Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-19
RIGID HUNT FOR BOY
Police of Three States on
Lookout for Kidnapers.
WILLING TO PAY RANSOM
Father of Whitla Child Ready to
Make Any Terms.
UNCLE WILL SPEND 100000
Every Resource That Money Can
Provide Employed in Search for
Sharon Abductors.

|
SHARON. Pa. March 10. = Notwith-
standing a rigid search, lasting all night
by many officers in western Pennsylvania.
eastern Ohio and West Virginia. no trace
has yet been found of the man or men
who yesterday kidnapped William Whitla,
eight years old. son of James P. Whitla.
prominent and wealthy attorney.
The lads relatives. some of whom are
millionaires, are making every possible
effort to locate the child and his alb
ductors Frank III. Bull. the millionaire
iron and steel man. uncle of the kidnapped
boy today stated he would spend 100000
to recover the boy.
| No decision has Yet or can be made re-
garding the ransom of $4,000 demanded
the child Mr.. Whitla Immediately COM
piled with the terms contained in the let
ter received yesterday from the men. i'll
SO far as the insertion of an advertisement
| in various papers about the country is
| concerned. The advertisement Is to the
effect that he is willing to pay the ransom
| of $4,000, but up to noon today no word
/ has been received from the kidnaperS as
to when and where this money is to be
paid.
State Police Called In.
! Early today squad of Pennsylvania
state constabulary reached here from
Punxsutawney, Pa, for the purpose of as
sistng in the search.
The father. dry-eyed and full of the
| fighting spirit, sits in his office here de
recting the extensive search. He is in
| constant communication with nearby
towns and orders every clue. no matter
fuses to divulge the letter he received
from the eXtortionists in it's entirety. He
| is greatly depressed and said that he
would surrender everything he owns If
it would effect the immediate restoration
| to him of his boy.
| He added: Il will endeavor to get in
communication with my boys abductors.
1t looks as though they would put a
| terrible threat into execution. Advice is
| good. but perhaps time is too short In
| this to disregard threats. If money will
bring back the boy, then l will readily
pay the $4,000.
| The Grief-Stricken Mother.
| The mother is Frustrated at the Whitla
home. She did not sleep last night and
| today clnss pathetically to her daughter
| Salina, ten years old. The mother refused
! to allow the girl to go to school, the
| same school from which her boy was
kidnapped yesterday. and sits today with
arms about the Child.
| Anna Lewis, the boys teacher, who
yesterday prepared William for the jour-
ney with the abductors. feels her part in
| the case deeply, although no blame is
| attached to her.
| AS yet no reward has been offered for
the capture of the kidnapers but the
advisability Of doing SO is being consd-
cred.
| 1t was reported the boy had been re-
covered in Cleveland this morning. but
| q nth in q
report.
Two Men Seen With Boy.
The rig in which the boy was carried
away was hired in South Sharon. Pa.
at o'clock yesterday morning by a short.
| heavy-set man with q black mustache,
He said he wanted to do some collecting
| and would return it about noon. At
| Rowland Hill, twelve miles west of Sha-
| ron, and four miles east of Warren, Ohio.
Mrs. Thomas Walker shortly before noon
| yesterday saw two men driving along the
| road. At first glance she thought one of
the men was carrying . large bundle on
his lap. but upon closer inspection she
saw 1t was a small boy.
At noon a rig was found deserted at
/ Warren, Ohio. William Thompson, the
South Sharon lveryman. returned here
| today from Warren, Ohio. where he fully
identified the rig found there as the one
he had rented yesterday morning to the
| alleged collector.
| Several persons at Warren claim to
have seen the men and boy at the Erie
railroad station and it is believed the kid
| napers went to Cleveland, Ohio
Taken From Schoolroom.
| Willie Whitla attended the east ward
public school. At $50 O'Clock yesterday
morning a stranger drove up to the
schoolhouse and told the janitor. Wesley
Gloss. that the lad was wanted at once
at his fathers office. Sloss took the mes
| sage to Anna Lewis, the boys teacher.
who dismissed the child. As she was
helping him put on his overcoat. she re-
marked. half jolSingy. Il hope that man
does not kidnap Willie
/ The man who was in buggy had a
dark complexion dark hair and a stubby
mustache. He was stockily built. He
spoke excellent English and was evident
| ly American born.
When SlOss appeared with the boy. the
| stranger smiled and helped him UP to
the seat beside him. He then drove off
In the direction OF Mr.. Whitla's Office.
| Little was thought of the incident and
| there was no belief a crime had been COM
mtted until the lad failed TO appear for
his MONDAY meal. Becoming worried,
Mrs. Whitla began search At the
school she learned Of what had occurred
three hours before. Terrified, she confer
red with j. a. McLaughrey. a friend of
the family. The latter telephoned to Mr.
Whitla. who had gone to New Whining
ton business. MT. w nltld gave nasty
directions TO what steps should be
taken i'm an effort to recover his son. and
late i'm the afternoon arrived in person.
Letter From Kidnapers.
| a letter directed to the mother was de-
livered at the house by a mail carrier at
1 o'clock. Mrs. Whitla at once recos-
nized the handwriting on the envelope as
that OF her son. Opening it, she found
the following communication written i'll a
strange hand:
| I'VE have your boy and will return him
| for $4,000. Will see your advertisement
| in the papers. Insert in indianapolis
News. Cleveland Press, Pittsburg Dis
patch. Youngstown indicator: \. A.
Will do as requested. ]. p. w Dead boys
| are not desirable.
| The penmanship and spelling of the note
indicate it had been written by a man of
| fair education.
| Mr.. Whita decided to comply with the
conditions of the letter and sent for pub
| LEGATION to each of the newspapers speci-
| fed the note it directed him to insert.
| They may have the money. / want my
son. he said.
Life Penalty for Kidnapers.
| PITTSBURG, Pa, March 19.-Prepara-