Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-15
JOSEPH KEITH HANGED.
Murderer Of Nora kifer Pays Penalty
For His Crime.

Murderer Of Nora kifer Pays Penalty
For His Crime.
Michigan City, Ind, Nov. lo-Josepf
Keith, the Warrick county farmer VINO
sent Nora kifer to an untimely grave
was, hanged shortly after midnight this
morning within the walls of the north
ern Indiana prison. His last hope per-
ished at 9 o'clock yesterday afternoon
" hen a message was received by War
Gen Reid from Governor Durbin, statlne
that he had denied the application Tor
change of sentence.
Keith manifested little feeling wher
the message was read to him. lie nae
steeled himself for an unfavorapie de-
c;sion. He spent his last hours on eartn
praying and singing.
The Indiana law requires that hans-
lngs must take place between midnign'
and sunrise, and the morning was cary
when Keith, preceded by Warden Relo
Denuty Warden Bernard. the prison
musicians. spiritual advisers and pris-
oner guards, walked upon the gaiioWs
which had been erected thirty feet from
his cell. The trap was sprung py eitheI
Warden Reid or Deupty Bernaro, po.n
of whom were in conceaiment, anu hei'A
fell eight feet to his death. -
Keith was farmer. 40 years oia, "
some local prominence in Warrick coun, !,
~ where he lived with his VIE ana
children. He began liaison with Nora
Is;fer the lS-year-o old daughter OF
neiphboring farmer, who annoyed MIN
with demands for money and Kept MN
in fear by discussing their relations
wore or less publicly. On Monday. April
. 1900. she received note sent ps
Keith thru his son Jesse, asking her to
meet him at a bridge not far distant
from Keith's farm.
The young woman was seen on the
bridge that night pacing restiessiy up
and down. About II o'clock witness
named Hedges saw Keith gong nome
by road which led directly from the
bridge, and an old we'll in which evil
dence was afterward found that the
body of the girl had lain for some time.
When accosted by Hedges. Keith acted
strangely, neither replying nor looking
up. Miss Kifer was never seen agaE
in life after that night.
One week later Mrs Kifer received a
note purporting to come from her
daughter, stating that she was in Ev-
ansville and preparing to start for Chi
cago on trip with a friend, to be gone
three months, and possibly SIX The
hand writing and the address on the
envelope were afterward shown to be
Keiths From that time Keith talked
freely to nearly every one he met, say
ing the Kifers were getting letters reg
uiarly from Nora, that she was leading
a bad life in Evansville, Paducah or
ST. Louis, and that il she told lies about
the people in Evansville. as she had
about him, she would be found IN the
creek some day with stone around
her neck.
Finally Nora Kifer's father told Keith
openly that no word had ben received
from his daughter, that the letter pur-
porting to have come from her was
written by Keith and that he QktfeD
proposed to search tor and find the girl.
Shortly afterward Keith was seen in his
buggy driving toward Evansville along
the road that led straight from the ca
nal bridge and the old well referred to.
Early the next morning the body of
Nora Kifer was found with stone tied
around the neck, half buried in the wa
ters of Pigeon creek, about two miles
from Evansville and near the road lead
ing to the canal bridge and the old we'll.
The body was in an advanced stage of
decomposition, but Identification was
possible thru the clothing and birth
mark and other physical characteristics
That same day Keith repainted his
buggy and washed the carpet that was
used on the floor of the vehicle. Crys-
tails of blood were later found in the
CARPET. These were also discovered
about the railing of the old we'll, which.
upon being dragged, gave forth some of
the hair belonging TO the murdered girl;
also hammer and pair of grabhooks,
the latter evidently used by Keith in
taking the body from the we'll to carry
it to Pigeon creek.