Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-09-25
HIS ALIBI Is READY.
NeiGhbors of Kennedy Say He WINS Mt
Home Friday NiGht-Police Say
He Was Here.


The whereabouts of John Kennedy on
Friday night. between the hours OF ana
il o'clock, is still puzzling the police
Kennedy says he was at home in the
Crackerneck district Reputable nelSh-
| bors substantiate his claim. The ponce
say Kennedy was in Kansas City ABOUT
| II o'clock, that he was seen by man
whose name they refuse to make KNOWN
| that detectives trailed him from the east
ern part of the city to a lodging house on
| West Ninth street. Kennedy, himself, says
| he will be able to prove an albi. On the
| face of the evidence at hand he seems to
| have the better of the police in the arSu-
ment over his whereabouts Friday night.
The people in the Crackerneck district,
where the parents of John Kennedy live,
are mystified. They are certain that John
| Kennedy was in the little town of Glen
| dale at o'clock on the night of the rob-
| berry: that he talked with his sister, Anne
| Kennedy, who is the postmistress there;
| that he took Miss Pearl Dressback home
and that Miss Dressback and Kennedy did
not arrive at her home until $3.50 o'clock.
| The town of Glendale, famous for its train
| robberies. has but few buildings in 1t. The
| largest Is the postoffice. But few conSre-
| gate at the little office at night, but these
few who were there claim, and say they are
| the office at 8 o'clock and that he came
| there TO look over the evening papers to
see if the grand jury had brought in an
indictment against him for the murder of
Miss Emma Schumacher.
John Kennedy himself stated yesterday
| that he first learned of the holdup when
| he read the account in The Journal yes
| terday morning about s o'clock. After
reading the account he told his sister
| that he would be accused OF the crime, and
| he then proceeded to the home of his
| father. about mile and half from the
station. John Kennedy was at his fathers 3
home when Deputy Marshal Joseph Gentry
| arrived. The quail hunter wore a clean
| shirt, which had evidently been put on
| that morning. He had clean shave and
| was ready and willing to talk of the hold
| up. kennedy's father held his hands above
| his head, and with upturned eyes and
| solemn voice, took oath that Jack had
| remained in the house all night, and that
| he could not have been with the men who
robbed the train. 1t was a strange scene
in the little Kennedy home among the hills
| of Crackerneck. The aged mother of
Jack, the supposed train robber. also took
solemn oath that her boy had remained at
home, and that the fact could be easily
proven by neighbors.
Since Kennedys release from the county
Jail he has been careful to be in places
| where people could see him and talk with
him. Friday night was not an exception
to the rule. William Frazier and his wife
are willing to swear that Kennedy was at
their home about O'clock, and took Miss
e1nc ss William Of 1bs1 seeon IS
and stands well in the community.
Wilford Carr, another resident of Glen
a Ths an the TO and 5daa akes
witt with him. him. J. f. Smith also declares that
he saw Kennedy at the postoftice and saw
him start with Miss Dressback toward
their home Kennedy himself states that
he arrived at his own home at about 10
oelogk Louis NGIand an old eoored man man
dale going. toward the postoftice. Miss
Dressback is positive that it was not later
than $50 o'clock when she was escorted
Where was John Kennedy last night?"
Chief HAYES was asked yesterday,
WAS he in the city,
I'VE think he was in Kansas City part
of the time" was his only admission.
There is no doubt that Kennedy was in
Kansas City Friday afternoon. Prosecutor
Frank Lowe met him at . o'clock just
outside the jail entrance. A jocular con-
versaton ensued, for Kennedy is very fond
OF joking about his alleged train robbing
experience.
Something was said about the quail hunt
ing season:
''Oh. that's all right" said Kennedy, "I
don't give a damn how much you fellow }
! accuse me of robbing trains. There's moth
ing disgraceful in that What / do object
| TO is being connected with the murder of
that woman. My friends ought to know
wouldn't do that"
The conversation ended when Kennedy
remarked significantly:
IF train should be held UP tonight
1t would just be my luck to be accused of
it"
Kennedy laughed heartily at his own
| words and the Two men separated. Ken
| nedy may have gone home to Glendale
then. He claims to have been there for
| supper at o'clock and to have remained
there all night. That will be his alibi. The
| police, however. claim he was seen in town
about midnight.
Chief Hayes says he was Informed Fri
day night by a man who wishes his name
| concealed that he saw Kennedy board a
building about 1870 o'clock. He was posi-.
| tive of the identity of the man.
Chief Hayes put Detectives keshler, Bry-
ant and Sanderson on the trail The mar
was traced from the corner of Twelfth and
Main streets TO rooming house on Yves,
| Ninth street. The police refuse to give the
| number of the house.
a man would have had ample time tc
!. commit the robbery, say the detectives, ant
reach the old Exposition building before
! midnight That the man who boarded the
, Twelfth street car at the Exposition build
, | ing was Kennedy the police feel certain
> There are other clues which connect witt
| the train robbery n man who appeared ir
| stances Friday night.
> Officer O'Donnell telephOned to police
! HEADQUARTERS about midnight that a horst
! and buggy going like "a house afire" hac
i, pendence avenue. headed for town. The
horse was flecked with foam. One mar
hung tightly to the rejns. O'Donnell called
loudly TO him to halt, but for answer thu
] gl.s,- -lzE u IN