Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 May 1909 — NAMES WHITLA’S BROTHER-IN-LAW [ARTICLE]

NAMES WHITLA’S BROTHER-IN-LAW

Harry Forker Is Boyle’s lysterious Third Person. HIS STORY DISCREDITED Kidnapers Are Sentenced, the Man Getting a Life Term and the Woman Being Sent to Prison For Twenty Five Years—Razor Found In Celt and She Attempts to Execute Suicide Threat by Taking Morphine. Mercer, Pa., May 11. —Before he was taken to the penitentiary at Pittsburg. James Boyle prepared this statement: “This is the complete history of the kidnaping of Willie Whitla. "On the morning of Dan Reeble, Jr., was found dead on the sidewalk in Youngstown, 0., and over the prostrate form was Harry Forker, holding a package of letters gathered from the sidewalk near the body of Reeble. “As he was about to depart from the vicinity he was intercepted by myself and Dan Shay, a saloon keeper of Youngstown. Shay is dead. “In Forker’s hurry he failed to find two’-envelopes that contained four letters. The same were picked up by Shay. “Shay and myself read the letters. They were written by a lady, two from a party in New York state and the others from Cleveland, O. Says He Received Money. “At a later date Forker was apprised of the fact that I held these letters and asked if he could use them. Forker wrote, stating that he would like to have a personal talk with me. “A meeting took place. Forker said he would pay for the possession of the letters, The amount offered was refused and from that day to March, 19Q8, I received at different times amounts of money from Forker to remain silent. "About Six months ago, when I returned to Sharon with my wife, I met Forker and informed him that unless I received $5,000 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 12, 1909, I proceeded to Cleveland', 0., and addressed to Forker a letter, which read as follows:

“‘I have decided not to wait any longer in regard to the money proposition, and if I don’t hear from you soon there will be some exposing.’ “I signed it, ‘J. J. Bailey, Cleveland, O.’ “Qn March 16, 1909, I received an answer which read: Forker Mrs. Whitla's Brother. “•Friend Bailey—You know of the circumstances and the promise I made you when you left here, but if you are really desperately in need of money, as you profess to be, I will outline a little plan which, with your co-opera-tion, can be very successfully carried out, viz., the abduction of J. P. Whitla’s son.’ “Upon learning that my name was mentioned in connection with the kidnaping case, I made it a point to meet Whitla personally in Cleveland. I showed him the letters that had passed between Forker and myself, also the Youngstown letters and Whitla promised that if I would substantiate the truth of the Youngstown letters he would see that there would be no prosecution.

“I then surrendered, through Whitla, all the letters that were in my possession 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 denied Boyle’s statement about a meeting in Cleveland. The statement of Boyle is discredited generally. Boyle was sentenced for life and the woman given a term of twenty-five years. Razor In Boyle’s Clothing. That the threats of a 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 morphine between midnight and daylight. Mrs. Boyle was made partly unconscious 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 a side room' and told that they would have to say good-bye, 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 the room. When she reached the corridor she burst into tears and asked to be permitted once again to see her husband. The request was granted and she again kissed and embraced Boyle.