The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-03-23

lobby unannounced for several min
utes asking bell boys for his father
before the latter knew his son was in
the big foyer.
The moment the anxious parent
heard that a strange boy was in the
hotel sauntering in aimless fashion he
rushed across the lobby, grasped him
in his arms and smothered his face
with kisses.
MY boy" he cried.
Tears were streaming from the
strong mans eyes as he grasped the
boy in his arms and rushed for the
stairway.
Dramatic Scene Enacted.
A dramatic scene was enacted as
the father seized his son in his arms.
Only few seconds was required to
tell the crowd in the lobby that it was
Whitla and his son they saw rushing
for the stairs.
Speech, Speech" was the cry.
The father kept OH weeping as he
fled. He remained in the room he had
prepared for the boy for some time.
When he reappeared the cries for a
speech were redoubled in volume. the
hotel by that time being filled with
the curious. Men pressed forward to
press the fathers hand. Finally he
stood up beside divan.
Il can't speak, my heart is too full. ;"
he said. Il can only say that this is
my son who was lost and is found. |
want to thank the people of Cleveland,
the press and the police for their kind
ness and sympathy. l never could
have stood it but for the thousands
of friends that came to me-
Whitla senior refused to state
whether he had paid the ransom or
not. He said that he received a letter
yesterday from the kidnapers at his
home in Sharon saying that if he call
ed at a confectionery store in the East
End of Cleveland he would be told
how to secure his boy unframed and
well fed"
Leaves Sharon for Cleveland.
Shortly after noon he left Sharon
for Cleveland. He was unaccompan-
lied. His immediate family and the
Sprivate detectives he appraised of the
proposed secret meeting, but insisted
that he make the trip alone. Every
one of them was warned that he must
be allowed to go UNDECIDED and no at
tempt at the capture of the kidnapers
be made.
Whitla was certain that if he spoil
ed the plans of his sons captors last
, night he would never see the boy
again. His experience at Ashtabula
served as warning.
About o'clock in the afternoon he
went to candy store in the East End
With him he carried the $4,000. ex-
pecting that it would be demanded of
him there. He was met by a woman,
who detailed to him the terms of the
kidnapers. sa.s% r.. <-.
With all the eagerness of distract
ed parent, Whitla agreed to them i'm
mediately. Detectives in his employ
say that he paid the money, but on
this point the father declines to COM
NIT himself
Half an hour later he returned to
Vic AAOiiSnuCA AOtCl anu DIV d4lCu uS.
velopments. His entrance was shroud-
ed in secrecy. BY previous arrange
ment made with the hotel manage
ment he did not register.
Woman Bears Message.
The woman at the candy store had
done her duty. She communicated
with the captors of the boy and told
them that the father had made no at
tempt to trap them. The kidnapers
were satisfied. ...@
But Whitla senior declines to name
the woman in charge Of the confec-
tionery store and almost dares the po-
lice to locate her.
So the boy was brought from his
hiding place-where 1t was no one
knows-to car line in the East End
of the city which would bring him into
town quickly.
The kidnaper, according to Willie,
was cheerful enough. The mysterious
one and the youngster skipped in
schoolboy fashion toward the trolley
line, jesting in the mean time.
Places Eyeglasses on Boy.
"A lew ICu6 1IOuI Luc CAF line the
man stopped the boy. Pulling pair
of smoked glasses from his pocket he
adjusted them to the boys head with
the remark:
You'll Look better in these"
The sides of the black yarn cap
were pulled carefully over the boy 8
ears. A slip which he was to hand
the conductor was nnf in Tho hoy'S
pocket. 1t read:
Send this boy to the Hollenden
Hotel double quick"
Willie says the man told him that
If anybody asked him who took him to
the car line to tell them it was Mr.
Jones'"
"Just tell them your name is Jones,
too, if you want to-" said the kidnaper.
"All right, Mr. jones'" answered
Willie