Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1909-05-12
FIND BOYLE GUILTY
klDNAPER OF WILLIE WHITLA Is
CONVICTED IN COURT At
MERCER, PA.
NET is TIGHTLY WOVEN
Lawyers for Abductor, Seeing No e.
cape, File Nolle contendre-Jury
Returns Verdict 40 Charged In the
Indictment.

charged WIN the Kl0naplng OF Billy
Whitla. was tried yesterday.
The verdict was a matter of but a
few minutes after the announcement
was made by the counsel for Boyle
Immediately upon the converting Of
court after the noon recess, that he
would offer no, defense. So tightly
were the coils of testimony wound
around the defendant by the prosecu-
ton that the lawyers representing
Boyle decided it was useless to Of
fer any evidence in his behalf The
prosecution had witnesses to account
for almost every movement of Boyle
from the evening before the abduc-
ton till the time of his arrest in
Cleveland, and Billy" Whitla's testi-
mony was conclusive.
was entered Mrs. Boyle was called to
the bar and her trial was begun. Dur
ing the selection of the jury she con-
ferred with her counsel offering sug-
gestions as to who should or should
not be accepted as jurors. Mrs. Boyle
showed decided preference for
young and unmarried men as jurors.
Boy Identifies Guilty Man.
"Billy" Whitla pointed his finger at
the defendant as he sat in the prison
er's box and said with a positiveness
that could not be doubted: THAT is
the man." He had been asked If he
could point out the man who took him
away from Sharon last March. and his
answer was given without the slight
est hesitation.
Hundreds crowded the frail building
yesterday and the doors were or.
dered locked to prevent possible dis
aster from overcrowding. James
Boyle entered a formal plea of not
guilty, the jury selected were sworn
and the opening address to the jury
was made by T. c. Cochran, in charge
of the prosecution.
Tells kidnapping Story.
He spoke nearly half an hour out
lining what the state will attempt to
prove, which differs in no material
point from accounts of the KIDNAPPING
already published.
Billy Whitla was the first wit
ness, and before being sworn caused
ripple of laughter when he answered
the question as to where boys go
who do not tell the truth by saying
they go to HE'LL In his boyish way
he told the story of the man who said
his name was Mr.. Jones calling for
him with buggy at the school and
telling him he had been sent to take
him away on account of smallpox,
that he was to take others also and
that "Billy'' would meet his friends
on the train.
BILLY" said "Mr. Jones" gave him
letter and asked him to write his
mothers name and address on it, that
he did so with pencil and the man
mailed it in Sharon.
Took OF His "Whiskers."
When asked to describe the differ
ence in the mans appearance then
and now, Billy said that when he
first saw the man "he had his whiskers
here" pointing to his upper lip. He
said the man took the whiskers off
after a while. When Abner Hancock,
barber of Niles, Ohio, was asked to
stand up BILLY" identified him as the
man who had shaved Boyle. He told
of the drive to Warren, the subsequent
trip to Niles and Ashtabula, of visiting
park at Ashtabula and standing be-
side cannon. Then he said he was
taken to Cleveland, where he was told
he was in hospital. 1t contained, he
said, two rooms and a bath. He told
of hiding in the bottom of the buggy
and in the box under the washstand
in the hospital lest the doctors
should see him and put him in a pest
house. He said Mr.. and Mrs. Jones
directed him to do so.
Defense to Try Alibi.
The cross-examination of BILLY"
was very brief, the questioning indi-
eating that the defense would attempt
to prove an alibi. j. p. Whitla, ia
Their of the kidnapped boy, told of the
abduction and the three letters he re-
ceived demanding ransom. He told
of his compliance with all the condi-
lions imposed and of the events lead
ing up to the payment of the money
and the recovery of his son, all of
which have been fully told in the
press heretofore. On cross.examina-
ton he denied having any conversa-
ton with Boyle in Cleveland prior to
his arrest. Mrs. B. A. Hendrickson,
with whom the package containing
10000 was left in the Cleveland store,
told of a stranger giving the name
of Hays leaving the package with
her for Mr.. Williams. and of Mr.. WILL
liams coming for it. She identified
Boyle as the man who secured the
naolzaao from hor