The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-23
Kidnapped Boy Greeted by His Mother Shortly
 After Noon Today.
Ransom Paid and Boy Civ
 en to Father Last Night
Now the Hunt for the Ab- ductors Has Begun in Earnest - Probable that They Will Be Captured Within a Few Days Thousands of Sharon People Welcome Return ing YOungster Today.
(Special from United Press.)

Special from United Press.) Sharon. Pa, March 23.-Willie Whit Ia. his father, mother and sister are together again. At 1909 this after noon the waiting thousands at the Erie depot here gave cheer as the train rolled in. There was another cheer as the tow headed youngster, followed by youthful looking man appeared on the platform and descend ed the steps. The boys hand was clasped in that of the man. They were James P. Wh1tla and his son Willie Several minutes later Mrs Wh1tla, e1n- braced her baby boy.
 Whirled along State street in a c'oSed carriage the two. father and son, ap- preached the house. Both sides Of the
 street were lined six deep with a cheering crowd while over the din Of humanity could be heard the shr1li
 blasts of the factory whistles as they shrieked their welcomes to the lost son of Sharon. Although 1t was an infant and father the whole greeting it seem-
 ed was for the boy who for five days
 was held by ktdnaprers-
 Billy Whitla is now safe in the arms of his mother. After having been four and one half days in the grasp of kid nappers and another sixteen hours on his way home with his father from Cleveland, he reached his home early
 this afternoon. Billy's homecoming
 a.
 he left Cleveland at a. m. to his arrival in Sharon at 12:09 D. m. Billy
 was in charge of his father, Attorney
 James P. Whitla and a friend. Detec-
 tive Frank s. Ward who conducted the
 hunt for Billy. joined them at Youngs-
 town.
 Nearly 300 persons were at the depot
 in Cleveland to see Billy off. His fa'h-
 CT stood with him on the back plat form and made speeches to the crowd.
 Billy smiled and waved his hand He
 was cheered and cheered. From Cleve- land to Sharon the entire trip was a
 remarkable tribute to a manly Amerl,
 motherhood. Everybody seemed to think of Bil1y's mother and cried out
 how happy she would be.
 The boy and father showed deep af- lection that existed for each other. Whitla. held Billy on his lap part of the trip The rest of the time Billy sat facing his father. They bNth read the newspaper accounts of the kid mapping and Billy's rescue.
 'sDaddy, I want my pin,'' Billy said. His father said: ''No. you don't mean you want that now? Billy insisted. The father then produced a pin from Billy by his kidnappers last night as souvenir of his experience.'' said MT. Whitla. Billy took the pin and proud ly fastened it on his blouse. The pin had an amethyst setting. 'fIt was kind of Mir. Jones' as Billy's kidnapper was called, "to give Billy the pin."
 The train was met by great crowd at Warren. Ills. and Youngstown. At Youngstown. Chief of Police Mcdowell estimated that 1000 people were in the crowd at the Erie depot. The ap- proach to Sharon was heraided by stean: whistles. Billy waved to every body he saw. 1T am so glad I will be with my mamma" he said. T want to go to school tomorrow. I hope Miss Lewis won't mark me down in my studies for being absent. l wouldn't miss school for anything. I hope all the boys will come to see me-"
 Fully two-thirds of the citizens of were at the depot to meet Billy's train. The streets were jammed for two hundred yards in all directions from the depot. A carriage drawn by a team of spirited grays was waiting. The main street leading toward BiI1y's home was crowded with people as they would be for a circus parade. fLaaders of the crowd urged the people to fol- low to the Whitla home and hear a speech by the boy. They kept well up with the carriage for two miles. the distance from the depot to Billy's home.
 The carriage drove up to the Whitla | Whitla jumped out with | Billy in his arms. Mrs. Whitla was | waiting on the porch. She rushed down | the steps clasped Billy in her arms | knelt beside him and smothered him | with kisses. Grandfather and grand | mother Whitla forgot their age and | feebleness and hurried to Billy's side l Both of them kissed him. Let God | be thanked" said grandmother Whitla. 1
 Then they took Billy into the house. He was tired a. little bit but otherwise l was perfectly well after his experience and was thoroughly happy.
 Cleveland. March 23-Billy Whitla is 'ound. Now find the man who sto'e lim. A man hunt has begun in Ohio md Pennsylvania that has no parallel
  Crowe. kidnapper of Eddie Cudahy. With the departure this morning of James P. Whitla. taking his son Billy O the mother that awaited him in if the country's famous k dnappng ases closes and the third and last be- ,un.
 Billy Whitla was restored to his ather at the Holland Hotel. In obedi- nee to summons contained in the kid fourth letter received yester- lay while at Sharon. the father came 0 Cleveland yesterday, left s1O0OO at lis hotel and waited until at S:3O his oy was brought to him by men who ad found him on a trolley car where e had been placed by his Captors and old to say absolutely nothing except is destination.
 The police of the two states will mite in the man hunt. For although he crime was committed in Pennsyl- ana the ransom was pa10 m On1O. here are two means by whi~h the kid apperS may be traced The first and lost promising is by the personal de- 1 cription given by the boy they stole nd by tn few with whom they un- 1 voidably came into contact wh le egotiating for the ransom. The sec ( nd is through the currency they re- eived from MT. Whitla. When Attor- ey Whitla clasoed his lost boy, last 1 j fight in the hotel lobby he cried, tThis
 my son that was lost and is f4und ' wanted my boy; that was all. did 1