The Winchester news. [volume] (Winchester, Ky.) 1908-19??, 1909-03-23

Cleveland, o., March 23.-LittIe
Willie Whitla, who has caused the po-
lice of the entire country endless
worry since he was kidnapped from
school in Sharon last Thursday, was
returned to his father at the Hollen-
den hotel here.
In compliance with an agreement
entered into between the kidnapped
bey's father and an agent of the kid
napers here, the boy was placed on a
streetcar on the outskirts of the city
and started to the hotel. Two boys
named G. W. Ramsey and Ed MahO-
ney recognized the lad on the car
and. taking him in charge, conducted
him to his father. who was in waiting
according to a prearranged plan
which he had followed at the dicta-
ton Of the kidnapers. The boy wan
dered about the hotel lobby unan-
nounced for several minutes, asking
bellboys for his father, before the lat
ter 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 ais face
with kisses.
An attempt had been made to dis
;uise the lad. He wore a pair of
moked glasses and a large tan cap,
which was pulled down over his ears,
and the father said it would have
been difficult to recognize the boy in
such garb had he passed him on
the street.
Willie is in perfect health. He says
that he has been well treated, and
ever since his capture has been con.
stantly indoors. He believes ne was
taken from Sharon to Warren and
thence to Newcastle. Pa. 1t is his
opinion, expressed in happy school
boy way, that he was in Ashtabula
Saturday night at the time his father
was to leave his $4,000 in Flatiron
park.
Whitla senior refused to state
whether he had paid the ransom or
not He said that he received a let
ter from the kidnapers at his home
in Sharon saying that if he called at
a confectionery store in the east end
of Cleveland he would be told how TO
secure his boy unframed and "wen
fed"
He at once left Sharon for Cleve-
| 1o,d IL. voc ,,pooooynnoniod HE
immediate family and the private de-
| tectives 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 az the capture of the kidnapers
| be made. Whitla was certain that il
he spoiled the plans of his sons cap
tors he would never see the lad again.
His experience at Ashtabula served
as a warning.
He went TO a candy store in the
East End. With him he carried the
| $4,000. expecting that it would be
demanded OF him there. He was met
by a woman, who detailed TO him the
terms of the kidnapers. With all the
! eagerness of distracted parent
Whitla agreed to them Immediately.
Detectives in his employ said that he
paid the money, but on this point the
father declines to commit himself.
Half an hour later he returned TO the
Hollenden hotel and awaited develop
ments.
In the meantime little Willie. the
kidnapped boy, feeling comparatively
safe in the hands of his kidnapers,
for he was treated kindly and even at
this time does not realize what terri
| bic danger he was in, was being pre-
| pared for his return to his father.
! 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
| attempt to trap them. The kidnapers
were satisfied. But Whitla, Sr., de-
! cIines to name the woman in. charge
of the confectionery store, aad almost
dares the police to locate her. So the
boy was brought from his hiding
! place-where it was no one knows
to a car line, in the east end of the
city, which would bring him up town
quickly. The hdnaper, according TO