The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-03-26
buNClE PLAN FOR
RETURN OF BOY
Overzealous Police Spoil Ar
rangement Between Father
and Kidnappers.
LEAVES $4,000 UNDER ROCK
Police Get Wind Of II and Place Officers
on Guard and Boy Is Still in
Hands Of captors.

Cleveland, March 23.-But Tor tho
bungling of secret letter intended
for James P. Whitla. in an Ashtabula
hotel Saturday night. Billie Whitla,
the Sharon boy. would be safe In the
arms Of his distracted parents.
All night $4,000 in bills lay be-
meath a rock in Flatiron Park, Ashtar
bula, left there by Mr.. Whitla under
instructions from the kidnappers.
At o'clock yesterday morning
Whitla returned to the rock there.
hoping to find his money gone and In
its the place the signal that his son
would be returned TO him In the Smith
house, Ashtabula, within the hour.
But the money. untouched since he
had deposited II there at o'clock Sat
urday evening. was still there.
Police Spoil the Plan.
whitla was instructed In a letter
from the kidnappers to leave the
money In Flatiron Park Saturday
night. II no detectives were about
the kidnappers promised they would
secure the money and deliver the boy
safely to the father In hotel at Ash
tabula at 3 o'clock yesterday morn
ing.
whitla deposited the money as re-
quested, but the Ashtabula police
learned of the PLANS to pay the ran
som and went 20 the park. The kid
nappers are supposed to have seen
them. for at 3 o'clock the money was
intact and not a man had appeared at
the spot at which II had been left.
whitla had a score Of detectives In
readiness In this city 10 start a search
for the kidnappers as soon as he had
safely secured the boy. Mr.. Whitla
and the detectives left Sharon last
night. A conference 10 being held in
Sharon and plans are TO be made to
attempt to capture the kidnappers
with the boy in their possession.
Whitla believes that the failure to ef-
feet a settlement with him Saturday
night will brighten the kidnappers and
they will not communicate with him
again.
Believes Efforts Useless.
The police OF Ashtabula are unwill-
ing TO believe that the kidnappers
have left that section of the country.
Although Whitla has instructed them
to discontinue their search. as he be-
lievss IL is useless. they are attempt
ing 10 find the hiding place OF the
kidnappers.
The letter from the captors Of VIII
lie Whitla came TO thee boys parents
In Sharon, Pa. Friday afternoon. In
structions were given Mr.. Whitia to
20 alone to Ashtabula on Saturday
night and place the $4,000 under q
| rock at the base OF gorge In the
park at l O'Clock. At o'clock on
the following morning, II the money
was obtained by the kidnappers. they
promised that the stolen boy would be
sent to the Smith hotel In Ashtabula
unframed.
Letter at Smith Hotel.
In order that there nigh. be no mis-
take made. another letter, 1t was
promised, would be written to Whitla
under the name of &C. A. White" Sat
urday night. He was to receive this
letter at the Smith hotel in Ashtabula.
The letter was delivered as promised.
but after laying uncalled for for about
half an hour the clerk opened 1t. the
contents were communicated to the
police and a guard was placed In Flat
iron Park, thus running the plan for
the return OF the boy.
| After FIVE hours OF anxious waiting
Whitla went to the hotel TO get his
boy. There he was informed that OH.
GERS had been on guard at the park all
night and that no one had come for
the money. Whitla was overcome
when this news Was broken to him
He went to the par. s"d found his
package Of money esdisturbed.
Later. In company With the detect