Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-28
kIDNAPER TRIES
TO LEAVE TRAIN
MRS. BOYLE ATTEMPTS TO ES
CAPE FROM OFFICERS
WOMAN REMOVED FROM PITTS
BURG TO MERCER
Declares When She Goes Into Court
Tomorrow She Will Throw New
Liqht on Willie Whitla
Case

PITTSBURG, March 27.-Making a
desperate and foolhardy attempt to
escape from a train going at the
rate of thirty miles an hour;
denying that she had hand
in the kidnapping of little Willie Whit
la; asserting that she is not Anna y.
McDermott of Chicago; saying that the
numerous stories are absolutely moor
rect and strictly maintaining the great
air of mystery that has surrounded
her, Mrs. James Boyle wife of the man
who kidnapped Willie Whitla, left Pitts
burg today for the jail at Mercer, Ia.
DEVELOPMENTS in the famous abduc-
ton were rapid and numerous today.
The woman broke her silence and
talked, but no one person could obtain
much satisfaction from her remarks.
Although three officers accompanied
her upon the Bessemer & Lake Erie
train from this city to Mercer she
scared them so badly in an attempt
either to escape or injure herself that
the experience will never be forgotteh'
At either station between Pittsburg
and Mercer large crowds congregateu
and cheered her and struggled with the
police in their endeavors TO see ana
talk to her.
Unlike a trip to prison on a serious
charge, her journey to Mercer was
more like the triumphal journey OF
some person of renown.
While the train was making thirty
miles an hour at Valencia, twenty
miles north of this city, Mrs. Boyle
made the attempt to escape.
Brakeman Opens Door
william Campbell, railroad brake
man, opened the rear door of the chair
car in which the woman and officers
were riding. The next instant Mrs.
nd n
toward the platform of the car. Some
one made a sharp cry and Brakeman
Campbell slammed the door and faced
the woman Mrs. Boyle quickly
stepped into the lavatory and was at
tempting to open the window when
Sheriff Gumbert forced his way into
the little room and took possession OF
her.
Mrs. Boyle was taken back to her
seat and the three officers, visibly ex-
cited by the daring of the woman.
Immediately arranged their chairs In a
circle. Mrs. Boyle was penned in the
middle and the officers decided to keep
a more careful watch on her move
ments.
Immediately the car was in an up
roar Mrs Boyle was taken out of the
lavatory and escorted back to her seat
and the guard never Jagged again.
AS a precautionary measure the rear
door was locked. SherlH GumDert, IN
charge of Mrs. Boyle, is an old Chicago
pitcher He was Il member of An
sons team when it won several ma
tional league pennants.
A special to the Gazette-Times from
Mercer, Pa, says that Mrs. Boyle ad-
mitted to a correspondent that she
was Anna McDermott and that her
father was William McDermott of Chi
cago.
According to the correspondent, she
said:
I'm tired and sick of the whole bust
ness. There is no use denying it any
longer. When I go on the stand and
tell my story it will throw an entirely
different light on the kidnapping cpl
sode. In no way am 1 related to the
Whitlas or Bulls in Sharon.
81 mean to stand bv my husband
through this affair. l do not know
what his connection with the whole
dreadful thing isl