The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-03-22
.BUNGLE OF HOTEL
CLERK BLOCKS
RANSOM
Wallpapers Didn't Come For
WhitIa's $4,000
LETTER WENT TO THE POLICE
Was Addressed With Fictitious Super
soription and Was Read by Hotel
Clerk.

Ashtabula Ohio, March 22-Posses
were organized here late last night to
search for the kidnappers of Willie
Whitla of Sharon, Penn, who are be-
lieved to be in hiding near this city
with the capture
The $4,000 ransom demanded for
Willie Whitla's return to his parents
lay under the butt of the big cannon
in Flatiron Park, Ashtabula, Ohio all
Saturday night, hidden there by Jas.
p. Whitla the boys father. That the
child's kidnappers failed TO take the
money and return the child is charg.
ed to an Ashtabula hotel clerks bun
Cling OF the letter Of the kidnappers
TO Mr. Whitla containing final instruc-
tons to the parent
While Mr. Whitla last night was
planting the ransom in Flatiron Park
and awaiting the return of his son a
sound OF detectives under command
OF G. c. Perkins, head of the Perkins
Detective Agency, of Pittsburg. was
hidden in the Holenden hotel here, a
specil train prepared for their speedy
transportation TO Ashtabula The mo
pent the return Of the boy to- his
father should be communicated to
them
Near Ashtabula was another squad
while twenty mounted members Of
the Pennsylvania State Constabulary
who on Saturday assisted in the
search in Ohio, waited on the Ohio
line for the signal.
The bungling OF Clerk Temple of
the Smith house, Ashtabula, foiled the
recovery Of Willie Whitla and the plan
concocted by James p. Whitla. Dis
trict Attorney Cochran OF Sharon and
the detectives Friday On that day
Whitla received a message from the
kidnappers 1t was written in part
by little Willie himself The rest of
the letter was the writing OF n wom-
ana woman whose trace has been
seen in the kidnapping before and
whose arrest was predicted in Pitts
burg Friday night
Other letters, scores of them. had
been received, apparently the product
of disOrdered minds, or from persons
trying to induce the placing of money
In some secluded spot. where men,
taking advantage of the kidnapping
plot, could gain the ransom. This
letter was vouched for by the writing
of Willie Whitla. In it Whitla was
directed to enquire in the Smith
House Ashtabula for a letter address.
ed TO c. A. White. Whitla absented
himself from Sharon secretly. A de
tective simulated his voice in tele.
phone communications No one had
| access to Whitla himself w. w
Schilling. Whita's legal associate, re
presenting him when personal appear
ance was necessary.
Going to the Smith house last night
Whitla found the hotel in a buzz OF
comment. A youth had entered the
hotel earlier in the evening. inQuir
ing for c. A. White Clerk Temple
said no such guest was there. The
boy left letter addressed to c. A
White and disappeared Temple. puz
zled, opened the letter A Cleveland
| ~ N''AAhS AltAh iNdu AilN uhAulutllNs 1T
recognized in It final instructions tC
Whitla. The travelling man took it tC
| Police Chief, and the hotel soon buz
zed with the information.
Confederates of the kidnappers un
doubtedly saw the bunging of the
letter. They probably saw Whitla ar
rive just as the travelling man return
ed to the hotel with the letter. Whit
la claimed It, II directed him to place
$4,000 under the butt of the cannon
in Flatiron Park at 9 O'Clock in the
evening and to return at 3 o'clock il
the morning Should the money be-
gone Whita was to wait in the Smitl
House the return of Willie The boy
was to come into the hotel alone.
Whitla carried out instructions t
the letter though hopeless because o
the bungling Of the letter He ner
vously awaited the hour of o'clock
Going to the park he fumbled ner
vously under the big cannon. Tn,
money was there The kidnapper:
warned by the bungling of the letter
had fled. Whitla awaited for hour,
some other move
Whitla is doubly anxious becaus,
Mrs Whitla, with hope reused onl,
to be dashed to bits, is closely border
ing on collapse.