Evening star., 1934-05-16
GETTLE K|DNAPERS
GIVEN LIFE TERMS
Sentences Begin Today as
Trio Are Speeded to
California Trial.
BY the Associated Press.

LOS ANGELES, May 16.-Three
kidnapers Of the wealthy William
Gettle will begin serving life sentences
for that crime before nightfall
Hardly more than "a Shours after
Gettle's delivery from his kidnap
prison, and less than a week after he
was snatched from a party at his
Beverly Hills home, the three kid
napers-Ray Williams, Jimmy Kirk
and Larry Kerrigan-were rushed to
court last night, permitted to plead
guilty and quickly sentenced to life
imprisonment
A county grand jury indicted the
trio on kidnapping for ransom and rob-
berry charges at 7:50 pm. after hear
ing Gettles story.
At 8 o'clock tn men were taken be-
fore Superior Judge Charles w. Fricke
for arraignment.
Fifteen minutes later they had
pleaded guilty, Gettle had testified
briefly and the three kidnapers had
been sentenced to life terms in San
Quentin Prison.
Will Be Eligible for Parole.
Because Gettle testified the three
had not inflicted grievious bodily
harm, they will be eligible for parole
after serving 31a years.
District Attorney Buron Fits had
given the members of the gang the
alternative of pleading guilty or stand
ing trial and facing the possibility of
the death sentence.
In view of Gettles testimony that he
suffered no bodily harm. court at
taches pointed out the district attor-
ney would have no power to demand
the death penalty. However. his
threat apparently had the desired re-
suit as the men pleaded guilty with
| little hesitation.
Grouped before the bench were
District Attorney Fits and two Of his
deputies. The prisoners, heavily
ironed and clad in the blue denim jail
garb, sat with their attorney, J. Ed
ward Simpson.
Indictment Is Read.
Gettle sat at the clerks desk, with
Sheriff Eugene Biscailul and other law
enforcement officers.
Judge Fricke read the indictment
"The said Ray A. Williams, Jimmie
Fred Kirk and Larry Kerrigan are
accused by this indictment Of the
crime of KIDNAPPING, for the purpose
of extortion and robbery. in violation
of section 200 of the, penal code OF
California. a felony
"s The said defendants did
willfully, unlawfully and feloniously
seize, confine, abduct, conceal, k1dnap
and carry away one William F. Get
tie, an individual, with intent to hold
and detain him, for ransom and re-
ward in the sum of S60.000. and to
commit extortion and robbery and to
exact money"
The Judge then asked each of the
| three men If he was ready to plead
Each nodded.
Guilty" each mumbled.
Fits announced he would call Get
tie as the only witness.
Tells of kidnapping.
Gettle told how he was kidnapped
from his Arcadia country home about
midnight last Wednesday. He told OF
going with two of his guests to the
recreation house on the estate.
And then. Mr.. Gettle?" asked Fits.
1.-TWO boys ran in. They had guns
and wore masks" said Gettle. "They
grabbed our arms. They tied Wolf
(James P. Wolf, one of the guests
to a tree and said: This is no hold
up. It's a snatch
They bound my hands and put
me over the fence. My hands were
bound and they taped my mouth and
eyes. They threw me into car"
You we're directed over the wall?''
asked the district attorney.
YES" Gettle replied. II fell from