The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-03-23
Willie Whllta, Back Again,
Tells His Story
OF STRANGE ABDUCTION
Father Waited in a Cleveland Hotel Last
Night, According to Agreement
With Kidnapers, and the
Boy Walked In.

for whom his father, j. p whitla, paid
$4,000 TO the kidnapers, is again with
his father, mother and sister to-day. At
noon to-day the thousands who we're
waiting at the station here eheered as
the train rolled in from Cleveland Hun.
dreds Of them insisted on shaking hands
and seven minutes later the mother had
her boy. Mr.. Whitla has given the po-
lice all the information possible as to
the identity of the kidnapers, and the
arrest Of the woman who got the money
at Cleveland is expected soon.
Cleveland, Ohio, March 23.--Iittle Will
lie Whitla, who has caused his parents
great anxiety and the police Of the entire
country worry since he was kidnapped
from school in Sharon, Pa, last Thurs
day, was returned to his father at the
Hollenden hotel here last night at $3.50
o'clock. In compliance with an agree
ment entered into between the boys IA
thar and an agent of the ksdnapers here
yesterday, the boy was placed on a street
car on the outskirts of the city and
started to the hotel shortly after eight
o'clock. Two boys, G. W. Ramsey and
Edward Mahoney, recognized the lad on
the car and taking him in charge con-
Quoted him to his father, who was in
waiting according to prearranged plan
which he had followed at the dictation
of the kidnapers. The boy wandered
about the hotel lobby unannounced for
several minutes, asking bell boys for his
father, before the latter knew his son
was In the big foyer, The moment Mr..
Whitla heard that strange boy was in
the hotel sauntering about in aimless
fashion, he rushed across the lobby,
grasped him in his arms and smothered
his face with kisses.
An attempt had been made to disguise
the lad. He wore pair of,-Fmokedt |
glasses and large tan cap which was
pulled down over his ears, and his father
said it would have been difficult to have
recognized the boy in such garb had
he passed him on the street.
Willie is in good health. He says that
he had been well treated and ever since
his capture 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
school boy way, that he was in Ashta-
buIa on Saturday night at the time his
father was to leave his $4,000 in Flat
Iron park.
Mr. Whitla refused to say whether he
had paid the ransom or not. He said
that he received letter yesterday from
the kidnapers at his home in Sharon,
saying that If he called at confectionery
store in the east end of Cleveland. he
would be told how to secure his boy I'M
harmed and "well fed"
Had an Interview.
Shortly after noon he left Sharon for
Cleveland. He was unaccompanied. His
immediate family and the private de-
tectives he had in his employ had been
apprised by him Of the proposed secret !
meeting, but he insisted that he must
make the trip alone, unheralded, and
that no attempt at the capture Of theI
kidnapers must be made then. MIR. Whit |
la was certain that ii he spoiled the
plans of his sons captors last night |
he would never see the lad again. His |
experience at Ashtabula served as a |
warning.
About two o'clock yesterday afternoon
he went to a candy store in the East I
End. With him he carried the $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 distracted eagerness,
W'hitla agreed to them immediately De.
tectiycs in his employ say that he paid
the money, but on this point the father |
declines to commit himself. Half an hour
later he returned to the Hollenden hotel i
and awaited developments.
True to the agreement, the boy re-
turned and was received by the father,
while the crowd cheered.
The Boys Story.
Papa" said the boy, in q tone of
childish prattle. II have been buggy
riding, been on cars and in nice big
white house that looked like q hospital.
have been treated nice and had lots 1
Of good things to eat
Zone man, tall and with black nous
taehe, came to the schoolhouse Thursday /
and told my teacher that you wanted me
at your Office. went out to a buggy |
with him. Then we rode away. On the
way down town he asked me to address
a letter to you. | did this and then
dropped it into mail box. He was
awfully kind.
"We went from Sharon to Warren. We
had the incest trip. The man, who was
the same one who brought me to the
ear line tonight was nice to me. Geel
de was good.
when we got to place the man said
was Warren, the man left the buggy in
the road. Then We got on what ! think
was an electric car. | don't just remem
Der what It was, but it was something
like a street car. don't know what
beeame of the horse and buggy. / was
asleep when We got on the car and |
slept much Of the way to where we were
going.
when we got to town that the man
salled Newcastle, they took me to big
building and turned me over to . woman.
She was good to me. The hospital, OF