Arizona republican., 1909-05-11

 STATEMENT Crime Originated In Brain of Whiud's BrOther-in-LdW A VICTIM 0F BLACKMA|L
Grown Desperate by a De- mand For Money as the Price of Silence Regarding an Apparent Murder on a Sidewalk in Youngstown.

Mercer. Pa, May 10.-Before he was taken from here to the penitentiary at Pittsburg today to begin a life sen tence, James Boyle, the convicted kid naper made the statement which both he and his wife have been promising and which they said would shake the country" The statement follows:
 The complete history of the kid naping of Willie Whitla, the origin of same. and what led up to it.
 "On the morning of - between the hours of - Dan Reeble, Jr, was found dead on sidewalk in Youngs- town, and over the prostrate form was Harry Forker. of Sharon, Pa, a brother law of J. P Whitla, holding in his right hand a package of letters gathered from the sidewalk near the body
 As he was about to depart he was intercepted by the writer and a man who has since passed to his reward. Dan Shay, a saloon keeper.
 Tn Forker's hurry to leave the scene he failed to find two envelopes that contained four letters The same were picked up by Shay and later taken to ms place Oi DuSlneSS.
 "The writer and Shay examined and read the contents of the same, which proved beyond a doubt the presence of Forker there at that time.
 "The letters were written by a lady two from a party in New York and the others from Cleveland, Ohio. At later date Forker was apprised of the fact that the writer held these letters and asked if he could use the same. A letter was immediately sent the writer by Forker, stating that he would like to have a personal talk with the writ CT, and meeting took place day or so after. Forker acknowledged that he would pay for the letters. The amount not being considered suffi- cient, was refused. and from that day on, and up until March 1908, the writer on the pretext of exposing the letters and the coincidence of Forker being discovered bending over the prostrate form of Feeble had received at differ ent times amounts of money from Forker to remain silent About six months ago when I returned to Sharon with my wife, l met Forker and in formed him that unless I received s6000 between then and the time I in tended to leave Sharon, I would hold the secret no longer.
 He then informed me that it was impossible for him to get that amount but some time in April, 1908, would get a certain amount of money and settle with me. On my leaving Sharon March 12, 1909, 1 went to Cleveland
 
 wait any longer and if did not hear from him soon there would be some exposing.
 "On March Is, 1909 received an answer as follows: I am really des- perately and need money. I will out line a little plan which with your CO., operation can be very successfully car ried out. viz: The abduction of j. P Whitla's son. I can arrange to have the boy brought to Warren, ohio. due there at 11:1S with an escort I left Cleveland at SIS am. and arrived at Warren at HIS am.
 About ten minutes later the boy and escort arrived and I was then in- formed that they drove from Sharon to Warren. I warned the party to take the boy up along the Pittsburg and Western track, leave him there and that l would attend to the rest which he proceeded to do.
 "On March 22, I received a letter from Forker stating that some one had informed Whitla that they had recog- nized his boy on March IS in Niles and that James Boyle of Sharon was with him, also that MT. Whitla was afraid to divulge the information for fear the boy might come to harm and telling me to be on the alert and when I re- ceived the money immediately to sur render the Youngstown letters, send same to him at Sharon, and on Tues day, April 23 to return half of the ransom money to him. He would turn over the same to the party who took Willie Whitla to Warren.
 Upon learning that my name was mentioned in connection with the case, I met Whitla personally in Cleveland at 53rd street and St. Clair avenue; showed him the letters that had pass ed between Forker and myself; also the Youngstown letters and Whitla promised that if l would substantiate the truth of the Youngstown letters he would see there would be no prosecu- tion.
 q then surrendered through Whitla all the letters in my possession and the world knows the result. I was ar rested and convicted and deprived by my own counsel the opportunity of telling my story on the stand l in