ON FRIDAY MORNING, JULY 29, FREDERICK S. SWARTZ, A POSTAL agent on the Reading Railroad, prepared to exchange mail bags in Hamburg, a town in central Pennsylvania. As the train slowed down, Swartz noticed a group of gypsies near the Hamburg station. A tall man held a little boy in their midst. Swartz thought, “My God, that’s Charley Ross!” When he arrived at the Pottsville station, about eighteen miles east of Hamburg, Swartz contacted an Officer Kaercher. Kaercher investigated Swartz’s story and wired Philadelphia’s central station. He was told to arrest the whole band of gypsies.
Philadelphia Public Ledger. July 30.
“John, It shall be as you desire on the 30th.”
PHILADELPHIA, July 30— Ros. you are to take the 12 P.M. train tonight from West Philadelphia for New York. it arrives at New York 5.05 A. M. take a cab at Cortland or Disbrossers streets, N.Y., an ride directly to the grand central station at 4 avenue and 42d streets. take the 8 A. M. northern express by way of hudson river (take notice) you are to stand on the rear car and the rear platform from the time you leave west phila depot until arrive at jersey city—you are then to stand on the rear platform of hudson river car from the time yu leave the grand central at New York until yu arrive at Albany. if our agent do not meet yu before yu arrive in Albany yu wil find a letter in post office at Albany addressed to C. K. Walter directing yu where yu are then to go. these are the signals: if it be dark the moment the rear car passes him he wil exhibit a bright torch in one hand an a white flag in the other hand but if it be light he wil ring a bell with one hand and a white flag in the other hand. the instant yu see either of these signals yu are to drop it on the track an yu may get out at the next station.