Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-03-24
WHITLA KIDNAPERS
FOIL DETECTIVES
TRAP SET AT ASHTABULA, O., is
AVOIDED.
PLACE $4,000 IN PARK
Father Deposits Money as Note In
structs But Abductors Stay
Away While the Police Are
on Guard.

Sharon, Pa. Mar. 22.-Weary and
worn, and showing in his face the ter
rible strain under which he has been
for the last four days, ]. P. Whitla,
father of Willie Whitla, the kidnapped
boy, returned from fruitless trip to
Cleveland, where he expected to find
trace of his missing son.
Upon what information the hope
was based was not given out, but a
conference was held at Mr.. Whitls's
Office, after which Mr.. Whitla, Gilbert
B. Perkins, head of a detective
agency in Pittsburg, and B. F. Ward
! Of a Philadelphia detective agency.
left Sharon Saturday evening without
making their destination known. In
| fact their departure was taken so
quietly that it was not even known
here that Mr.. Whitla was in the
party. But few hours were sufficient
20 convince them that all the Cleve-
land clews were false, and sorrowfully
they returned to the home of the
missing lad, where the mother and
sister awaited the news of their mis-
sion.
I'VE know no more now" said Mr..
Whitla, on his return home, than we
did before, and we seem to be no
farther along with the search than we
were Saturday night
Believe Kidnapers Will Wait.
And yet, in spite of all his efforts
having been in vain so far, Mr.. Whit
Ia and his family have not given up
| hope of recovering the boy. 1t is the
general belief here that the abductors.
realizing to what extent the public is
| aroused over the kidnapping, will not
dare open up correspondence with
Mr.. Whitla at present, but hoping
that something may divert the pub
lie attention, will then communicate
with the father privately and await
his assurances that the whole matter
will be kept quiet till after the boy
has been returned, the reward paid
and they have had time to get away.
The terrible anxiety and uncer-
tainty as to their little ones fate has
had its effect on both the parents of
the boy. The father refuses to sleep
at all, and keeps up through sheer
will power. The mother, who will
not allow her daughter, Salina, out of
her sight, is showing the effects of
the worry, and yesterday physicians
gave orders that she be not allowed
to see any visitors.
New CIeW at Sharon.
A clew was obtained yesterday in
which little credence is placed, how
ever On March 1, the local police
department received a circular an
nouncing a reward for a man de-
scribed as Samuel G. Levanson of
Canton, o., said to be wanted there
for the theft of $500.
Janitor Wesley G. Sloss of the
! school from which Willie Whitla was
taken, when shown the circular bear
ing a portrait of the man wanted, de-
clared it bore a strong resemblance
to the abductor. General feeling,
however, is that the janitor has had
SO many things on his mind during
the last few days that he is likely to
imagine a resemblance which does
not exist.
AshtabuIa Trap Fails.
Cleveland, O., Mar 22.-After fail
ing in an attempt to negotiate set
Element for the return of his kid
mapped SON, Willie, in a park at Ash
tabula yesterday, ]. P. Whitla has re-
turned to his home in Sharon.
Whitla was instructed in letter
from the kidnapers to leave $4,000
in Flatiron park Saturday night. If
no detectives were about, the kidnap-
ers promised, they would secure the
money and deliver the boy safely to
the father in a hotel at Ashtabula at
three o'clock Sunday morning.
Whitla deposited the money as re-
quested, but the Ashtabula police
learned of the plans to pay the ram
som and went to the park. The kid
napers are supposed to have seen
them, for at six o'clock the money
was intact and not man had ap-
preached the spot at which it had
been left.
Whitla had a score of detectives
and % members of the Pennsylvania
state constabulary in readiness in
this city to start a search for the kid
napers as soon as he had safely Sc
cured the boy.
The police of Ashtabula are unwill-
ing to believe that the kidnapers have
left that section of the country. AL
though Whitla has instructed them to
discontinue their search, as he be-
lieves it is useless, they are attempt
ing TO find the hiding place of the kid
napers.
The letter from the captors OF
Willie Whitla came to the boys par
ents in Sharon, Pa, Friday after
noon.