Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-03-23


reported here at II o'clock today
that the Whita family has assur
ances that Willie Whta will be
returned within forty-eight hours.
1t is said another letter has been
received directing in what man.
ner the ransom money shall be
paid. All details Of the negotia-
tions are being carefully guarded,
however.
Akron, O., March 22. - A com
pIete investigation today satisfied
the police that the boy found at
Cuyahoea Falls last night stop
ping at the Upson hotel, was not
Billy" WhitIs, but Crawford
Bowman, son Of Harvey l.. Bow
man, and that the man with him
was his father. They are both of
Curwensville, Pa.
Cleveland o., March %. = After
failing in an attempt to negotiate a
settlement for the return of his kid
naped son, Willie, in a park at Ashta-
bula yesterday. j. P. Whitia has re
turned to his home in Sharon.
Whitla, it was developed was in
structed in letter from the kidnap-
ers to leave $4,000 in Flatiron park
Saturday night. If no detectives were
about, the kidnapers promised they
would secure the money and deliver
the boy safely to the father in hotel
at Ashtabula at 3 a. m Sunday
Whitla deposited the money as re-
quested, but the Ashtabula police
learned Of the plans to pay the ran
som and went to the park. The kid
napers are supposed to have seen
them, for at o'clock the money was
intact and not man had approached
the spot at which it had been left.
Whitla had score of detectives in
readiness in this city to start a search
for the kidnapers as soon as he had
safely secured the boy. The detectives
left for Sharon later A conference is
being held in Sharon and plans are
to be made to attempt to capture the
kidnapers with the boy in their pos
session.
The police of Ashtabula are unwil-
ling to believe that the kidnapers have
left that section. Although Whitla has
instructed them to discontinue their
search, they are attempting to find the
hiding place of the kidnapers.
Gets Letter.
The letter from the captors of Willie
Whitla came to the boys parents in
Sharon, Pa, Friday afternoon.
Instructions were given him to go
alone to Ashtabula on Saturday night,
place the $4,000 under rock at the
base of a gorge in the park at 10
o'clock. At 3 o'clock on the following
morning, if the money was obtained
by the kidnappers they promised that
the stolen boy would be sent to the
Smith hotel in Ashtabula unharmed.
In order that there might be no mis-
take made, another letter, it was
promised would be written to Whitla
under the name of 20. A. White,'' Sat
urday night. He was to receive this
letter at the Smith aotel Ashtabula.
Whitla was instructed specifically that
he was to be accompanied by no one
when he went to the park to deposit
the money
Immediately upon receipt of the
letter. Whitla called in private detec-
tives and asked them their advice
about paying the money They plead
ed with him to permit them to place
decoy package of bills at the desig-
mated spot and let officers lie in wait
| and capture the kidnappers.
Whitla finally consented to permit
the detectives to accompany him to
this city and await his summons to
start a search.
| Bills on the Spot
At 8 o'clock Whitla left Cleveland
| for Ashtabula.
| A few minutes after 9 o'clock the
kidnapers, in keeping with their prom.
Use, sent letter addressed to O. A.
White to the Smith hotel in Ashtabula
| A boy, who was unknown to any OF
the clerks at the hotel handed the let.
/ ter to a night clerk Temple, the
clerk, called the name out several
times, and receiving no response
threw the letter into mail box behind
| the counter and awaited the person to
call for it.
A half an hour latter. when no one
| (Continued on page 81
u.