‘Cold Case’ About 1874 Kidnapping Of A 4-Year-Old Comes To Life In Bensonhurst

The following is a press release from Friends of Historic New Utrecht:

On Tuesday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m., Friends of Historic New Utrecht presents “America’s First Kidnapping for Ransom: the Disappearance of Charlie Ross,” a talk with artifacts by Allen Koenigsberg, a retired lecturer at Brooklyn College and other CUNY schools. The celebrated 1874 crime, which began in Pennsylvania, had an unexpected coda on Bay Ridge’s Shore Road.

The free lecture will be held in the New Utrecht Reformed Church Parish House at 18th Avenue and 84th Street in Bensonhurst. Light refreshments will be served. Bus and subway stops are nearby.

Since his retirement, Professor Koenigsberg has turned his attention from the study of ancient history and classics to some little known “cold cases,” and gathered a variety of original objects to shed light on what “really happened.”

Reports have said that on December 14, 1874, a botched burglary at the home of Holmes Van Brunt in Bay Ridge led to those who may have kidnapped 4-year-old Charley Ross from the front yard of his home in Germantown, Pa., on July 1 of that year.

This lecture with the Brooklyn connection to an abduction dating back to the 1800s is one of a series of free cultural and historical events sponsored throughout the year by the Friends historic organization.

Friends of Historic New Utrecht’s public events are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and from the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, Councilman Vincent Gentile, Councilman Domenic Recchia and by the Verizon Foundation .

Additional information on the free community programs is available by calling 718-256-7173 and by contacting the Friends organization at mail@historicnewutrecht.org.