The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-05-11
BOYLE GETS LIFE
SENTENCE, WIFE
70 YEARS
Convicted Kidnapers Vigorously
Dealt With
BOTH COLLAPSE IN JAIL
Woman Denied that She Was Guilty
and Man Denied Criminal
Record.
BOTH COLLAPSE IN JAIL

Mercer, Penn, May Thames
Boyle was sentenced yesterday to life
IMPRISONMENT in the Western Peni-
Tertiary at Pittsburg for the kidnap-
/ ing of ''Billy" Whitla. Mrs. Boyle, IN
dicted ais Mary Doe, received SEN
tence of twenty-five years, with me
of 81. 900 and the costs OF the prosecu-
| ton.
! Boyle did not utter word prior 10
his sentence. His counsel, however
lmade a plea for both Boyle and his
! wife, pleading for leniency IN Dolh
cases. He stated that until recent
period the extreme penalty Tor KID
naping in Pennsylvania was ten years
and in view of the fact that the boy
had been treated with great consld-
Grafton and all care had been taken
not to inhict unnecessary mental an
guish upon the parents, he felt leni-
ency might be asked for with proprie
| ty.
After Judge Miller of counsel for
the Boyles had completed his plea Tor
lleniency In behalf of his clients, Judge
Williams, the presiding Judge, tod
Boyle to stand up, and asked him II
he had anything to say why sentence
should not be pronounced upon him.
Boyle merely said:
II have not"
Judge Williams then addressed the
prisoner and told him of the heinous-
ness of the crime of which he mad
been convicted. The court said;
The crime of child-stealing in anc-
lent times was punishable by death.
In PENNSYLVANIA the law is more leni-
Ient. 1t was stated by the attorneys
THAT you took good care of the boy,
but YOU did so because he was your
lprize package. You had to treat him
well to get what money was demand
led
Since your arrest we have inyesti-
gated your record. We find-that you
have been convicted in Mercer County
Court previously to your arrest for
kidnapping. You have been charged
with larceny, receiving stolen goods,
assault and battery and many other
shady transactions. All these have
had their influence with this court in
making it come to the decision that
your punishment shall be the maxi
mum sentence, namely Imprisonment
for life"
After the sentence had been impos-
ed on Boyle he arose and said to the
court:
Your Honor, you are wrong about
my record"
Il think not. 1t is matter OF
court record" replied the judge.
When Mrs. Boyle was ordered tc
stand up to receive sentence. she was
asked if she had anything to say
Il did not do it, and think the evi
dence upon which I was convicted
was very fiimsy,' she said.
THAT was matter for the jury tC
determine" said Judge Williams, ant
then after a brief review of the case
he imposed the sentence.
Both Boyle and his wife collapsed
completely upon hearing their senten
ces pronounced. When they were
started back to the Jail from the cour
room Bayle managed to walk withou
assistance down the stairs, but upor
reaching the front door he became
limp and unable to stand. He wal
lifted into the oldfashioned omnibus
in which the prisoners have beer
transported for several days between
the Court House and the Jail. Wher
he was placed upon the seat insid,
the vehicle he was left for a momen
unsupported and fell nearly out of 1
J before he was caught He was utter
ly unable to support himself and hat
to be held all the way to the jail ant
, carried to his cell.
Mrs Boyle was in even worse con
dition. She was unable to walk dowl
the steps from the Court House to tn,
street and was carried by Sheriff
Cress and Chief of Police Livermor,
down three flights of stairs to tn,
street. She was lifted into the omni
bus and when the Jail was reached
she was again lifted out by the sam,
officers and carried to her CELL where
she wept violently. No handcuff!
were placed on either prisoner on tn,
, journey back to their cells, as it wa!
considered unnecessary to manaclt
them in the condition in which they
: were.