Year: 1875

Arkansas-though this case, if it be truly reported, no doubt does present some facts which would seem to warrant an investiga- tion. The progress of the Westervclt trial at Philadelphia has developed the certainty that Mosher and Douglass, the burglars who were killed nine or ten months ago at Bay Ridge were the men who kidnapped Charlie Ross. This is proved by little Wal ter Ross, Charlie's older brother who was carried some distance in the wagon with them and finally set down. It is singular case and the Baltimore American revives some of the strange facts connected with it and presents some new ones, as follows:

 The desire to extort money from his par ents for his ransom was the only object his captors had in view. They were ordinary vulgar criminals who would just as soon have stolen pet terrier dog if they could have hoped for as large a reward for it's re turn. For six months they kept making overtures, under various disguises, for tue ransom of the child and the poor distract ed father did all he could to raise the sum demanded ($20, 900. which was far beyond his means. Then their criminal career was cut short on winter night by Q couple of sturdy countrynen who found them riAing an uuoccupied house on their premises. On the evening of the 14th of D December, 1874. William Mosher and Joseph Douglass (the men who enticed Charlie Ross into wag- on and drove away with him) were shot while in the act of committing burglary in the house of Judge Van Brunt at Bay Ridge in the vicinity of New York. Mo- sher died instantly, but Douglass survived a few minutes, and with his last breath con- fessed that he and Mosher had stolen the child but he said that he did not know where he was at that time unless he WAS Moshers house. All is we'll known he was not found at the place indicated, and no clue could be obtained to his whereabouts.

 It seems that the police authorities sus- pected these two men from the first, and detectives had been hunting them through all the haunts in which the dangerous class es of New York are known to dwell, but without success. A gentleman of Phila- delphia chartered tug-boat, and accompa- uied by detectives cruised along the shores of Long Island Sound; and search was made on all the islands in which burglars are in the habit of concealing their booty. The police authorities went about tho nat ter with their usual air of mystery and kept everything from the public which they could possibly conceal. We think that this was great mistake. If the whole commu. nifty had been allowed to participate In the search the child and his abductors might have been found. More criminals are caught through the publicity given to the evidence that points to their guilt by the newspapers than by the stealthy arts of the detective, who sometimes is a very stupid person. With the death of the two burg lars at Bay Ridge all clue to the missing boy was lost, and since then no overtures have been made for his return. Westervelt is brother of Mrs. Mosher, widow of the deceased burglar, and some time before the Bay Ridge tragedy she had some communi- cation with the superintendent of the New York police, ostensibly for the purpose of negotiating for the return of Charlie Ross to hls parents, but really, as is believed, for the purpose of finding out if the police were on the right track and to notify the criminals to get out of the way if the pros- pect seemed dangerous. He afterwards came to Philadelphia and was there arrest ed, and is now on trial for being accessory to the abduction.

 One of the most curious features of this mysterious case is the correspondence which was kept up between the abductors and Mr. Ross, which was cut short by the death of the burglars. The little boy was carried off on the 7th of July, 1874 on the 7th of that month MT. Ross received an anonymous letter through the post-ofice, promising his return on receiving $20, ,000, and dictating personal which MT. Ross

 was to publish in the Philadelphia Ledger if he was willing to negotiate. The per sonap brought an answer from Mosher dictating the terms. The correspondence

 was kept up until July 23rd, MT. Ross ans

 wering the anonymous communications through the columns of the Ledger. The

 terms dictated by Mosher were that Mir.

 Ross should put the $2O, 900 in his pocket

 and hand It to the first man who should ask him for it. No street or locality was desig.

 mated for the paying of the money. In five

 hours after the package was delivered the

 boy was to be sent home. On the day

 named (July 23rd) MT. Ross put personal

 in the Ledger in these words; I will agree

 to the terms in every particular He pu,

 the $20, 900 in his pocket and walked about

 the streets expecting every moment to be

 approached by some one who should de

 mand the package. There is something in

 expressibly touching in the spectacle of this

 anxlous father carrying purse of $2O, ,o00

 which he was ready to deliver 10 any one that would approach him and ask him fol tue sum named. Who that has wcpt ovel MT. Peggoty's search for little Emily car refrain from tears at the sight of Christian Ross wandering about the streets, with al ] his worldly fortune in his pocket, hunting

 for the unknown man who should consent to receive the same and promise to bring back his boy.

 , But MT. Ross did not meet his man. Mo sher took fright at some demonstration

 made by the detectives and changed hi, tactics. In few days MT. Ross received an anons nous letter, telling nim that ;h,