Evening journal., 1909-03-27
WOMAN DENIES
THE KIDNAPPING
Mrs. Boyle Says She Took no
Part in WhitIa Case TO
Stand by Husband
PRISONER TELLS
STORY OF HER LIFE

BY United Press Leased Special Wire.
MERCER, Pa, March 27.--Mrs. Helen
Boyel in the county jail here today
gave a report to the United Press, the
first authentic interview concerning
her connection with the kidnapping Of
Billy Whitla and her past life She
denied every other interview attributed
to her.
In the first place, 1 am the wife of
James ii. Boyle arrested together with
me for the kidnapping" she said.
Il am legally married to him.
love him, and / mean to stand by him.
am not Anna McDermott. of Chi
cago Anna Wilson og Denver; Helen
Falkner or any other of the persons
whom ! have been said to be.
I'm the second place / deny that I
was an accomplice to the kidnapping.
/ know nothing about the kidnapping.
i took no part in deceiving Billy Whit
la. / do not see how 1 can be con-
victed of having anything to do with
the kidnapping.
Il mean to stand by my husband
through this affair even though l am
acquitted as l hope / may be. 1 do not
know what his connection with this
affair is. but l am sure he was noe
the instigator of the kidnapping plot
I will not say whether he had an ac-
completes.
Il am a southerner and have good
family connections. l have always as
sociated with reputable people.
Il would keep silent and refuse to
drag any respectable people into the
notoriety in this case, if it were neces-
sary but it is not necessary.
a.. Cst IL
was born. My father died three
years ago. He is buried near Chicago.
1 will not say just where.
I Neither will l tell my parents name
/ am alone in the world now. l have no
relatives except distant cousins.
Some of these are in Chicago. but / do
not believe they would know me- L my
self have not been in Chicago for hvo
years. I have travelled about from city TO
city"
At this point the interviewer noticed a
scar about her left eye. He asked her how
she got it.
i was injured in an automobile accident
in Florida ono or two years ago." she
said.
4 will not say just where I was in
iurcd. II l did It would draw well known
people into publicity.
i supposed Billy was brought to me
by my husband for the same reason
that Billy supposed he came to me.
was led to believe that there was
smallpox at Youngstown and that Billy
had been exposed and that his father
wanted to keep him in some safe place
until the smallpox scare had passed.
1.-THE report that l put makeup on
my face in imitation of smallpox
marks is false. Neither did dress in
a nurses cap. / wore a blue gingham
dust cap and dressed about the house
like any other woman docs when she
J is doing her work.
"The report concerning the box OF
drugged candy2 We had at the Gran
ger a package of collodium. one Of
the ingredients Of colodium. I am told
is, ether. We LOST the stopper to the
package of collodium so we put it in
the candy box in order to keep the
odor of the ether from filling the room
/ at the Granger.
l THE only report concerning my part
> so far published which was true was
t the statement that Mr.. Boyle and [
were arrested in St. Louis. We were
E arrested there in connection with "A
I crap game. We were held only short
time Then we were discharged.
= Il intend to remain a woman of mys-
> terry unless some one discovers my secret.
II is not on account of my family or rela-
tives that 1 must do this, for they are
dead but / have many acquaintances in
good society and must keep silent to
protect them"
Mrs. Boyle was dressed I'm a back silk
! gown. She sat on the edge of her cot in
. her cell, with her hands clasped on her
knees. Her face was pale, and her lips
were almost bioodless. She spoke In low
e soft tones Her language was that of a
n refined woman and her manners showed
# breeding.