The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1909-03-25
A CHILD KIDNAPPED
Willie WhitIa, Aged 8, Taken
From School at Sharon, Pa
NO CLUE TO THE PERPETRATORS
While Whtla, 8 Years Old, Taken
From His School at Sharon, Pa
Held For $4,000 Ransom-Ferms
Complied With, But Plan Fails.

and told the 1an1tOr That WING 5
father had sent him to bring Willie
to his Office. Not suspecting any
thing wrong the teacher fixed Willie
up and sent him on, in light pleasan-
try saying she hoped he was not be-
ing kidnapped.
All too soon she found that it was
a stern reality. A letter was received
Friday in Willie's own hand which
read:
Dear Father:
Two bad men have me, and if you
don't send $4,000 they will kill me
in 10 days. Willie Whitla.
There was nothing on the envelope
to denote where the letter had been
mailed.
Frank Il. Bull, a millionaire uncle
of Willie's took a decided interest in
the case and will freely pay the $1O,.
900 for his safe recovery.
1t was reported from that city
that two men and a boy answering the
description of the kidnappers and
their victim have been seer there,
consequently the supposition is that
Mr.. Bull has received word which
made him believe his nephew was in
Cleveland OIL that vicinity. The bug
gy in which the child was taken from
school was located at Warren
Ohio, and as the Cleveland papers
were among those specified, in which
the demand Of the ikidnappers for a
$4,000 ransom should be answered
| hu O norc1,no oIuorfICoyooo Ill or1
dence seemed to indicate that devel-
opments in the mysterious case was
conferred about the Lake City.
A clue was secured Sunday, in
which little credence is placed, how
ever. On March 1 the local postoffice
department received a circular an
nouncing a reward for a man de-
scribed as Samuel C.. Leavanson, of
Canton, O., said to be wanted there
for the theft of $500. Janitor Wes-
ley c. Sloss, of the school from which
Willie was taken, when shown the cir
cular bearing a portrait of the man
wanted, declared it bore a strong re.
semblance to the abductor.
A Cleveland, O., special on Sunday
says: Whitla was instructed in q
letter from the kidnappers to leave
$4,000 in Flat Iron Park Saturday
night. If no detectives were about
the kldnappers promised they would
deliver the boy safely to the father
N a hotel at Ashtabula at 8 o'clock
Sunday morning. Whitla deposited
the money as requested, but the Ash
tabula police learned of the plans 10
pay the ransom and went to the park.
The kldnapers are supposed to have
seen them, for at 8 o'clock the money
was intact and not a man had APP
preached the spot.
Whitla believes that the failure to
effect a settlement with him will
brighten the kidnapers and they will
not communicate with him again.
The police of Ashtabula are unwiI-
hing to believe that the kidnapers
have left that section of the country.
The letter from the captors of Will
lie Whitla came to the boys parents
In Sharon Friday afternoon.
Upon receipt of the letter Whitla
called l n private dectives and asked
their advice. They were anxious to
capture the kidnapers and pleaded
with him to permit them to place q
decoy package of bills at the desi--
mated spot and let officers lie in wait
and capture the men who came after
the money.
Whitla would not agree to this. He
finally consented to permit the detec.
tives to accompany him to this city
and await his m to start
search for the hdnapers.
Promptly at 10 o'clock Whitla left
the package of bills in the park. HI
went ito the designated spot alone
feeling certain that his complianc,
with the request of the kidnaper.
would prove the means of delivering
his boy back to him.
Three policemen who had been SEM
out from the Ashtabula central sta,
ton saw Whitla leave the money il
the park. They appraised Chief Las
key of their discovery and received
instructions to remain on duty anG
capture the kidnapers should they
appear.
In the meantime Whitla returned
to the city and communicated will
his detectives in Cleveland. They ad
vlsed him not to go to the hotel fol
his boy a minute before the time set
After five hours of anxious waiting
Whitla stated after his boy. As HI
was on his way, a policeman inform
ed him that three officers had been or
guard in the immediate vicinity OF
the park and that no one had called
for the money.
Whitla was overcome when this
news was broken to him. He went tt
the park and found his package Oh
money undisturbed.
A detachment of detectives was
sent out from Cleveland as soon a:
it was learned that the Ashtabuls
police were working on the case.
The father refuses to sleep at all
and keeps up through sheer viii
power. The mother, who will not al
low her daughter, Saline, out of hel
sight, is showing the effects of the
worry.
Whitla returned to Celevland anG
after a conference with Detective
Perkins the return trip to Sharon wa!
made.
Hundreds of letters from all ovel
the country continue to come mltiot
the country continue to pour in from
friends op6 c4ropOo-c o1:l~o ~