We Is Got Him: The Kidnapping That Changed America

by Carrie Hagen

A ransom note arrived three days later, demanding $20,000 for Charley’s return. The city was about to host the United States Centennial celebration, and the mass panic surrounding the Charley Ross case plunged the nation into hysteria. The desperate search led the police to inspect every building in Philadelphia, set up saloon surveillance in New York’s notorious slums, and begin a national manhunt. With white-knuckle suspense and historical detail, Hagen vividly captures the dark side of an earlier America. Her brilliant portrayal of its criminals, detectives, politicians, spiritualists, and ordinary families will stay with the reader long after the final page.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Crime, American History, Mystery, 19th Century

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Jill H. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am really going to be in the minority here but I didn't like this book very well at all. It should have been spell-binding since it tells the true story of the first recorded kidnapping for ransom case in the country. The year is 1874 and four year old Charley Ross is taken from his yard in broad daylight by two men, unknown to anyone who witnessed the incident. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Ross receives his first ransom request, most of which will continue to be done through the personal ads in two local newspapers. So far, so good........at this point, the story of who is doing what as far as the police, city government, family, and private investigators are concerned becomes muddled to say the least. The investigation doesn't seem to have any structure, rhyme, or reason. Everyone is following a different lead and the author does not make it very clear as to exactly what is going on.. My interest slipped about 1/3 of the way into the book although I did finish it. Not on my list of favorites!!!

[Katherine Addison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a better book about the Ross kidnapping than Zierold's Little Charley Ross, but it is not a substantially different book. Hagen doesn't have any new information, although she does offer a better analysis of the political response to Charley Ross' kidnapping and she does have a theory about what happened to him that is perfectly plausible, at least arguably supported by the evidence, and greatly advantageous in that it offers both an explanation and a resolution for Charley Ross' complete and utter disappearance. But of course none of that means that it is correct.

She makes no attempt to analyze, or even come to terms with, the bizarre ransom letters (even though she uses them for her chapter headers and the title of her book), which is definitely a weakness in the book, but if you're interested in the history of kidnapping for ransom in America, or in unsolved missing persons cases, or just in the particular kidnapping of Charles Brewster Ross, age 4 and never seen again, this is a good place to start.

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is fascinating. This kidnapping is the first recorded kidnapping-for-ransom in America, occuring more than fifty years before the Lindbergh case. And while the details can make for a pretty, dry read, it's well worth the effort. The atmosphere of 1874 Philadelphia is described perfectly. There is a corrupt, inept, police force which employs men with questionable characters, as well as with motives for personal financial gain. The lackadaisical, slow manner in pursuing the perpetrators is surprising, especially when comparing it to modern procedures.

The author does a wonderful job of describing the Philadelphia society, its politics, and the general attitude toward crime. At this time, Philadelphia was preparing to host the upcoming Centennial celebration. Boston and NYC both felt slighted, having not received the honor of hosting. This rivalry between NYC and Philadelphia greatly affected the investigation.

As an aside......I enjoyed all the extraneous information contained in the book. The author is meticulous in telling the story, while depicting the surrounding world of that era. I gleaned fascinating trivia about a much-copied, Quaker-built prison system. I now better understand the few modes of transportation in late nineteenth century Philly, the condition of roads, and the effects of the elements on those roads. I have a clearer picture of the immigrants' place in their new country and the jobs they held. There is much information, in addition to the kidnapping story, to be found in this book. The main story is very sad.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wavered between 1 and 2 stars, and by about halfway through the book, I was really skimming through parts of it. I was intrigued b/c it is literary journalism that chronicles the kidnapping (America's first to include ransom notes, apparently) of a 4 year old boy from his front lawn, broad daylight, by complete strangers. It gives a thorough history of Philadelphia in the 1870s, the levels of government, the police force, investigators, media, transportation, all sorts of aspects. But at times, I felt that it bogged down the book, and it just was very long. The lack of efficient work done to find the child is appalling, although I have no frame of reference for police work in 1874. I kept reading b/c I thought that I might enjoy how it wrapped up, but. in the end, I did not.

[Bonnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story of America's first ransom kidnapping, in Philadelphia in 1874, this book was disappointing. The execution felt muddled and I was often confused about the players and their purpose in the story. I never felt like I knew any of the characters, either, and couldn't feel for them one way or the other, sympathy or anger. A lot was made at the beginning about how politics played into the case but I frankly didn't see much involvement on that end. And ultimately, the ending was very less than satisfactory, a mystery that was never truly solved.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The primary reason for wanting to read We Is Got Him: The Kidnapping that Changed America by Carrie Hagen was because the author mentioned Alexander Buchanan, my 2nd great-grandfather. I didn't learn much about Alexander Buchanan, however; I did learn about the first recorded ransom kidnapping in the United States. It happened in 1874, when Charley Brewster Ross was taken from his family's front porch. The kidnappers demanded $20,000 in ransom, but the money was never paid and Charley was never found.

This true crime book takes readers back to America in the late 19th century, a time of rapid industrialization and social change. Through detailed research and interviews with descendants of those involved, Hagen paints a vivid picture of Philadelphia during this era and the impact this kidnapping had on society.

The book also delves into the investigation and search for young Charley, as well as the media frenzy that surrounded the case. It explores the role of newspapers in shaping public opinion and influencing law enforcement tactics.

But beyond just recounting the events of the kidnapping, Hagen delves into the motivations and backgrounds of all those involved - from the kidnappers themselves to Charley's family and their struggles. This adds a deeper level of understanding to the story, making it more than just a true crime tale but also a commentary on societal issues and human nature.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

1874 was a pivotal year for Philadelphia. It was about to host America's centennial celebration but the planning was almost scuttled due to a kidnapping.
Charley Ross was out playing in his front yard when two men approached him enticing him with candy. The following day the first of 23 ransom notes appeared demanding $20,000. Newspapers printed the news for the public and it would become a nationwide search for the missing child.
Author Carrie Hagen does a terrific job with laying out the characters and shows the family's despair, the ineptitude of the police, the hysteria of the citizens, the depravity of the criminals.
She is got me. I was hooked from the first page to the last.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written, boring, no resolution.

[Sophie Godley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a DEEPLY ANNOYING book. No resolution, too many characters, too much jumping around.... hard to feel empathy for those involved. I love historical non fiction, but this was tiresome.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1874, a young boy named Charley Ross was snatched from his front yard in Philadelphia. The child's father received a letter that read: ""Mr. Ross; be not uneasy you son charley bruster be all writ. we is got him and no powers on earth can deliver out of our hand. You wil have two pay us before you git him from us, and pay us a big cent to." "
Philadelphia had just won the bid to host America's centennial celebration. The country had survived revolution, civil war, and recession, and city politicians were eager to prove the country had matured enough to survive another hundred years. What they couldn't foresee was how a child's kidnapping threatened to unravel social confidence and plunge a city into despair. Hagen expertly weaves this historical narrative as we see Philadelphia's mayor fight to preserve his city's stature, and watch the manhunt spread from Philadelphia to the streets of New York. Based on a tremendous amount of research, the author accurately captures the darker side of America--with its corrupt detectives, thief-catchers, spiritualists, and river pirates--as a country in which innocence had become an ideal of the past.

[Nancy Sesok · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I should have liked this book. I couldn't like this book.
The story of the first ransom kidnapping in the U.S. at the time of the centennial celebration in Philadelphia should have been spellbinding. It wasn't. With police incompetence and a mayor set on promoting the centennial celebration rather than solving a kidnapping, I should have been glued to my seat. It was more of a history lesson, and while I like history I would have preferred more of a story.
I abandoned this book, sorry to say.

[Jennifer W · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was interesting. A big crime takes place at a big time in a city's history. I think if this had just been a story of a little boy kidnapped for ransom I wouldn't have bothered, but the fact that Philly was also preparing for the Centennial celebration was a selling point. I think this story in better hands would have been utterly compelling. However, the story jumped around too much and had too many characters that weren't well enough differentiated to keep track of.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Usually, I either really like or intensely dislike. In this case, I think this book would have been better served as a shorter one.

Also, the claim of first kidnapping for ransom... I think this is ultimately unsustainable. People have been kidnapped for ransom for just as long as there has been something to ransom such people with.

