CHARLEY
74
ROSS.
quickly carried to the whole country surrounding the city.
When of
it became known in money was demanded for
and that
his
the city that a large
was held as the
life
citement prevailed;
men
sum
the return of the child, forfeit,
the greatest ex-
stopped on the streets and
talked over the outrage, denominating
it
afraid to permit their children to
the worst of-
Women
fense ever committed in our country.
go out of
were
their sight
It was the subject of conversation in stores, in families, and on the cars. Newspapers were eagerly bought up to find out what was the latest intelligence. Vengeance was declared against the abductors, and sympathy expressed for the child and parents. Many amateur detectives offered their services, both male and female, ready to go anywhere, or do anything, that would aid in find-
ing the child or his abductors.
Even clamor " *'
criminals themselves
joined
in
the general
such heartless offenders. and as you know us to be," they said,
for the ferreting out of
Bad as we are, we would only be too glad
could, that
to give information,
if
we
would lead to the exposure of the perpetra-
an unnatural crime." The worst criminals being apprehensive of popular vengeance, and knowing tors of such
they were under close surveillance, stood in awe,
fear-
ing that they might be accused of complicity, or even
be siispected of guilty knowledge of the abduction.
consequence of lice,
In
and the vigilance of the pomonths was comparatively free from
this dread,
the city for
crime.
The
letter carriers
were instructed to keep memo-
randa of the street boxes from which they obtained