The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1909-05-11

MERCER, Pa, May 10.-Before he
was taken from here to the peniten-
tiary at Pittsburg today to begin a
life sentence, James Boyle, the kid
naper, made the statement which both
he and his wife have been promising
and which they said would Shake the
country" The statement gives the
complete history of the kidnapping of
Willie Whitla, the origin of the same
and what led up to it;
"On the morning OF between
the hours of ........ Dan Reeble, Jr..
was found dead ON the sidewalk in
Youngstown, and over the PROSTATE
form was Harry Forker of Sharon,
Pa, holding in his right hand a pack
age of letters gathered from the side
walk near the body.
LAS he was about to depart he was
intercepted by the writer and a man
who has since passed to his reward,
Dan Shay saloonkeeper.
I'm Mr.. Forker's hurry to leave the
scene he failed to find two envelopes
that contained four letters. The same
were picked up by Shay and later
taken to his place of business.
THE writer and Mr.. Shay examined
and read the contents of same, which
proved beyond doubt the presence of
Mr. Forker there at that time.
THE letters were written by a lady,
two from party in New York and
the others from Cleveland, Ohio. At
later date Mr.. Forker was apprised
of the fact that the writer held these
letters in his possession and asked if
he could use the same. A letter was
Immediately sent the writer for For
ker, stating that he (Mr. Forker)
would like to have personal talk
with the writer and a meeting took
place a day or so after. Mr.. Forker
acknowledged he would pay for the
letters. The amount not being con-
sidered sufficient, was refused and
from that day on and up until March,
1908, the writer, on the preteXt of
exposing the letters and the coinci-
dence of Mr.. Forker being discovered
over the PROSTATE form of Mr. Rec
BILE, had received at different times
amounts of money from Mr.. Forker to
remain silent.
about six months ago when l re.
turned to Sharon with my wife, met
Mr.. Forker and informed him that
unless I received $4,000 between then
and the time / intended to leave
Sharon, would hold the secret no
longer.
He then informed me that it was
for him to get that amount
in time but in April, 1908, he was to
get certain amount of money and
would then settle with me.
"On my leaving Sharon on March
IL, 1909, went to Cleveland and
wrote Forker as follows:
"'Dear Sir-I have decided not to
wait any longer in regard to the
money proposition, and if don't hear
from you soon there will be some ex-
posing
March 16, 1909, received an an
swer to the same, which read as fol+
lows:
"'You knew the circumstances and
the promise I made you when you
left here, but if you are really desper-
ately in need of money as you pro-
fess to be, will outline little plan
which with your cooperation can be
very successfully carried out, vice:
The abduction of J. w. Whitla's son.
I can arrange to have the boy brought
to Warren, Ohio, due there at 11:1S
o'clock, with escort
(There is no signature to the let
teri
"I left Cleveland at S:15 a. m. and
arrived at Warren at 1906 and then
proceeded to Niles, Ohio, by street
car. I arrived at Warren at 11:1S a.
M, but failing to see the boy and his
escort, l got off at Warren and re-
mained in the vicinity of the depot.
about 10 minutes later, boy and
CONTINUED on Page 4.