The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-11
Before Arriving at Penitentiary to Begin
Life Sentence Drags Name of Sharon
Citizen into Celebrated
Whitla Case.
AYERS THAT HARRY FORKER is
MAN WHO, PLANNED ABDUCTION
Penalty for Mrs. Boyle Fixed at Twenty-Five Years.;
Both Prisoners Collapse When Sentence
Is Passed.

rem, o., due there at ILLS o clock, with
escort
(There is no signature TO the let
tcr.)
"T left Cleveland at S:15 a. IN.
and arrived AT Warren at 1O:06 a. m,
then proceeded 70 Niles, o. by street
car. I arrived a. Warren at lis, but;
failing 10 see the boy and his escort,
I got off at Warren and remained in
the vicinity Of the depot.
"About ten minutes later. boy and
escort arrived, and | was then Informed
that they drove from Sharon to War
rem | Informed the party TO take the
boy mp along the Pittsburg q Western
track, leave him there and that | would
attend to the rest of if, which he pro
cccded TO do.
Movements Detailed.
81 brought the hoy to Niles, o.,
from there 20 Ashtabula, and then to
Cleveland On March 22. | received
letter from Mr.. Forker stating that
some one had informed Mr.. Whitla that
they had recognized his boy on March
Is in Niles. o.. and that James Boyle
of Sharon was with him: also that MI
Whtla was afraid TO divulge the IN
formation for fear the boy might come
TO harm, and telling me TO he careful
and be on tho alert. and that when |
received the money 10 immediately sur
render those Youngstown letters, 10
send same TO him at Sharon and on
| Tuesday, April %, TO return half the
ransom money to him. and he would
turn over the same to the party who
took Willie Whitla TO Warren.
Whitla Promised Immunity.
,, .ITpon learning that my name was
mentioned in connection with the case,
Il 4. H.. coll l,NH n
land at Fifty-third street and St Claire
avcnue. showed him the letter that
passed between Mr. Forker and myself,
also the Youngstown letters, and Mr..
| Whitla promised that if i would sub
stantiatc the truth of the Youngstown
| letters he would see there would be no
| prosecution.
81 then surrendered through Mr.
| Whitla all the letters that were IN my
i possession and the world knows the re
! suit / was arrested and convicted and
! deprived by my own counsel Of telling
my story on the stand. | Informed my
wife the boy was brought in order to
escape being quarantincd In the pest
| house and we were to be handsomely
! rewarded for taking care of him.
''This unfortunate woman was dupcd
| from start 70. finish in regard to the boy
and 7 was dipped, from the moment |
|
| session. AS my counsel afterwards in
formed me, / had nothing to show or to
prove and that it was a matter of We
! racity-thcir word against mine. / had
| given up every scintilla ! had and now
/ am settled for This story is as true
as there is God above us.
(Signed) "JAMES BOYLE.
''Mercer, Pa.
"May 10, 1907
Both Boyle and his wife collapsed
co:.plctely upon hearing their sentences
pronounced When they were started
back 10 the Jail from the courtroom
Boyle managed to walk with assistance
down the steps, but upon reaching the
front door he became limp and unable
TO stand. He was lifted into the old
fashioned omnibus in which the pris
oners have been transported for severa
days between the courthouse and the
Jail. When be was placed upon Tho
seat inside the vehicle. he was left foI
moment unsupported and fell nearly
out Gf il before he was caught. H'
was utterly unable TO support himself
and had to he held all the way to jai
and to be carried to his cell.
Woman Utterly Collapscs.
Mrs. Boyle was even in worse con
dition She was unable 10 walk dowT
tho steps from the courthouse 70 tn
street and was carried by Sheriff Ches
and Chief of Police Liyermorc dowI
three lghts of stairs 10 the street. Sh
was lifted into the omnibus and wbe'
the Jail was reached she was agan
lifted out by three officers and carried
TO her cell. where she wept violently
No handouts were placed on either pris
oner on the journey back to their cells