The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1909-03-25
BOY STOLEN AND
HELD FOR RANSOM
$4,000 Demanded For Return
Of Millionaire's Nephew.
LAD WAS TAKEN FROM SCHOOL.

DhdFoh tIu.D AttoTucy anu II UT
mer Candidate For Congress, Dis
appears-Called From Studies And
Told His Father Wanted Him
Parent Receives Letter From Kid
nappers And Adopts Their Plans
To Communicate With Them.
Sharon Pa. Especially Ten thou
sand dollars ransom is demanded
for the return of William Whitla.
Attorney James p. Whitla's eight
year-old son, who was spirited away
from school here by an unknown
man, furnishing a mystery which
the detectives of the country are be-
ing asked to solve. Accompanying
the demand for ransom Is a covert
threat that the boy will be killed
unless the money is produced. Hun
dreds of kilograms and telephone
messages have been sent to the po-
lice of various cities, asking their
assistance in the search for the boy
and his abductors. The first fruit
of these came when Chief of Police
Grain, of this city, received word
that the rig in which the lad was
taken away had been recovered at
Warren, Ohio, with the child's hat
on the buggy seat.
All the zeal of tr~ police and de-
tectives is now being centered at
the region lying about Warren, and
those in charge of the chase think
chance of escape. To the boldness
nf oh l. ot
tributed his success in getting the
child out of Sharon without exciting
serious suspicion.
Attorney and Mrs. Whitla are
among the towns leading residents.
The former Is brother-in-law of
Frank H.. Buhl, the multi-millionaire
steel man. At go o'clock A. NJ,
a stranger drove up to the East
Ward school house, where young
| Whitla is pupil in room No. 2,
and told the janitor, Wesley Sloss,
the lad was wanted at once at his
fathers Office. Sloss conveyed the
message to Mrs. Anna Lewis, the
boys teacher, who dismissed the
child. AS she was helping him to
put on his overcoat, she remarked,
half jokingly, II hope that man does
not kidnap Willie" The man in the
buggy had a dark complexion, dark
hair and a stubby mustache. He
was stockily built. He spoke excel
lent English and was evidently Amer
lean born.
When Sloss appeared with the boy
the stranger smiled and helped him
up to the seat beside him. He then
drove off in the direction of Mr..
Whitla's Office. Several persons say
a confederate joined the kidnapper
before he had left the town.
Little was thought of the incident
and there was no belief crime had
been committed until the lad failed
to appear for his MONDAY meal. Be
coming worried, Mrs. Whitla began
search. At the school she learned
of what had occurred there three
hours before.
Terrified, Mrs. Whitla conferred
with ]. A. McLaughrey, a friend OF
the family. The latter telephoned
to Mr.. Whitla, who had gone to New
Wilmington on business. Mr.. Whitla
gave hasty directions as to what
steps to take Immediately in an effort
to recover his son.
At / o'clock a letter directed to
the mother was delivered at the
house by mail carrier. Mrs. Whitla
at once recognized the handwriting
on the envelope as that of her son.
Opening it, she found the following
communication, written in strange
hand:
I'VE have your boy and will re-
turn him for $4,000. Will sec
your advertisement in the papers.
Insert in Indianapolis News, Cleve-
land Press, Pittsburg Dispatch
Youngstown Vindicator. A. A
| will do as requested. j. p. W..
Dead boys are not desirable"
The penmanship and spelling OF
the note indicated it had been writ
ten by man of fair education. Mr.
Whitla decided to comply with the
conditions of the letter and sent for
publication to each of the newspaper
specified the note it directed him to
| insert.
Warren, Ohio.--A man said to
| answer the description of the ono
wanted at Sharon, Pa, on charge
of kidnapping the Whitla boy, wa
arrested here.