Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-05-07
BOYLE GUILTY
OF KIDNAPPING
WHITLA CHILD
IDENTIFICATION OF ABDUCTOR
MADE POSITIVE BY BOY ON
WITNESS STAND
NO DEFENSE Is OFFERED.
Counsel Enters Plea of Nolo Ccutendre
and Jury Returns Verdict Shortly
After Arguments End.
CROWD PACKS THE COURTROOM

MERCER, Pa, May 6.-"Guilty, as
indicted" was the verdict Of the jury
before which the case of James Boyle,
charged with the kidnapping of Billy
Whitla as tried today.
The verdict was a matter of but a few
minutes after the announcement was
made by the counsel for Boyle imme-
diately upon the convention of court aft
er the noon recess, that he would offer
no defense. So tightly were the coils of
testimony wound around the defendant
by the prosecution that the lawyers rep
resenting Boyle decided it was useless
TO offer any evidence III his behalf.
The prosecution had witnesses to ac-
count for almost every movement of
Boyle from the evening before the alb
duction till the time of his arrest in
Cleveland and BILLY" Whitla's testi-
mOny cOrrObOrated that of the other wit
nesses. After the conclusion of the
Boyle case, Mrs. Boyle was taken into
court from the Jail, the intention being
10 take up her case at once
Billy Whitla pointed his finger at the
defendant as he sat in the prisoners box
and said with a poSitiveness that could
not be doubted, That is the man" He
had been asked if he could point out the
man who took him away from Sharon
last March, and his answer was given
without the slightest hesitation.
Hundreds crowded the frail building
serving for temporary courthouse when
court convened this morning, and the
doors were ordered locked to prevent a
possible disaster from Overcrowding.
James Boyle entered formal plea Of not
guilty, the jury selected yesterday were
sworn in, and the opening address to
tba made Inv II q cochran
charge of the prosecution.
Where Bad Boys Go.
Billy WEitIa was the first witness
and before being sworn caused q ripple
of laughter when he answered the ques-
ton as to where boys 90 who do not tell
the truth by saying They go to hell.
In his boyish way he told the story of
the man who said his name was Mr..
Jones calling for him with buggy at
the school and telling him he had been
sent to take HIM away on account OF
smallpox; that he was to take others
also and that Billy would meet his
friends on the train.
Billy" said MIR. Jones" gave him a
letter and asked him to write his moth
er's name and address on it, that he did
so with a pencil, and the man mailed it
in Sharon. When asked to describe the
difference in the mans appearance then
and now, Billy" said that when he first
saw the man, ''he had his whiskers
here" pointing to his upper lip. He
said the man took the whiskers off after
Il while.
Identifies the Barber
When Abner Hancock, barber OF
Niles, O., was asked to stand up Billy
identified him as the man who had
shaved Boyle. He told of the drive to
Warren, the subsequent trip to Niles and
Ashtabula, of visiting a park at Ash
tabula and standing beside 4 cannon
Then he said he was taken to Cleveland
where he was told he was in a hospital
1t contained, he said. two rooms and d
bath. He told of hiding in. the bottom
of the buggy and in the box under the
washstand in the hospital" lest the
doctors should see him and put him il
a pesthouse. He said Mr.. and Mrs
Jones directed him to do so.
]. Thompson, Il liverymen, identified
Boyle as the man who hired the buggy
from him early on the morning of the
kidnapping but on cross examination adj
mitted he was not positive in his iden
titication
l.. Smith of Sharon said he saw Boyle
on the morning of the kidnapping in &
buggy with Il boy. He said the buggy
stopped at Il mail box and he saw Bill
"" Whitla get out and mail letter
On cross-eXaminatiOn he said the reason
he had not informed the Whitlas of what
he had seen was that he did not want tC
get mixed up in the case.
Father Tells Of Abduction.
J. p Whitla, father of the kidnapped
boy told of the abduction and the three
letters he received demanding a ransom
and of his compliance with the conditions
imposed. On crOss-eXamination he de-
MED having any conversation with BOYLE
in Cleveland prior to his arrest.
Norman \. Shattuck of the Cleveland
police force told of the arrest of Boyle
and his wife as they came out of sa,
| loon. At this point the state rested and
the court took a recess for luncheon.