The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-11
LIFE SENTENCE GIVEN KiDNkPER
 OF WHITLA BOY
tcoNrINuEp FROM PAGE 1

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 amount of money and would then turn some over to me- which was satisfac- tory at that time.
 On my leaving Sharon, on March 12, 1909, 1 proceeded to Cleveland, O.. and on the same evening addressed to MT. Forker, No. 2449 East State street, Sharon, Pa, letter which read as fol- lows:
 Letter To Forker. " MT Harry Forker Sharon. Pa.
 "Dear Sir-I have decided not to wait any longer in regard to the money proposition, and If I do not hear from you soon there will be some exposing. Sincerely yours. J. J. BAILEY,
 "'Cleveland, O. "On March Is, 1909. reveived an an- swer to the same which read:
 "sFriend Bailey-You knew the cir cumstances and the promise made you when you left here, but if you are really desperately in need of money, as you profess to be, will outline little plan which. with your cooperation can be very successfully carried out, viz: The abduction of J. P. Whitla's son. l can arrange to have the boy brought to Warren, O., due there at HIS, with es- cort.'
 (There is no signature to this let ter).
 "I left Cleveland at s:15 a. m., and arrived at Warren at 1006 a. m., then proceeded to Niles, O.. by street car. l boarded an Erie train and arrived at Warren at Il IS a. m, but failing to see the boy and his escort l got off at Warren and remained in the vicinity of the depot.
 About 10 minutes later boy and escort arrived and I was then informed that
 
 T instructed the party to take the boy up along the Pittsburg and Western track leave him there and that I would attend to the rest of it, and which he proceeded to do.
 Trip To Cleveland.
 After making inquiries as to the next train to Cleveland l brought the boy to Niles, O., from there to Ashtabula and then to Cleveland. On March 22 l received a letter from Mir. Forl1er that some one had informed MT. Whitla that they had recognized his boy on March IS in Niles, O., 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 some harm, and telling me to be careful and be on the alert and that when 1 received the money to immediately surrender the. Youngstown letters. to send the same to hlm, MT. f'Orker. at SharOn and on IueS- day, April 23 to return half of the ran som money to him, MT. Forker, and he would turn over the same to the party who took Willie Whitla to Warren. Upon learning that my name was men, tioned in connection with the case l made 1t point to meet MT. Whtla personally in Cleveland at Fifty-third street and St. Claire avenue: showed him the letter that passed between MT. Forker and myself and also the Youngstown letter and Whit la promised that if l would substantiate the truth of the Youngstown letters he would see there would be no prosecution.
 Letters Given Up.
 'I then surrendered through MT. Whitla all the letters that were in my possession and the world knows the rest. I was ar- rested and convicted and deprived by my own counsel from telling my story on the stand. l informed my wife the boy was brought in order to escape being quarantined in the pesthouse and we were to be handsomely rewarded for taking care of him.
 This unfortunate woman was duped from the start to finish in regard to the boy and l was duped from the moment I let the letters go into MT, Whitla's pos session. As my counsel afterwards in- formed me l had nothing to show or to prove and that 1t was a matter of yer acity-their word against mine, I had given up every scintilla I had and now I am settled for. This story is as true as there is God above us"
 The statement is signed James Boyle, Mercer, Pa, May 19, 19O9."