Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-21
FATHER WEEPS
FOR LOST CHILD
SEARCH FOR WILLIE WHlTLA
so FAR FUTILE
PARENTS WILL PAY kIDNAPERS
AND NOT PROSECUTE
Steel Magnate, Uncle of Stolen Boy,
Aids INCREASINGLY in Quest.
Every Seeming Clew
Vanishes


SHARON, Pa, March 20.-James S.
Whitla, the father of S-year-old Willie
! Whitla, said tonight there were no
new Developments in the search for
his child.
Frank II. Buhl, the millionaire uncle
of the kidnapped boy, returned late to-
day from Cleveland, whittier he went
last night to investigate reports that
the boys abductors had been captured
in that city, He said that the reports
were untrue.
Sobbing and crying, the father Of
the kidnapped boy broke down today
when no word had been received from
the abductors. and in a statement to
| the Associated Press said he wanted
to impress upon every person in the
country that all he wanted to see was
his child safely back home.
He said he was ready to pay the
$4,000 ransom at any time and had
authorized agents to pay over the
money
Mr.. Bull, the boys uncle, remained
| in Cleveland today to be ready to open
negotiations with the kidnapers. Al
| though every clew is being run down,
nothing has developed to give the
searchers the slightest ray of hope.
An important conference was held
| in the office of Attorney Whitla this
! afternoon, to which Chief of Police
/ Martin Craig had been called.
Information from very close friend
of the family was that important de-
velopments were expected soon in the
east, probably Buffalo.
| No statement will be issued by the
| family until later.
Uncle Continues Search
CLEVELAND, Ohio, March 90
After a night of extraordinary effort
| to find a definite basis for reports that
|
from school in Sharon, Pa, on Thurs
day, had been located in Cleveland,
Frank Bull, millionaire uncle of the
missing S-year-old child, today re-
sumed in vigorous manner the search
| for clews.
Brought to Cleveland by the state
ment that the boy had been seen in
this city, Mr.. Bull upon arrival was
taken in an automobile, accompanied
by police officers, to various places
J furnished the detectives by man CIV
| ing the name of Harry Ball. Disap-
pointment was the only result, for after
three hours stringent questioning Ball
was allowed to go the police declaring
there was no ground on which to hold
| him.
Buoyed with hope that today's fur
Their search would at least reveal
central clew and accompanied by
Pittsburg detective who had been
working on the case, Mr.. Buhl started
anew to attempt the unraveling of the
mystery of Willie Whitla's where
abouts.
Just what information he expected
!. to be verified Mr.. Bull declined to say,
but he added:
Believes He Is There
81 am certain Billy Whitla was
brought here. There is no question
about it. / base my belief on the
cfo INF Of
him. His description of the boy was
perfect in all details. l am going to
wait over in Cleveland a day or two
in the hope that the kidnapers will find
me. 1 will pay the money demanded
instantly. If l need more my credit
is good. AS soon as 1 get the boy the
l1idnapers may go free so far as Aam
concerned. All want is the boy
"Will the parents prosecute if the
lxidnapers are caught?"
I 81 don't know what their intentions
l are. We have not talked about that
at all. All we have discussed is the
loss of the boy, and 1 stand ready at
any time the kidnapers get into COM
munfcation with me to pay over the
money they demand"
I From Toledo it was reported that
man and a women who may know
something of the boy are being
watched and an arrest may be made
in that city.
The sudden activity of the police
here was brought about by report
made by the clerk of the Hotel Euclid,
who stated that Thursday night man.
accompanied by a boy answering Willie
Whitla's description, had come to the
hotel, the man telling the clerk he had
been intrusted with the boy to deliver
him to his father.
Cook Is Detained
Later Harry Ball, restaurant cook,
was detained by the police and to them
he said the boy had been left at the
Hotel Benway When that hosiery
was reached the clerk said the lad was
not there, having been taken away.
Ball was identified by the clerk as
the man who had appeared at that
hotel. Ball then stated to him that the
lad was the son of a friend and that
he had been given in his custody to be
given to his father and that the boy
was not Willie Whitla.
Investigation of the statements by
Ball showed no deviation from his
story, and the police thereupon re-
leased him.