The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-04-14
KIDNAPPED BOY RESTORED
TO HIS PARENTS
The Father Paid $4,000 Ransom
at Cleveland, Ohio.
YELLED WOMAN GETS MONEY
Little Willie Whitla, of Sharon, Pa,
Tells Pathetic Story of His Cap
tivity-Was Not Ill Treated
Visited Several Places.

tivity-Was Not Ill Treated
Visited Several Places.
of four days, Willie Whitla, the eight
year-old son of ]. P. Whitla, a law
yer of Sharon, Pa, who was kid
naped, was returned to his father at
the Hollenden Hotel here shortly af-
ter s o'clock at night.
The appearance of the boy was
theatrical, for he suddenly stepped
from a Payne avenue trolley car
which stopped in front Of the hotel,
and slipped nervously into the lobby,
where Mr.. Whitla sat awaiting him
according to instructions from the
lads ~kidnapers.
The boy had a pair of smoked
glasses fixed in front of his eyes, and
the ear tabs of a large tan cap were
pulled down over his ears in an ap-
parent effort to disguise him. At the
sight of his son Nj. Whitla sprang to
his feet and darted toward him.
my son, o, my boy!" he shouted,
and took the child into his arms.
The crowd cheered at the sight of
father and son, and motioning for
quiet Mr.. Whitla climbed upon a Ia
Bile, and, with tears rolling down his
cheeks, made a short speech.
81 can't make a speech, my
friends" he exclaimed. "My heart is
too full. I can only say that this is
my son who was lost and is found. I
want to thank the people of Cleve-
land, the press and the police for
their kindness and sympathy. 1 new
er could have stood it but for the
thousands of friends that came to
me-"
While his father was speaking Will
lie stood beside him clasping his hand
as though fearful of being separated
from him again, and at the conclusion
of Mr.. Whitla's few words the crowd
cheered him to the echo, again and
again. Scores of men and women
rushed forward to grasp the father
by the hand or to grab up Willie IN
their arms and kiss him.
The boy told this story:
cit was Just a little while before
the geography lesson began when
teacher called me to the door and
said there was a man there who
wanted me to go with him to see my
father.
II went to the coat room with
teacher and she helped me with my
coat, and then I went down stairs
with the man. I don't know how old
he was-perhaps as old as my papa.
I'VE went out the front walk OF
the school building, and there, on
State street, he put me into a buggy.
There was only n man. He was
ehort, not so tall as you. (Here ne
looked up at his q~uestioner). He
had a red face and q brown overcoat,
and wore a mustache, cut short.
Then we drove out of Sharon, and
I asked him where I was going. we
crossed the river and took the road
to Warren, and all the way 1 kept
asking where my papa was. 1 WASH t
scared at first.
"Just before we got into Warren
Git was almost noon, them, the man
gave me two sandwiches to eat, for
was hungry.
ave stopped just outside Warren
and walked into town and 1 got aW-
fully tired on the way. I can't re-
member just how we went away from
there, whether it was on the steam
cars or the electrics, but l think we
went to Newcastle.
We slept there that night, the
man who took me from the school
building and another, younger man,
who didn't. wear a mustache.
"T1e next day we went somewhere
49, l~-J+ 1r0Dry urhnrn Tho MOI
told me that I was sick, and that If
I didn't keep quiet and say my name
was Jones, they would put me in a
place where everybody had smallpox,
and that I would die.
II thought we came to Ashtabula
to-day some time, but I don't know.
I can't remember much about it all,
for I was awful tired all the time, but
I heard the men say Ashtabula lots
of times, and once or twice they said
Akron. There was a woman who
had me some Of the time, too, but
can't remember much about her.
"To-night they took me to the cor
ner of two streets and told me to get
on a street car I saw coming and say
I wanted to go to the Hollenden.
II told the conductor, and he asked
me my name, and 1 told him Jones,
because that was what they said to
me to say.
mo, they did not hurt me one bit.
They said they would put me with a
lot of sick people if I didn't do just as
they said. The only trouble was that
in Newcastle and in another town
which I don't remember much about.
We slept three in a bed, two men and
me.
They didn't let me see any news
papers," he added.
"Well, did you miss mamma and
papa?" asked Whitla. A big hug was
the answer.
The interviewing of the tired little
boy, safe once more in his fathers
arms, a. ended.
The negotiations for the boys re-
turn had been conducted in the after
noon by Mr.. Whitla entirely alone.
He received a communication at his
home in Sharon telling him that if he
wanted his son back he must come to
Cleveland, and that here, if he full
filled certain conditions, be would