Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-24
RANSOMED LAD
AGAIN AT HOME
PARENTS WEEP WITH JOY AS
THEY CLASP CHILD
GROCERY STORE FOUND WHERE
RANSOM WAS PAID
Populace of Cleveland and Sharon Ac-
cord Father and Son a Grand
Welcome-Mot other Embraces
Boy Alone
tBy Associated Press.l

CLEVELAND. March 23.-James +.
whitla and his son Billy left today
FOR the family home in Sharon, Pa
and were escorted to. the railroad sta-
ton by a cheering crowd OF peopIe;
The kidnapped youngster was claspeo
in the arms OF his father from the mo-
ment they left the Hollenden 7hotei
until they reached the train.
Hundreds crowded the corridors OF
the Hollenden hotel in the nope on
catching q glimpse of the lad whose
whereabouts had become pubic SEN
sation.
"Gee, papa" said the youngster, as
he was being helped into taAlcap, III, !
hope mamma Is on the lroi' poieA'
waiting for u.s."
"She will be there" was the simple
answer from the father as he claspeu
the hand of his boy. ~,
The speed of a Cleveland taxicab did
not deter hundreds from following IL
to the Erie station, where the Whltlas
boarded a train. The father appeared
to be the happiest man in northern
ohio and Billy protested to believe that
"real chu-chu was more better tnan
one of them street engines
MIR. Whitla was not inclined TO as
cuss the matter of ransom or the plans
of the family in dealing with the KID
napers
II am so glad to have the boy In my
arms" said the father, half smiilng
and half crying, "that have given no
thought to the kidnapers. That Will
be up to the police and as / live and
breathe I am not worrying over their
movements"
The $4,000 ransom for "Billy" Whitla
was paid to his kidnapers in little
grocery store at East Fifty-third street
and Standard avenue an hour after
noon Monday.
Description Of kidnaper
The money was received by an or
binary looking man who gave his name
as Hayes He picked up the package
of yellow backed bills, smiled and lett.
Mrs. Bernard Hendrickson, Temporal
tly in charge of the store for her moth
err Mrs. Margaret Uhle, forgot to notice
which way the man went and at the
door of the little grocery is the last
trace the police have Of him.
The Hayes man stepped into the
store at noon and asked If a package
had been left there for him. Mrs. Hen
erickson, without noting his appear
a1lce, told him there had not peen. An
hour later q prosperous looking man,
who said his name was Williams, came
in with a small package in his pocket.
"TIe said he wanted to leave 1t for a
man named Hayes" said Mrs. Hen
erickson today.
"He asked II Hayes had been here
and I said he had. Williams left the
package and not two minutes later
Hayes came in and asked:
els my package here?'
1T told him 1t was and he smiled"
without another word he took 1t
from where it lay exposed on top OF
the cigar case and went away"
The Uhlo store is in the rear of the
Standard school and is one of the most
familiar small shops where SCHOOL
children may purchase pencils and note
books. It's customers are frequent and
the place was exceedingly well chosen
for such a transaction when publicity
was not desired.
Mrs. Uhle, the proprietor, has con-
Quoted the place for seventeen years.
She was not in the store when the
passing of the ransom took place and
her daughter was the only witness 10
the transfer.
Willie Whitla was returned to his
mother soon after noon today. The re-
union took place around the FAMILY
hearthstone in the Whitla home and
no prying eyes were permitted to wit
ness the greeting of mother and son,
only the intimate relatives of the fam
lily being present at the joyful home-
coming of the lad.
Accorded an ovation by the populace
of Sharon that could not have been
heartier, the little fellow and his ia
Their arrived there at 12:06 after an abb
sence of 1875 hours. Fully 5000 persons
extended the lad a demonstrative
greeting. Pushing their way through
the dense crowd surrounding the rail-
road station, Mr.. Whitla, Willie, his
uncle and a detective boarded cab
and were quickly driven home.
Cheering and singing, the great
crowd of enthusiastic neighbors and
citizens escorted the cab through the
streets