The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1909-03-26

identity
A A A A A A A A A A A A A
a ~
a Cleveland, Ohio.-In the arrest A
4 here later OF man and wo- a
A man having $3.50 in~their pos a
A session, the police believe lney "A
n have captured The kldnapers OF a
A Willie Whitla. A
"a In fact, the woman in the "A
A case, who is greatly excited, adj A
n mirted that she had been respon- A
A sible for the kidnapping. When A
a placed in custody az the central a
A police station, sne said to Cap a
A tain Shattuck: A.
"A Il am the one who planned A
A the whole thing. There viii pc "A
A trouble for me, and hell in Sha- *
A ron tomorrow" A
A Beneath the Woman's skirt
A was found $3.50. All of it but A
A $40 was bound in packages, with a
a the original slips placed on the a
A money when Whitla took it from a
A the bank, still around it. A
Il A.
A A A A A A A A A A A a 4
In compliance with an arrangement
entered into between the kidnapped
boys father and an agent of the kid
napers here, the boy was placed ON
street car on the outskirts OF the
city and sent to the hotel
The moment the anxious parent
heard that strange boy was in the
hotel, he rushed across the lobby,
grasped him in his arms and smoth-
cred his faces with kisses.
Willie is In perfect health. He says
that he has been well treated, ana
ever since his capture he 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
schoolboy way, that he was In Ash
tabula at the time his father was to
leave his $4,000 in Flat Iron Park.
Whitla, senior, said that he receiv-
ed letter from the kidpapers at his
home in Sharon, saying that II he
called at a confectionery store in the
east end Of Cleveland, he would be
told how to secure his boy unframed
and well fed"
He at once left Sharon for Cleve-
land. He was unaccompanied. Whit
la was certain that If he spoiled the
plans Of his sons captors he would
never see the lad again. His expe-
rience at Ashtabula served as warn
ing.
He went to a candy store in the
east end Of Cleveland With him he
carried $4,000, expecting that it
would be demanded Of him there. He
was met by woman, who detailed
to him the terms of the kidnapers.
With all the eagerness Of distracted
parent, Whitla agreed to them inn
medlately and paid the money. Half
an hour later he returned to the
HoIlenden Hotel and awaited develop
ments.
Fully 1000 people gathered in the
Railways and Hobbies of the hotel.
Those who were unable to get into
the hotel stood on the sidewalks and
shouted for a glimpse Of the boy.
Again and again they called his name
and implored his father to bring him
out and let them look at him. Whitla
acquiesced to the request Of the
crowd, and carrying his boy on his
shoulder, walked down into the lobby.
Cries Of Speech" Speech" caus-
ed Whitla to say a few words.
This is my son. He was lost and
is found again. If / live thousand
years never can do enough to re-
pay the press, the police and the
people who all have done noble work
in helping to find my boy and in ex-
tending their sympathy to me and
my family and relatives"
Sharon, Pa.-Willie Whitla does not
yet seem to comprehend what he and
his parents have been through. He
was out playing with his little friends.
He rode bicycle, played marbles
and assisted in flying a kite He is
the object of the childish envy of ev-
cry boy in Sharon.