Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-07
BOYLE, KlDNAPER,
IS FOUND GUILTY
WIFE'S TRIAL FOLLOWS IN
QUICK SUCCESSION
"BlLLY" WHlTLA IDENTIFIES AL
LEGGED ABDucToR
Penalty Awaiting Convicted Man Is
from One Year to Life Sentence.
Court Proceedings
Expedited


MERCER, Pa, May e.-James Boyle,
charged with having kidnapped Billy
Whitla, was convicted today after a
trial lasting a few hours.
No defense was made, and the jury
was out only a few minutes. Mrs.
Boyle was placed Immediately on trial,
charged with having aided in the kid
naping.
Hardly had the jury been sworn in
the woman's case when the lawyers
became engaged in an argument re-
garding the admission of certain tes-
timony, and the case was adjourned
until tomorrow.
Mrs. BOYLE took a prominent part
in the selection of her jury prompting
her attorneys in numerous cases and
showing preference for young, unmar-
ried jurors.
The penalty awaiting Boyle is from
one year TO life sentence in the PEN
itentiary.
Billy" Whitla, who was on the wit
ness stand in the trial of James II.
Boyle, his alleged abduetor, today,
pointed his finger at the defendant as
the latter sat in the prisoners box and
said with a positivensss that could not
be doubted:
THAT is the man."
Hundreds crowded the frail building
serving as temporary court house
when court convened this morning and
the doors were ordered locked to pre-
vent a possible disaster from over
crowding. James Boyle entered for
NAL plea of not guilty, the jury was
sworn and the opening address to the
jury was made by I. c. Cochran, in
charge OF the prosecution.
BILLY Whitla was the first witness,
and before being sworn, caused rip
pie of laughter when he answered the
question as to where boys go who do
not tell the truth by saying, They
go to hell"
Child Tells His Story
In his boyish way he told the story
of the man who said his name was
Mr. Jones, calling for him with q
buggy at the school and telling him
he had been sent to take him away on
account of smallpox, that he was to
take others also and that BILLY"
would meet his friends on the train.
Billy said MIR. Jones" gave him
a letter and asked him to write his
mothers name and address on it, that
he did so with a pencil and the man
mailed it in Sharon. When asked to
describe the difference in the mans
appearance then and now, Billy said
that when he first saw the man The
had his whiskers here" pointing to his
upper lip. He said the man took the
whiskers off after while. He told
of the drive to Warren. the subsequent
trip to Niles and Ashtabula of visit
ing a park at Ashtabula and standing
beside cannon.
Then he said he was taken to Cleve-
land, where he was told he was in a
hospital 1t contained, he said. two
rooms and a bath. He told of hiding
in the bottom of the buggy and in the
box under the washstand in the hos
pitaI lest the doctors should see him
and put him in a pest house. He said
Mr.. and Mrs. Jones directed him to
do so.
Numerous witnesses at the morning
session testified to having seen Boyle
and the kidnapped boy in each others
company Mr.. Whitla, the father, told
of the abduction and the three letters
he received demanding ransom. He
told of his compliance with all the
conditions imposed.
Mrs. y. A. Hendrickson, with whom
the package containing $4,000 was left
i'm the Cleveland store, identified Boyle
as the man who secured the package
from her.