Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-09-13
POSITIVE that he
IS CHARLIE ROSS:

Weridwide Guest by Detectives Fer
Stolen Boy Ended In 1897 With
Death 81 His Father, Christian X.
Ress-Mystery Since 1874 May Now
d Cleared W.
What may be the solution Of the
mystery of the disappearance Of Char.
lie Ross, who was kidnapped from Ger.
nantown. Pa. on July. !. 1874. was
revealed by an inquiry just concluded
near New York city BY Charles Brews-
ter Ross Of Cleveland. o. Detectives
searched far and wide. but fruitless.
u, for Charlie until the death Of his
father, Christian X. Ross in 1897, but
on the strength Of the facts discovered
BY Charles Brewster Ross during his
stay in the east, hs believes he can
establish his identity % the long miss
ing lad.
On the strength Of what he learned
he will make afadavit in Cleveland as
to his birth and parentags and thus
complete his qualifications for q license
as pilot on the great lakes, where he
has been sailor for years.
Identification had to be made among
the clay banks Of Pegtown. mining
settlement IN the township Of Sayre-
Vile, N. J., near New Brunswick. 1t
was Tiers that Ross believes he was
hidden by his captors. who judged
rightly that detectives would never 70
to the place.
Convinced the Police Chief.
Pegtown remains now as secluded as
in 1874. but the Hggers have died of
and the memories OF the few survivors
Of that period no longer serve them as
we'll as might be hoped. Ross had to
rely on his childhood recollections Of
the settlement. On his arrival in Sayre.
vile he met Chief of. Police Boyler.
who went with him to Pegtown.
They talked with various old clay
workers when they reached the settle
ment without making much progress.
Later on. when they went over
again. Ross pointed out clay pit in
which he said he thought he had lived
called that the pit had once been used
as habitat1on. No one could say or
did say who had ever lived there.
Ross explained to Chief Boyler that
acquaintance with his guardians would
naturally not be admitted. for they
were criminals. When he spoke of his
memories of the old hard life there the
settlers warmed to him, saying he could
never have imagined such things.
They still shook their heads over his
identity, for he looks younger than for
ty.three, which would be his age il he
is the Charlie Ross who was kid
mapped in 1874 at the age Of four.
Resemblance 10 Strong.
One of the things that convince
sayreville folk is that Ross bears a
strong resemblance to the pictures Of
the wavy haired boy whose photographs
flooded the country thirty-nine years
ago. The eyes, mouth and forehead are
striktngiy alike.
Ross story, pieced together BY years
Of search, IS that his kidnapers wer.
Mosher and Douglass. the burglars who
were killed in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, the
same year. and John Halenen, In whose
care and that of woman he was left
in Pegtown. When his keepers heard
Of the death Of the burglars they de-
cided to fee On the night they went
Haleuen shot the boy and showed his
body into trench. believing him dead.
He crawled out. was found and recov-
cred.
He started wandering very young.
but he says that twenty-three years
ago lie felt that he was Charles Ross.
Once he confided that belief to ship
mate. who warned him to keep still. as
several persons had already been COM
mitted to insane asylums for harboring
that delusion.
About five years ago in Chicago no
stumbled upon the man and woman
who had been his keepers. They de-
MED all knowledge OF Charles Ross.
He Kept track Of them, and in 1911 he
overheard them talking OF the boy.
Birch Creek and the clay pit.
When his ambition finally settled on
becoming pilot and Il was necessary
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