The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-25
WhiHa Family Goes to CIeVe- land to Aid In Prosecu-
 ton of AbductOrS
WRANGLE OCCURS WITH
 THE CHIEF OF POLICE
One Woman Kills Herself In Cleveland and 1t Is Believed She May Have Been Connected With
 the Kidnapping.

Cleveland, O.. March 24.--A woman, whose actual identity is as much en- shrouded in mystery tonight as it was 12 hours ago. when she was arrested on suspicion of being involved in the Kidnapping of Willie Whitla, was the moving spirit in the famous case, the police charge. Beyond the assertion of James H. Boyle, her companion, and alleged co-censpirator, that she Is his wife, not a word can be obtained to clear the situation.
 Sweated thoroughly by the police, the woman, beyond breaking down and giving way to tears, keeps her coun- sell
 Considerable information concerning Boyle was gleaned from many sources. It was said that Boyle and the woman were married a year ago in Denver. After she had been seen by Attorney J. P. Whitla. father of Willie the police were no nearer solution of the mys- tery. Whitla proffered no information to the police. He did not indicate whether he knew her or not. He posi- lively refused to discuss the woman.
 Positive Identification.
 Willie WhItla today identified the man and woman held on suspicion by the Cleveland police as the persons who kidnapped him from the school at sharon, Pa, ast Thursday and held him for the sId,ooo ransom, which was paid by his father. Attorney James P Whit la, Monday.
 Willie said the man who gave the name of James E. Boyle was the one who took him from school and carried him through a circuitous route to Cleveland, hen to Ash tabua, back to this city and placed him in the house in the east end, where he was held until the money was paid. Willie also declared that the woman was the one who cared for him at the house where he was detained and who acted the part of a nurse.
 Boyle said the woman is his wife, The police lave no other identifica tion of the couple than the names given. So far as the man Is concerned the police believe the name is correct Boyle is said to reside in sharon, and is a plumber He is said to have a widowed mother, four brothers and a sister.
 lHt NOIudU WHO dcCTeQlIeu With be- ing the wife of Boyle declared soon after her arrest that her identification would cause a sensation in Sharon
 When the Identification was com pleted, MT Whitla would say nothing regarding the woman He said he knew Boyle slightly.
 Before Grand Jury.
 Immediately after Willie had seen the man and woman at the central police station, the Whitlas were taken to the county courthouse and there appeared before the grand jury. They were examined for the purpose of aiding the jury in its attempt to find an ndict- ment against the two prisoners The charge under the laws of Ohio, against the man and woman, if an indictment i was found, would be blackmail. This is based upon the payment of the s10,- 900 ransom paid by MT. Whitla.
 As Bayle and his wife are held by the police on suspicion only, an in dictment will afford a means of placing them under arrest formally and then they can be held indefinitely.
 Immediately after leaving the grand jury room MT. and Mrs. Whitla, While and the janitor of the sharon school which Willie attended, left for Sha- ron.
 As the prisoners have not waived Identification, they will be held here two or three days until the necessary papers for their removal to sharon can be arranged between the governors of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
 Woman Kills Herself
 woman known as Mary Dener, who the police say may have been an assist ant of the kdnapers, or was implicated in the plot committed suicide today by drinking morphine. The woman drank la ,oio I, la, .nf drug store in the East End, not far from the house in which Willie Whitla was detained. She died in an ambulance while being taken to a hospital.
 Attorney Whitla, accompanied by Mrs Whitla. their son and daughter Willie and Salina boy schoolmate of Willie Harry Forkcr; brother of Mrs Whitla Janitor Sloss, Chief of Police Crane De- tective Kempler District Attorney Lin gener, former District Attorney Cochran and Detective Ward, all of sharon, ar rived here at 1 o'clock today Their pur- pose was to identify the two prisoners If possible. Immediately after their ar rival they went to the Hollenden hotel.
 Dispute With Chief.
 Two private detectives who represented Whitla first went to the police station in an effort to see Chief Koehler to arrange for the identification. At once there was clash. The chief would not admit the detectives, and stated that he would have nothing to do with them, and would deal only with Whitla and his son. This was reported to Whitla and another dispute occurred which promised for time to stop the Identification proceedings Whitla teephoned to the chief from the hotel that he had arrived and that he was ready to see the chief. Chief Koehler replied hotly that he was at the police station, where the prisoners were being -<>--~ <~~>--~<~~ -~~.-~
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