Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-05-10
Kidnapers Of "BilIy0 WhitIa Col
lapsed When Court Pro-
nounced Their Doom.
LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR HIM..
Wife Col Twenty-Five Years, Fine
Of $4,000 and Costs Of
The Prosecution.
Counsel Made Plea for Mercy
Husband Had Nothing to Say
Wife Said She Didn't Do It.

w TIC BIC DIull LIZ IL
Mercer, Pa, May 1o.--James S. Boyle
was sentenced today to life 1nlorison-
mcnt in the Western penitentiarys at
Pittsburg for tho kidnapping OF Billy
Whitla. Mrs Boyle, indicted as Mary
Doe, received a sentence of 20 years
with a fine Of $1,000 and the costs OF the
prosecution. Boyle did not create the
scene In, court he had threatened and
did not utter word prior to his sen
tence. His counsel, however, made a !.
plea for both Boyle and his Wife a SIX
Ing leniency in both cases. He stated
that auntila recent period the extreme
penalty for kidnapping in this state was
10 years and in view of the fact that
the boy had been treated with every
consideration and that all care had
been taken not to inflict unnecessary
mental anguish upon the parents, he
felt lenieTcy might be asked for with
| propriety.
BOTH COLLAPSED.
Both Boyle and his Wife collapsed
completely upon hearing their SEN
fences pronounced. When they were
started back to the jail from the court
| room, Boyle managed to walk With, as
sistance down the steps. but upon
| reaching the front door he became limp
and unable to stand. He was lifted into
| the old fashioned omnibus in which the
| prisoners have been transported for
| several days between the courthouse
and the JAIL When he was placed upon
the seat inside the vehicle. he was left
for a moment unsupported and fell
| nearly out of it before he was caught.
| He was ntterlyyunableat to support him
i self and had to be held all tho way to
1 the Jail and carried To his cell. y
4 Mrs. Boyle was even II, worse cnndi-
i ton sh e4nas unable to walk down the
steps from the courthouse to the street
and was carried by Sheriff Chess and
| Chief OF Police Liverinore down. three,
| flights Of stairs to the street SHE was
] lifted into the omnibus and when the
1 jail was reached she was again lifted
out by these officers and carried to her
cell, where she wept Violently. No
handouts were placed on either pris-
oner on the journey back to their cell /
and 1t was considered unnecessary to
! manace them in the condition they
| We're in.
| After Judge Miller of counsel for the
Boyles, had completed his plea for len-
iency II, behalf of his clients, Judge
| Williams told Boyle to stand up and
| as owty sentence should not be pro-
! notnced. Boyle merely said:
BOYLE HAS NOTHING TO SAY.
Il have mot" and shook his head.
Judge Williams then addressed the
prisoner and told him OF the helnous
nature OF the crime Of which he had
been convicted. The court said:
Mr.. Boyle. the crime OF child steal
ing in ancient tines was punishable by
death. In Pennsylvania the law is
more lenient.''
The judge said it had been stated
by the attorneys you took good cara
OF him because he was your prize pack
age.
You had 10 treat him WE'LL he con-
tinued, Ito get what money was de-
manded. Since your arrest we have
investigated Your record, We find you
have been convicted in Mercer county
courts previously to your arrest for
kidnapping. You have been charged
with larceny. receiving stolen goods.
assault and battery. and escaping from
Jail. and many other shady transac-
tions. All these have had their In
nuence with this court in making US
come to the decision that we have
reached that your, punishment shall be.
the maximum sentence, Imprisonment
for life.'
After the sentence lad been imposed
on Boyle he arose and said to the
court:
! Your honor, YOU are wrong about ms
record. =
II think not 1t is a matter of court
record replied the judge
When Mrs. Boyle was ordered to
stand UP to5reecive sentence. she vas
asked il she he'd ANYTHING to say
81 did not do it, and / think the eEi-
dence upon which was convicted was
very flimsy," she said.
THAT was matter for tile jury TO
decide, said Judge Williams. and then,
after a brief review of the case, he ini-
posed the sentence.
MYSTERIOUS THIRD PERSON.
Mercer. Pa. May 1c.-According to
"Jimnly'' Boyle, the mysterious third
person involved In the Whttla kidnap-
ing case will he named soon after jim
| N.Y. Boyle and his wife reach the West
ern pententiary at Pittsburs to Which
they were sentenced today BOYLE has
engaged a Pittsburg lawyer OF high
standing to take charge OF his case.
and in the appeal which will be taken
BOYLE says his lawyer will name this
person, duplicating him not only In the
kidnapping case. but in another charge
| of a serious nature also.
| Boyle said today that the statement
he would issue through his attorney
would startlS tho country. He said
| he realized now that he and his wife
had made mistake in not making
| the matter public soon after the arrest.
hut, he said, both Helen and have
| been bluffed into the delusion that by
| keeping silent everything would be
made all right and we would Escape
with sentences of not more than year
each. with special privileges accorded
us, during orr imprisonment Realizing
| our mistake, we have now taken the
preliminary steps to defeat the mani
! fest plan of those interested in keeping
| the name OF this other party quiet. We
| have the steam roller going now ana
Continued on page two.>