Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1909-03-26
DEMANDED $4,000
FOR RETURN OF YOUNG WHITLA
OF SHARON, PA.
When Father of Boy Left the Money at
the Place Named by the Kidnapers
They Failed to Get It and Kept the
Boy-Police Spoil Their Plan-one
Suspect Arrested.

Cleveland, Ohio, March %. = The
whole story of the frustrated attempt
to pay over $4,000 in ransome for the
return of Willie Whitla, the lad stolen
from the schoolyard at Sharon, Pa, re-
Gently, has become known. J. p. Whit
la, the father, was instructed in letter
from the kidnapers to leave the money
in park Saturday night. If no de-
tectives were about the kidnapers prom
ised they would secure the money and
deliver the boy safely to the father in
hotel at Ashtabula at clock Sun
day morning.
Whitla deposited the money as re-
quested, but the Ashtabula police
learned of the plans to pay the ransom
and went to the park. The kidnapers
are supposed to have seen them, for at
6 o CLOCK the money was intact and not
a man had appeared at the spot where
it was left.
Whitla had score of detectives and
% members of the Pennsylvania con-
stabulary in readiness in this city to
start search for the kidnapers as soon
as he had recovered the boy.
Money Under Rock in a Gorge.
The letter fromrthe captors of Willie
came to the boys parents in Sharon,
Pa, on Friday. Instructions were given
Whitla to go alone to Ashtabula Sat
urday night and place the $4,000 at 8
o'clock under a rock at the base of a
gorge in the park. If the money was
obtained by the kidnapers they prom
ised the stolen boy would be sent to the
Smith hotel in Ashtabula unframed at
3 o CLOCK the following morning. Whitla
was instructed specifically that he was
to be acc" panied by no one when he
went to deposit the money.
Immediately on receipt of the letter
Whitla called in private detectives in
his employ. They wanted to place de-
coy package of bills at the designated
spot, but Whitla would not agree to this.
He finally consented to permit the de-
tectives to accompany him to this city
and await his summons to begin a
search Tor the kidnapers.
Whitla left Cleveland for Ashtabula
at clock. He was accompanied by
Detective McCabe. The latter was to
act as his bodyguard, but was not to q
with Whitla to the park.
In keeping with their promise in their
first letter, the kidnapers sent a second
letter a few minutes after 9 CLOCK
addressed to G. A. White, care of the
Smith hotel, Ashtabula.
When no one called for the missive
half an hour later, the clerk became
curious and opened the envelope and
Mayor Cook and Chief Laskey were ap-
prised of it's contents. The mayor or
dered all of his police to institute a
search for the captors.
Whitla left the package of bills in the
park promptly at o'clock. He went
to the designated spot alone, feeling GER
tain that his compliance with the re-
quest of the kidnapers would prove the
means of delivering his boy back to him.
Three policemen who had been sent
out from the Ashtabula central station
saw Whitla leave the money in the park.
They told Chief Laskey of their discov-
cry and received instructions to remain
on guard at the park and capture the
robbers.
Whitla had established communica-
ton with his detectives in Cleveland
meantime. They advised him to go to
the hotel for his boy exactly at the
time set. He promised to observe orders.
Whitla started after his boy five min
utes later. On the way policeman in.
formed him that three of their number
had been on guard at the park and no
one had called for the money. Whitla
was overcome at this news. He went to
the park and found his package of
money undisturbed. During the remain
der of the night and all day today the
officers searched in vain the country
around Ashtabula.
Clue to One Scoundrel.
Tommy Muscarelli, 10 years old, says
that it was he who carried the note
from the kidnapers to the hotel. He
said he and another boy were met on
the street by a man who told them to
take the note. The boys describe the
man as being of dark complexion, about
80 years old and weighing 14O pounds.
A man and a boy, believed to be Willie
WbitIa and one Of his l<idnaDerS are