Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-25


poets lii connection With the llidnap-
ping Of Willie Whitla for over four
hours. Chief of Police Kohler said to-
day that he was confident the people
We're in possession of the lad all of the
time he was absent from home.
The woman has confessed that she
was in charge of the boy" said the
chief 'She says she was in Cleveland
with Willie for four days. They room
ed in the east part of the city
Il believe that she first met the boy
and man outside of Cleveland, proba-
bly, in Ashtabula and then came here
with them. They We're in Cleveland
with the boy from midnight Thursday
until Monday night
| she admits that she disguised her
self as nurse while the boy was in
her hands. \ short time before the
people were picked up by the police we
| secured her disguise and two of her
grips. The moment she entered my Of
fee 1 threw the nurses apron over her
shoulders and placed the cap on her
| head She objected at first but finally
| smiled and admitted that the goods be-
| longed to her.
| Attempts to make either the man or
| the woman reveal his or her name We're
| useless. The woman said when her
identity became known it would show
that she was of a good family The
man said his name was John Doe. The
woman claimed that they were man
and wife.
Chief OF Police Grain of Sharon was
| communicated by Chief kohler today
He promised to start for this city at
once and take charge of the suspects
They have signiied their Willingness
to return to Pennsylvania without re-
QUESTION papers.
The suspects were landed in the po-
lice station after the man had made
a Gesperate effort to escape from the
police. He jerked away 'from Captain
Shattuck on the street near the police
station ana ran. Captain Shattuck fired
two shots at the fleeing man. and the
suspect. thorough frightened, stopped
and surrendered.
"On. it's all off now" said the Wo-
man as she entered the police station
door. You got us dead to rights.
There. viii be he'll in Sharon when
Bull hears of this"
When the woman was searched IN
$40 and $40 determinations We're found
seWed carefully on the inner Sfde OF
her skirt. This is the shape in which
Nj. Whita withdrew the money which
he paid to the kidnappers in this city.
A general description of the packages
of money was read over a telephone
to Mr.. Whitla at his home in sharon
and he said he believed 1t was the
same money which he had lett as Il
ransom for the captors OF has son. bli's
and loose change to the amount Oh
$3.50 were found in the pockets OF the
man suspect when he was Searcheu'
This brought the total amount OF mon
ey that the two suspects had up I"
$9s4S.5O.
AT first the woman refused to talk 10
the police She is said to nave petli
slightly intoxicated when arrested anu
hoping that her condition might be pet
ter later the police locked her up TOT
a few hours. Shortly before daybreak
Chief Kohler escorted her into his prl-
cate office and then began griillng
examination of her. She appeared
frightened when he threw the nurses
gown over her shoulders. She was an
DIV, too and attempted to pull the
chiaf,s hair She became reconclled IN
:, few minutes and talked ABOUT the
kldnappng in a commonplace h''lil..r
IT used to get the newspapers every
day." she said. MY, I had lot Oh iuii
reading the prophecies of the difereht
.,ortbs and near sleuths. There were a
lot of things charged up to the folks VINO
had the boy that were not true.
That the woman is clever and OF sood
education was proven by her CONVERSE
tion She carefully warded Off every au-
vance that the police made Which mlshl
have caused her to answer queStioliS
which she should not have answered. que
has not confessed that she kidnapped the
hov-far from it-she has said that she
was in charge of him but that is as far as
her story goes.
AS she tripped out of the door OF '"e
chiefs office and encountered crowd "i
newspaper men in the hall she SAID;
eft looks like a parade this morning
doesn't it?" Then she laughed ana went
back to her cell
"Iohn Doe" her mysterious man part
ner. proved q tartar. He walked into the
chiefs office cautiously.
E,verv question that lie was asked ne
answered guardedly. Chief kohler asked
him about himself. his name. how long
he had been in Cleveland and score OF
other questions.
"You tell the answers first and then
will tell them back to yon.' answered the
suspect.
The chief told him how he had traced
him i'm the last two days watched nm
buv goods. drink and eat. He told nm
what he ate on Monday night for dinner
and then what he ate Tuesday night al
ter the ransom money had been paid Y"
the kidnappers The second meal was oil
far better quality than the first. SAD the
chief Instead of trying to explain 10
| the chief how he had raised the money
doe" merely smiled and kept quiet.
Listen to what the woman tells you
| Whatever she says goes he remarked
| once to the police,
The woman herself is reported to have
said during the course of the night:
81 am the kid that framed up this job.
| all right
The woman IS tall and blonde and ap-
| parently about 81 years old. although she