The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-04-14
K|DNAPERS CAPTURED
MONEY RECOVERED
Man and Yelled Woman Arrested
in Cleveland, Ohio.
BOYS STORY REVEALS CAPT0RS
Miscreants Who Stole Little Willie
Whitla, Of Sharon, Pa, Are In
the Clutches of the Police, With
S9S45 of the Ransom Received.

the Clutches of the Police, with
SoS45 of the Ransom Received.
Cleveland, Ohio. - The man who
kidnapped Billie Whitla from his
school at Sharon ard the woman who
assisted him in hiding the little chap
were captured here.
The police also recovered s~984S.5o
of the 100000 paid as a ransom by
James P. Whitla, the boys father.
The couple were caught just before
II o'clock at night by Captain Shat
tuck, of the local police, and Detec-
tive Wood, of the Cleveland bureau.
It is understood that Wood had been
shadowing the man all day. The
man and woman were walking hastily
along Ontario street in the direction
of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
station. Captain Shattuck grasped
the man and said:
Where r you going in sucn
haste?"
The man broke from the police
captain and fled. Al the same time
the woman made a savage attack
ubon Wood, who was holding her.
Shattuck ran after the man, who sur
rendered after two shots had been
fired at him. He stumbled and fell
as Shattuck fired the second time, and
before he could rise his pursuer had
thrown himself upon him.
At the police station the woman
fought savagely against being
searched, but finally quoted down
and accepted the situation. She ap-
peared to be the master mind of the
two, and did the talking.
you've got it now. There'H be
hell to pay in Sharon when Buhl
hears of this. It's the ransom all
right"
Neither Of the prisoners would
give any name and both declined tc
tell anything about themselves. The
woman was handed over to Matron
Louise Love for examination IN a
search for discriminating evidence.
The man readily handed over all the
money he had-$58.50. The woman
made a desperate fight against being
searched. Another woman was called
to assist the matron.
The two women threw the strug-
Cling one to the floor and searched
her. Under her skirts, tied to her
body by cords, they discovered a bag.
Opened, it was found to contain
$500. The money was put up in
separate packages, most Of which
contained $500. In her jacket peck.
ct was some small change.
In a box carried by the woman was
found some clothing, new, and shown
from the sale tags to have been pur-
chased in the Bailey Company's store,
at Ontario and Prospect avenues, only
three blocks from Central Police Sta
ton.
It Is believed that the kidnapers
kept Billie in the old city pest house,
now abandoned. 1t was searched, n
the police say they found traces of re-
cent occupancy. The building is
practically isolated in the far south
eastern part Of the city, and is an ad-
mirable place for the purpose to
which the kidnapers put It. The boy
said that his captors told him there
was smallpox at his house, for Whlcn
reason his father wanted him to stay
away, and he also said that the Wom-
an was dressed like a nurse. This
she no doubt did to deceive any one
who should notice that the old pest
house had tenants.
The bulk of the money found on
the woman was in the original pack
ages as Mr.. Whitla received 1t from
the bank. -.
"This is the money all right" said
CAPTAIN Shattuck, after the matron
had reported her find. ut Is the
money Whitla paid over to the wom-
an in the afternoon. I am satisfied
of that. There is no question, even
though the numbers on some of the
bills had not been verified already,
as has been done. Why, the woman
practically admits we have the right
money. She said when we found it
that we had the money and that there
would be hell to pay in Sharon when
Bull hears of it."
1t appears that the capture was
really brought about through infor-
nation given by Willie Whitla to Mr..
Whitla's friend, Charles Sankey, of
this city, who returned with them to
Sharon. Willie told of the signs he
could see from the window of the
room in which he was kept, and a
detailed description of the man and
woman.
Telling of his arrival in Cleveland
Willie said that the man took him to
a house at II o'clock at night. They
went to a second-foor room, No. 2.
Immediately opposite this room was
No. II, and the man knocked at the
door and the woman appeared.
Here's Mother Jonesy," he said. The
then got supper, and soon
after put him to bed. The woman
was dressed as a nurse, and he was
told he was in a hospital. He was
hidden away in the sink cupboard
several times while there, but other
wise was we'll treated.
The signs Willie saw from the win
dow and which he remembered were
the "Thorpses Hotel" and San
Corso," and he also saw a stone
church. He was also able to tell the
various street car lines that passed
the house.
He said hat the woman told him
before he left to tell his father and
mother that she was middle aged,
,yoru fo+ ond nonE-narkod