The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1909-03-25
A CHILD KIDNAPPED
Willie Whitla, Aged 8, Taken
from School at Sharon, Pa
NO CLUE TO THE PERPETRATORS
Willie Whtla, 8 Years Old, Taken
From His School at Sharon, Pa
Held For $4,000 Ransom-ferms
Complied With, But Plan Fails.

On last Friday Willie Whitla, 8
years old, was kidnapped from school
at Sharon, Pennsylvania. A well
dressed man drove up to the school
and told the ianitor that Willie 3
father had sent him to bring Willie
to his office. Not suspecting any
thing wrong the teacher fixed Willie
up and sent him on, in light pleasun-
try saying she hoped he was not be-
ing kidnapped.
All too soon she found that it was
a stern reality. A letter was received
Friday in Willie's own hand which
read:
Dear Father:
Two bad men have me, and If YOU
don't send $4,000 they will kill me
In do days. Willie Whitla.
There was nothing on the envelope
to denote where the letter had been
mailed.
Frank H. Buhl, a millionaire uncle
OF Willie's took a decided interest in
the case and will freely pay the $1O,-
0Os for his safe reorvery.
1t was reported from that CITY
that two men and boy answering the
description of the kidnappers and
their victim have been seen there.
consequently the supposition is that
Mr.. Buhl has received word which
made him believe his nephew was in
Cleveland or that vicinity. The bug
gy In which the child was taken from
school was located at Warren
Ohio, and as the Cleveland papers
were among those specified, in which
the demand of the kidnappers for a
$4,000 ransom should be answered
by personal advertisement, all evil
dence seemed to indicate that deycl-
opments In the mysterious case was
centercd about the Lake City.
A clue was secured Sunday, in
which little credence is placed. how
ever. On March l the local postoffice
department received a circular an
nounclng a reward for a man de-
sei1bed as Samuel C. Leavanson, of
canton. o.. said to be wanted there
1or the theft of $400. Janitor Wes-
icy I. Snss. of the school from which
Wine was taken, when shown the cir
cular bearing a portrait of the man
wanted, declared il bore a strong re.
semblance to the abductor.
A Cleveland, O., special on Sunday
says: Whitla was instructed in =
letter from the kidnappers to leave
$4,000 in Flat Iron Park SATURDAY
night. If no detectives were about
Inc kldnappers promised they would
denver the boy safely TO the father
IN hole! at Ashtabula at 8 O'Clock
sunday morning. Whitla deposited
tne money as requested, but the Ash
taouia poilce learned of the plans 10
pay the ransom and went TO the park
Inc kldnapers are supposed to have
seen them, for at clock the MONEY
was intact and not a man had an
preached the spot.
"hltla believes that the failure to
enect a settlement with him will
1nghten the kidnapers and they will
not communicate with him again.
:. lhe police of Ashtabula are unw;I.
hns TO believe that the kidnapers r
nave left that section of the country
>. Inc letter from the captors of vii.
lie Mhitla came TO the bows paren..
In Sharon Friday afternoon.
| =, eips VI tne letter w hltia
eaiied IN private dectives and asked
their advice. They were anxious r.
capture e kidnapers and pleaded
| Win MIN TO permit them 10 place 8
deeoy package of bills at the desi,,.
mated spot and let officers lie in wal,
and capture the men who came afts]
| the money.
] Whitla would not agree to this. III,
finally consented TO permit the detee
hves TO accompany him to this cit,
and await his summons to start :
search for the kidnapers.
Promptly at 10 o'clock Whitla lef
the package of bills in the park. FL,
went ito the designated spot alone
1eellng certain that his eomplianc,
with the request of the kidnaper,
would prove the means Of deliverin,
his boy back TO him.
Three policemen who had been SEN
out from the Ashtabula central sta
ton saw Whitla leave the money n
the park. They appraised Chief Las
Key OF their discovery and received
instructions to remain on duty ant
capture the kidnapers should the,
appear.
In the meantime Whitla returned
to the city and communicated will
his detectives in Cleveland. They ad
vlsed him not TO go to the hotel fol
his boy a minute before the time set
After five hours of anxious waiting
Whita stated after his boy. AS h,
was On his way, a policeman inform
ed HIM that three officers had been OF
guard in the immediate vicinity O,