The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1909-03-25
THE CHILD IS RESTORED

E --- -
Required Ransom Paid Agent-The
Scene of the Reunion Was Honen-
den Hotel, Cleveland, o.
Cleveland, O., Special-Little Viii
lie Whitla, who has caused the police
of the entire country endless worry
since he was kidnapped from school
in Sharon, Pa, last Thursday, was re-
turned to his father at the Hollen-
den Hotel here Monday night at $3.50
o'clock.
In compliance with an arrangement
entered into between the kidnapped
bows father and an agent of the kid
napers here Monday the boy was
placed ON a street car on the out
skirts of the city and started to the
hotel shortly after s o'clock. 1--WE
boys recognized the lad on the car
and taking him in charge, conducted
him to his father, who was In wait
ing. The moment the anxious parent
heard that a strange boy was in the
hotel he rushed across the lobby,
grasped him in his arms and smoth-
cred his face with kisses.
Willie is in perfect health. He
says that he has been well treated
and ever since his capture has been
constantly indoors. He believes he
was taken from Sharon to Warren
and thence to Newcastle, Pa. 1t is
his opinion, expressed in a happy
school-boy way, that he was in Ash
tabula on Saturday night at the time
his father was to leave his $4,000
in Flat Iron Park.
Whitla, senior, refused to state
whether he had paid the ransom or
not. He said THAI he received a let
ter Monday from the kidnapers at
his home in Sharon, saying that if he
called at d confectionery store In the
east end of Cleveland he would be
told how to secure his boy "unharm-
ed and well fed"
In Mortal Terror of Kidnapers.
Shortly after noon he left Sharon
FOR Cleveland. He was unaccom-
panied. His immediate family and
the private detectives he had in his
employ he apprised of the proposed
secrE meeting, but insisted that he
make the trip alone. Every one of
them was warned that he must be
allowed to go u~nheralded, and no at
tempt at the capture of the kidnapers
new be made. Whitla was certain
that if he spoiled the plans of his
sons captors he would never see the
lad again. His experience at Ashta-
bula served as a warning.
About 2 o'clock in the afternoon
he went to a candy store in the east
end. With him he carried the $1O,-
600, expecting that it would be de-
handed of him there. He was met
by a woman who detailed to him the
terms of the kidnapers. With all the
eagerness of a distracted parent
Whitla agreed to them Immediately.
Willie Unconscious of His Danger.
In the meantime little Willie was
being treated kindly and ever at this
time does not realize what danger
he was in. The oma at the candy
store had done her duty. She COM
municated with the captors of the
boy and told them that the father
had made no attempt to trap them.
The boy was. brought from his I'M
known hiding place to a car line in
the east end of the city.
Part of Willie's Story.
"When we got to a town that the
nan called Newcastle, they took me
to q big building and turned me over
to a woman. She was good to me.
The hospital, or whatever the build
ing was, was a clean place. There
was a mar there who l think was q
doctor. He looked like a doctor, be-
ca1se he had whiskers, short grey
whiskers.
"The people in the hospital told
me that I must do just what they
tod me to do. If l did not obey
them, they said they would take me
to a place called the pest house,
where folks that have smallpox have
to go. l walked the chalk line just
like a good boy, papa, like you've
told me to.
"They told me 1 was taking a little
vacation. 1 was not going to be hurt,
they told me, so l just acted nice and
had a good time playing around the
hospital. I knew 1 would get back
home all right and just supposed Mr..
Jonse was n of my friends who was
treating me nice because you wanted
him to treat m that way, papa
dear.".
Before retiring for the night, Mr..
Whitla admitted that he. had paid
$4,000 to the woman in the candy
store.