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and round face; dressed in a brown Iinia suit with a short skirt, broad brimed straw bat and. laeed shoes,— The child was lost from Germantown on Wednesday afternoon (1st inst.)* between four and five o'clock,”This advertisement, too,' met with no response, and on Monday, July' 6th,’ another 'was inserted, in the JPttblic Ledger. The, next morning, in the 'personal coluixm” of the same journal, appeared the following:‘Ross—We be ready to negotiate.” Oa the same day the father, Mr. Ross, received an anonymous- letter through the postKfSce, in which it was stated little Charlie would be returned for $20,000. It also went on to say the' boy was in good hands; that the treatment given him was careful; that it had cost the_parlies a great deal of money to get him, and that they could not think of returning him for less than 820,000,The lather returned the following answer through the Ledger personals;“Ross will come to terms to the extent of his ability ”Another anonymous letter was at ouce received by Ross, stating that the parties who held the child would not part with it for a smaller sum than the one already named. Now, mark how a father's love rises supreme above everything! He had not in his possession the amount necessary to regain his dear one ; but lie answered the vil-lians through the personals thus :“Ross is willing; have not got it; am doing my best to raise it”Thus the matter stands. Detectives have watched the Ledger building and the post office day and night, but so careful do the kidnappers work that no clew whatever seems to have been obtained to their identity or their whereabouts. The child has now been absent twelve days, and it is doubtful whether, during this time, any of the members of the household to which it beiooged have had an hour of unbroken rest.THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASEare somewhat remarkable throughout. For live days previous to July 1st— the day upon which the child was stolen—these same men were seen around the neighborhood, and each day approached the two children and conversed with them. It is presumed thev would havo made ofFwiih the youngest, little Charlie Ross, several days before the 1st inst., but at each time there chanced to be some one passing along the lane. During a conversation with the father I asked him if he had any enemies who owed him a grudge, and who would be likely to take revenge iii such a rare way. The father replied that he was unaware that there was any one in the world who entertained any bitterness against him. The name of the father is Sir. Christian K. Ross, of the firm of Ross, Shott Co., wholesale dry good dealers on Market street.i Ihe house v;as unfortunate during thepanic, and hence Mr. Ross is unable i to pay at once the sum demanded by the blackmailers. It is hoped he will not be obliged to do so, but that it will be the kidnappers who will be obliged to pay the penalty worthy of their inhumanity.ftr ^THE IjIvTTEIIS 01- THE BLACKMAILERS.11 i‘. .v.—Since writing the above your correspondent has gained a more direct idea of the nature of the letters which the kidnappers have sent to the disconsolate father. More fiendish, cruel or inhuman epistles human hand never penned. Oue of thorn reads siimliar to this;We know you are not worth much money, but we are aware that you have rich friends of* whom yon can* borrow. If* you iove money better than your own child its blootl he on vour own head.Another letter retuls to this effect : Any attempt to ascertain the child’s hiding place will result in its entire annihilation.' We will “turn tlie child up” on our own terms.Meaning that in case the money is not forthcoming they will kill the infant.No one can read the letters without feeling his blond boil. Four letters inall have been received, and each of them is cool and cruel.“We know our business,” says one of the letters, “and we are coin to fight it out.” °The latest news in regard to the affair was the publication of a “personal by the father, in which he statedhe had procured the necessary amount.The boy, however has not been produced.
Newspaper Details
Indiana Messenger
Indiana, Pennsylvania, US
Wed, Jul 22, 1874
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Samantha T.
IN, USA 24 Aug 2017
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