The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1909-03-19
Will Accede to Demands of
the Kidnappers, She Says
Will Not Prosecute, Will Ask
No Questions.
Mrs. Whitlaw's Son Taken
from School at Sharon, Pa.
Yesterday and Held for
$4,000 Ransom - Police
Searching for Boy and Kid
nQnnnrS
napperS.
Especial from United Press

Sharon. Pa, March 19-'1 don't want
the kidnappers prosecuted said the
mother of Billie Whitla, the kidnapped
school boy to-day. They may have
the money and I will do as they wish.
will ask them no questions. I want
my boy and he is all that I want. They
told me should not meet the de-
mands Of the kidnappers. They told
me the kidnappers should be punished
because to pay the money and let
them go would encourage crime. It's
easy to talk that way about someone
else's boy but Billie is my boy. If it
encourages crime to get him back
can't help it. Anything they ask shall
be DONE"
Mrs. Whitla is a young woman. Even
as she was delivered a letter written
by the kidnappe-s to kill the boy if
pursued, she did not break down. ''I
feel that Billie must be safe she said.
Il cannot let myself think of any other
possibility. He is brave boy and
will not be frightened"
While WhitIa and his wife are COM
plying with the demands of the kid
napperS and will make no attempt to
catch or prosecute them, business as
sociates and relatives have taken up
the search They say the search is for
the boy and is not a, violation of the
terms of the letter from the kidnap-.
pers.
Frank Bull. millionaire steel man
and brOther-in-1aw of Whitla, heads
the search with Attorney Warren Shili-
ing, friend of Whitla, in direct charge.
Four Pinkerton detectives have been
employed The Sharon city council last
night ordered five policemen sworn in
to assist Chief Martin Crane on the
case.
Cleveland. O., March 19-The hunt
for the kidnappers of Billie whitla, son
of a wealthy Sharon. Pa, lawyer,
whose abduction from school yesterday
was one of the boldest on record, is
progressing to-day in every city and
town of northeastern Ohio. Interest
early s1n the lay conferred at Warren,
0. About midnight the police arrested
a man answering the description Of
the man who lured the boy from sci, Dol.
He was held to await positive identi<
fication by the Sharon school authori-
ties.
This mans arrest followed the dis
covery in Warren of the horse and
buggy in which the abductors drove
the boy away Warren is several miles
beyond Youngstown. The police be-
HeVe that when the horse and carriage
were abando1ed there the boy was
turned over 20 confederates at Youngs-
town so that the men who did the
actual kidnapping might continue their
flight unhampered. Youngstown is one
of the four places where the kidnap-
pers told the boys father to advertise
through the newspaper his willingness
to comply with their terms and sur
render $4,000 as the price of his child.
This belief is supported by the fact
that persons who saw the rig go
through Youngstown remember that a
boy of about 'Bfllie's age sat on the
knee of one of the men while beyond
were seen without the boy. The Cleve-
land police learned to-day that two
men answering to the description of
the kidnapperS asked the station-mas-
ter at Warren the time Of trains leav-
ing Youngstown for Cleveland.
For these reasons the police believe
the whole search for the boy must be
conducted near his home though the
kidnappers may lead them a. chase
over the country. They are proceeding
on the theory to-day that the boy is
in Youngstown or somewhere near and
the men hiding either in Cleveland or
Indianapolis.
Sharon. Pa, March 19.-The state
conStabulary arrived here this morn
ing and Immediately took up the
search for little Billie Whitla Mrs
Wh1t1a is keeping her ten year old
girl. Salina. at home to-day. The girl
goes to the same school as her brother
did The mother, frantic at the loss
Of her boy, will not allow her daugh-
ter from her sight.
The teacher of the little boy who
dressed him for the abductors is un-
der surveillance to-day. although no.
blame is attached to her.
g The Philadelphia police and Pernsyl-
vania Railroad detectives to-day are
investigating the alleged theft of a
satchel containing $4,000 from a pas
senger on the Pennsylvania road
bound for Aiken, S. c. The theft is
supposed to have taken place before
the trains departure from Wilmington
last night. The name of the victim
has not been disclosed. 1t is said his
satchel was stolen while he was in the
smoking compartment. Pennsylvania
officials deny and knowledge Of the
case.