Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-03-23
WHITLA KIDNAPERS
WILL GIVE UP BOY
IF RANSOM is PAID
Continued from Page One
Ashtabula, Pittsburg. Buffalo and a half
dozen small towns surrounding this city.
Capture is Expected


dozen small towns surrounding this city.
Capture is Expected
At each point the authorities believe
the kidnapers will soon be captured in
the city districts.
At 10 o'clock this morning an air of
expectancy pervaded this city. It is be-
lieved the detectives and Whitla family
have received word from the abductors
and are now in conference as to what
steps to take.
Detective Ward, of Philadelphia is
holding a conference with Mr.. Whitla-
detective Perkins, of Pittsburg, has a
large force of operatives scattered
throughout this vicinity this morning.
Police ScOur State
Six members of the Pennsylvania state
constabulary in plain clothes have cross
ed the line !nto Trumbell county, Ohio,
and are now engaged in running down
clues at Warren, Niles and Girard, Ohio
A mounted squad Of state police has left
for the northeast and a third squad
rode off at $40 to the south in this state.
1t is said that owing to orders received
from Harrisburg, Pa, the state police
will not cross into Ohio In uniform. Th
state police who have started into the
northeast territory are believed to be in
vestigating a story made known here to-
day. According to this story an old man
VINO mas nNeu dlOU6 lWO anu a hdiA
miles from Sharon, disappeared Thursday
and has not been seen since.
1t is said that on Thursday, the day
Willie Whitla was kidnapped, a man in
rig drove to the house of the old man
and then both drove away
At Mr. Whitla's office today there are
a number of reports concerning police
activity in other cities.
Suspects Swallowed
There is considerable activity in Tole-
do, Ohio, and vicinity today, according
to a report received at Mr.. Whitla's Of
fee 1t is said from that city that two
men and a boy had left Ashtabula, Ohio,
Sunday, bound for Toledo
Every train, street car and vehicle en-
tering the city is being closely watched.
Several detectives are said to have left
Toledo this morning for Lorain, Ohio, to
run down a new clue at that place.
An exhaustive search is being made
by the authorities at Ashtabula, Ohio,
for the abductors today.
Chief of Police Laskey is greatly cha
, grined at not being able to capture the
kidnapers when it was known the abduc-
tors, or an agent, had been in the city.
Chief Laskey declares that when Mr..
! Whitla begged him for the sake of hu-
mainly not to interfere, he was touched
by the appeal and allowed Mr.. Whitla to
| have his own way.
WhitIa Blocks Police
Mr. Whitla had intended to keep his
! presence in Ashtabua a secret but hap
Dened to get on a street car with Chief
Lackey and Detective Mexican, of Pitts
| burg who were working on the case. De-
| tective Mexican recognized Mr.. Whitla
! and a conference followed in which the
| father of the missing boy told the whole
story and implored the chief to call off
his men and leave the coast clear for the
abductors 10 get the money, as he feared
that if they were arrested the boy would
| be killed.
After this Mr.. Whitla placed the $4,000
! in the park designated by the abductors,
, and went 20 the hotel fol- the first sleep he
| had had since Thursday night, feeling
confident his son soon would be restored.
However, he informed Chief Laskey to
visit the spot at o'clock Sunday morn
ing and if they found the $4,000 undisturb
| ed to take possession of it and return 1t
TO him at a. m. The chief, with several
| officers, found the money at a. m.
Woman is Liberated
The woman suspected, who has been
watched for two days by state police,
was taken to the office of Mr.. Whitla yes
| terday and questioned. 1t was learned
that she had been in the vicinity of Sha-
| ron for several days selling religious
books Her baggage at a hotel was ex-
amined and nothing discriminating found.
| She was then allowed to go.
BOY FOUND IN AKRON
is NOT KIDNAPPED CHILD
! AKRON, o., March 22.-More complete
! investigation today satisfied the police
| that the boy found at Cuyahoga Falls
last night, stopping at the Epson hotel,
| was not Billy Whitla, but that he was
Crawford Bowman, son of Harvey L.
Bowman, and that the man with him was
| his father both of Curwensville, Pa.
They reach Cuyahoga Falls last night
ABOUT 6 o'clock and registered as H. L.
| Bowman and Crawford Bowman. The
| night officers and Dr. f. d. Smith who
was called by orders from the Whitla
| home at an early hour this morning. at
| ter an examination left satisfied that the
| boy was not Billy Whitla
Marshal Shoaf, however, refused to al
| low Bowman to leave until someone now
on the way from Sharon should arrive
and learn positively whether it is the
| Whitla boy or not. Bowman gives list "a
references, saying he is a justice of the
peace and a deputy tax collector at Cur
| wensville, and the boy told about his
school and said Mr.. Bowman was his IA
| Their.