money from the wealthy Ross
family for the return of the child, the
kldnapers took their charge and left Phil
adelphla within a few days They went
to Trenton, turned the child over to
woman with whom they were acquainted,
and then left that city for the purpose
OF committing a robbery to obtain money.
This robbery took place in New Bruins
wick. II was a fatal trip for Mosher, and
probably for Douglass, as the former was
shot and killed by a posse of citizens and
the latter was shot and wounded. l do
not know that he died, but think he did,
and before he had an opportunity to make
a statement of the kidnapping.
Learning of the result of the robbery,
the woman in Trenton who had charge
of Ross decided to get rid of him, and
she started south on a boat She went
as far as her money would take her and
that was New Orleans In. that city she
had Ross placed in an asylum, and 1t
was in that institution that his golden
curls were cut off I have searched for
a record OF Ross's commitment to the asy
llm. and all | could find was something
about a lad with curly hair, the record
books having been changed so often.
''By this time Won Hodge became inter-
ested in my story aud he told me that he
had some recollection OF having been
taken from an institution when lad and
placed on farm. Not liking the treat
ment he received. he ran away when old
enough to care for himself. and learned
the trade of a machinist. From that
time on he worked his way through the
south until he reached Galveston. and he
Is there now. working for the Union
Pacific Railway company. l asked the
man II he remembered anything about
losing his hair when he was a child and,
to nv surprise he stated that he did
lyon Hodge then continued his search
for his parents or some relatives, az he
believed my story. After that he came
to Philadelphia with me. and I showed
him the home of his mother and intro
duced him to his brother. The latter re-
fused to recognize him and the mother
refused TO see him. believing that he was
an impostor. This discouraged Won
Hodge. and he finally returned to Gal
weston where he IN now"
An important part of Iikens story is a
statement to the effect that he knew the
kidnapers OF Ross and all the people con-
nected with the case. and he Is positive
that the man who shielded the boy in the
coal hole Is now living In Atlantic county.
New Jersey. He claims to know nothing
about Ross from the time OF the kid
naping until the meeting Of this man in
Galveston and he denies cmphatically
that he Is Douglass, or had anything to
DO with the crime Hkens will probably