The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-05-14

Kidnapers Are Sentenced, the Man
Getting Life Term and the Wo-
man Being Sent to Prison For Twen-
tyFive Years-Razor Found In Cell
and She Attempts to Execute Suicide
Threat by Taking Morphine.
Before he was taken to the peniten-
-tiary at Pittsburg, from Mercer Pa,
James Boyle prepared this statement:
This is the complete history of the
kidnapping of Willie Whitla.
ION the morning of -. ......., Dan
Reeble Jr., was found dead on the
sidewalk in Youngstown, O., and over
the PROSTATE form was Harry Forker,
holding d package of letters gathered
from the sidewalk near the body of
Feeble.
las he was about to depart from the
vicinity he was intercepted by myself
and Dan Shay, saloon keeper of
Youngstown Shay is dead.
In Forker's hurry he failed to find
two envelopes that contained four let
ters. The same were picked up by
Shay.
Shay and myself read the letters.
They were written by a lady, two from
party in New York state and the
others from Cleveland, O.
Says He Received Money.
"At later date Forker was apprised
of the fact that held these letters
and asked if he could use them.
Forker wrote, stating that he would
like to have personal talk with me.
"A meeting took place Forker said
he would pay for the possession of the
letters. The amount offered was refus-
ed and from that day to March, 1908, |
received at different times amounts Of
money from Forker to remain silent.
"About six months ago, when | re-
turned to Sharon with my wife, / met
Forker and informed him that unless
received $4,000 I would hold the
secret no longer.
"He informed me it was impossible
to get the money Immediately but
some time in April, 1909, he was to
come in possession of funds and would
then turn some over to me, which was
satisfactory at that time.
'On my leaving Sharon on March IL,
1909, proceeded to Cleveland, o., and
addressed to Forker letter, which
read as follows:
"I have decided not to wait any
longer in regard to the money PROPOSE
ton, and if don't hear from you soon
there WILDE some exposing.
,e 81 signed it, j. j. Bailey, Cleveland.
o.
.On March Is, 1909, received an
answer which read:
Forker Mrs. Whitla's Brother.
"'Friend Bailey-You know OF the
circumstances and the promise made
you when you left here, but if you are
really desperately in need of money,
as you profess to be, will outline q
little plan which, with your co-opera-
ton, can be very successfully carried
out, viz, the abduction of J. p. Whit
las son.
upon learning that my name was
mentioned in connection with the kid
naping case, made it point to meet
Whitla personally in Cleveland.
showed him the letters that had pass
ed between Forker and myself, also
the Youngstown letters and Whitla
promised that If would substantiate
the truth of the Youngstown letters he
would see that there would be no pros
ecution.
81 then surrendered, through Whitla,
all the letters that were in my posses
sion and the world knows the result"
Harry Forker is a brother of Mrs.
Whitla. Boyle declares he was the
man who took Billy from school and
escorted the boy to Warren.
Whitla denies absolutely that any
such deal was made with Doyle. He de-
MED Boyle's statement about meet
ing in Cleveland.
The statement OF Boyle is discredit-
ed generally.
Boyle was sentenced for life and the
woman given a term of twenty-five
years.
Razor In BoyIe's Clothing.
That the threats of double suicide
made by Mrs. Boyle were not idle, was
shown when it became known that a
razor which was secreted in Boyle's
clothing was found and that Mrs.
Boyle had taken a quantity of NOR
phine between midnight and daylight.
Mrs. Boyle was made partly uncon-
scious during the. night and was very
sick.
Sheriff Chess took from Mrs. Boyle
three hatpins and removed all the
glasses she had in her cell.
At the penitentiary the prisoners
were taken to side room and told
that they would have to say goodbye
as the rules would not permit them to
see each other again. Mrs. Boyle
threw her arm around "Jimmy's" neck
and kissed him.
The prisoners then shook hands and
the matron escorted Mrs. Boyle from