The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-26
LIKES The JAIL.
Woman Kidnaper Is Pleased
With Pittsburg Quarters.
Boyle Has Reen i'm the Mercer
Lock Up Before.
THEIR TRIAL IN MAY.
Whitla Recovered All of His
Money But $I5O.
Father of Mrs. Boyle Tells the
Story of Her Life.

| being held here today by Chief of Po-
lice Grain of Sharon, and Sheriff Chess
of Mercer county, as to the next move
to be made in the Whitla kidnapping
case James Boyle and his wife, the
abductors who were brought to the AL
legheney county Jail from Cleveland, o.,
last evening, enjoyed a good nights rest.
Mrs. Boyle seemed greatly pleased with
her quarters and said this morning:
| Really, it is pleasant here
| Unlike mis- vivacious WIFE however,
Boyle's demeanor is morose.
! For the purpose of avoiding any un-
pleasantness the Boyles will not be ta-
ken to Sharon but will go direct to the
Jail at Mercer, Pa, probably today 1t
| is said that the abductors were brought
to this city last night SO that the trip
| to Mercer could be made in daylight.
1t is intimated that the officers feared
attempted violence at Sharon or Mercer,
should the prisoners arrive at night.
Boyle in Jail Before.
Sharon, March 26.-With James Boyle
and his wife locked up a Pittsburg and
Willie Whitla safe at home, the Mercer
county authorities are now bending ev-
cry effort to unearth all possible evil
dence in the case with the design of
showing that Mrs. Boyle acted as
principal with her husband in Pennsyl-
vania in the kidnapping. So far Mrs.
Boyle appears only to have appeared in
the plot in Cleveland.
Some years ago Boyle escaped from
the Jail at Mercer. A strange feature
of that incident is his subsequent cap
ture at Cleveland. 1t is not = known
definitely whether his escape from the
Jail at Mercer has any bearing on the
decision to detain him in Pittsburg.
The Mercer county grand jury meets
the third Monday in April. 1t is pro-
bable the case will be tried May TO-
James Whitla, father of the kidnapped
child has recovered SO, $50 of the $4,000
paid over to the Boyles.
Her Life Story
| Chicago March 26.-That William
| McDerm OFT, a, retired member of the
| Chicago fire department, is the father
| of Mrs. James H. Boyle, was con-
| frmed by the grief stricken father to-
| day.
| Information from Cleveland indicat-
| ing strongly that the prisoner ar
rested there was none other than the
| girl who before her marriage was
Anna McDermott was brought to Will
| liam McDermott and his son of the
same name, who is bank clerk. last
| night Although the information
| seemed conclusive neither father nor
son would definitely admit that the
imprisoned woman was their daughter
and sister. Today, however, reporters
presented every known detail of the
Identification as telegraphed from
Cleveland and the old man broke
down and declared there could be no
doubt that Mrs. Boyle" was his
daughter.
Mr.. McDermott's story of his daugh-
ter's life is that of wayward girl.
Anna McDermott, according to her
father, was one of the prettiest, one
of the brightest children in the
neighborhood when child. She was
given every advantage of education
frnI Ing q
approached womanhood she fell into
company of which the old fireman did
not approve. Quarrels were frequent
and about three years ago, Anna
eIoped Since that time her history
has been a blank to her Chicago kin.
Even the name of the man with whom
she cast her fortunes was unknown to
them.
the story of the kidnapping of Willie
Whitla, and the arrest of the ''Boyles,
but they never thought of connecting
Mrs Boyle" with winsome, headstrong
Anna who had deserted her home to
follow unknown paths.
"They say she is pock marked
now said Mr.. McDermott. ''She
must have suffered from the disease
since she left us for then her skin was
as fair as an Angels"
According to the statement Of the
father the girl was educated at St
Vincent's academy in this city and at
E1nl SaNd dCduelIlS hCdl 1AoNiSOA4t
wis. The aged father appeared
heartbroken today. He said that un-
less something unexpected occurred to
discredit the story of his daughters s
connection with the kidnapping he
would renounce the girl and would
not spend any money in defending
her.
During the three years the girl has
been away from home only one COM
munication had been received from
her A year ago she called her father
on the telephone and said:
81 have been married to a New
York millionaire, papa"
mott hung up the receiver as he said
he did not wish to hear anything
more from her.
one of Mrs. Boyle's'' sisters is now
Mrs. J. J. Obermyer of Keouts, Ind. |
The other is Mrs. G. H. Haligan of
Hebron, Ind.
Mr. Obermyer was told of the
identification of his sister-in-law by |
long distance telephone.
Says She's an Orphan.
Cleveland. o., March 26.-The |
wife Helen Faulkner. or whoever the |
woman held as one of Billy Whitla's |
lkidnapers is. talked freeIy before leav- |
ing for Pittsburg, but admitted little. |
..HaVen't you any relatives at all, |
Mrs Boyle % was asked.
"I have no parents" she answered |
81 haven't had any for many years. 1 |
lust grew. like Topsy, you know. I
only have some forty-second cousins |
somewhere, and none of those are in |
Cleveland or in any part of the cast 1
that / know Of"
Further than that she refused to rel
veal any of her past life. She laughed