[Dell Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

While Hagen had an interest in and a passion for her subject, she just didn't make it work for the rest of us. The subtitle: The Kidnapping That Changed America didn't deliver -- how did it? She did do her research, bur it just wasn't a story with a strong appeal -- it had no real resolution and she was at a loss what to do with it.

[Kristi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stuck it out through the whole story just to find out what happened to Charley Ross and (spoiler!) I was very unhappy with the ending.

[Frannie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A terrible crime + a world's fair + mediocre writing = a poor knockoff of "Devil in the White City"

[Bob Hauseman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Confusing tale about a kidnapping in 1874. Many, many characters, introduced at dizzying speed. And the reveal is very awkwardly done. I still have no idea why this crime "changed America."

[Lexi MacArthur]

While this is a well written book, I often found myself skimming through it as it had quite a bit of meticulous detail that wasn’t necessarily pertinent to the story as a whole. For instance it spoke quite a bit on the politics of the time before explaining where in the story that they fit. Another such instance was when it began to talk about life in the criminal community of the time. The book described the conditions of the community in great detail, and as far as I could tell, was relatively accurate. However there was no reason for this and it didn’t quite fit into where it was chronologically brought up in the story. One might reason, though, that perhaps this was to give a sort of schema for the criminals to explain perhaps why they kidnapped Charley Ross, and were so desperate for the money. However, the author did do an amazing job explaining the ineptitude of the police and investors in their ability to assist and find Charley. Personally I just kinda wish that the Author would have executed the story in a more succinct way that made more sense to the reader. I recommend this book to history buffs with an interest in true crime, and to those who are looking for a long read.

[Olquidia Garner · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Is Got Him by Carrie Hagen is a heavy but important read. I didn’t expect it to affect me as deeply as it did. Learning about the lynching of Charley Ross in 1874 Duluth was shocking, especially because this happened in the Midwest, not the South, as many people assume.
Hagen does an excellent job centering Charley Ross’s humanity while showing how racism, fear, and misinformation led to devastating consequences. The writing is clear, well-researched, and emotionally impactful without being sensationalized.
This book made me uncomfortable in the way important books should. Difficult to read at times, but absolutely worth it.

[Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally this type of book is right up my alley, but this seemed slow. Interesting story. Surprising how long the family and city just let it go on. The perspectives on how to deal with the situation were interesting to read and the searches that took place were also enlightening to read about. But overall this didn't engage me like I expected it to.

[Jeffrey Bumiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great! Although I'm probably biased because this fascinating, historically significant crime took place in my neighborhood about a 15 minute walk from my house. Hagen does an excellent job of laying out a complex story in an easily digestible way. Forgive me the cliche, but she brings 19th century Philadelphia to life. It was so interesting to learn about how a kidnapping investigation was conducted in a time before kidnapping was even classified as a felony. My one critique is that the book ends kind of abruptly. I don't want to give anything away so I will just say that I wish the book had continued on a bit longer after the main events took place. Oh and I have to mention that the appendix is the full transcript of all of the ransom letters. They are bizarre, rambling and surreal. Some people might be inclined to skip them, but I seriously suggest reading them in full.

[Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a disappointing read - it was slow paced, not organized well and spent a lot of time with law enforcement. quoting large chucks of primary sources and discussions of the upcoming Centennial. Poor Charley ross just faded away into the background.

[Donna Gabbard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but the vast array of characters made the story hard to follow at times. The "wrap-up" of the story, when it finally did happen after 250 pages of story, was a brief 5 pages.

[Theremin Poisoning · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the kind of book that I like, but for whatever reason this one failed to do much for me.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort of a Philadelphia “Devil in the White City”. Fascinating, but I would have loved more about the centennial!

[Catherine Khella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to read this book again. I love anything about Philadelphia.

[Melanie Sitler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story and something that I never heard about. If you like historical crimes this is a good one.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not well written but fascinating all the same!

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another DNF hits the shelf. Didn't engage me through the dialog.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of research went into this book, but the story is not told in very compelling fashion. Ultimately disappointing. DEFY ALL THE DEVILS by Norman J. Zierold is about this same case, though I haven't read it.