Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-06-23
gIDKPPtR SfNT TO PEN
John Kean Tried, Convicted and
Sentenced in One Hour
WAS A SENSATIONAL CRIME
Abducted Little Charles Muth From
Public School and Then Threat
ened to Kill Him.

EuDl1c ScnoOl aOQ linen Intedt-
ened to Kill Him.
Philadelphia, June 10. John Joseph
Kean. the kidnaper of little Freddie
Mnth, whose disappearance from the
Mnhlenbnrg public sch lol in this city
sroused the police of every city in the
east. was tried, convicted and sem
fenced 10 20 years in the penitentiary
this morning, all within one hour.
The utmost satisfaction is expressed
over the outcome of the trial.
STORY OF THE CRIME.
Philadelphia, June 19.-Freddie
Muth, the 7-year-old son of Jeweler
Charles Muth, who was kidnapped
from the Muhlenburg public school
last Tuesday. was found Monday after.
noon in a vacant house and returned
to his grief-stricken parents.
John Joseph Keap, a member of a
respectable New York family, one
time bookkeeper Of the Harlem bank,
a stock broker and more recently a
real estate agent is the abduetor.
Replete with dramatic incidents
from its inception, the climax of the
ADDICTION was sensational to a degree.
: The ~kidnapper was taken at the point
OF a pistol only after he had been
fred upon and when he realized that
escape was impossible
Kean is married and the father of
three children. He gave as his reason
for abducting the Muth boy that he
needed the money.
From the day Of the kidnapping I'M
til the arrest he kept the child in the
vacant houses in West Philadelphia.
Meantime the entire detective and
police force of this city were conduct
ing an unremitting search and the au-
thorities of other cities had been fur
nished with a description of the boy
and bis captor. with instructions to
keep a lookout for the pair.
The first information that Kean and
his captive were in the vicinity in
which the arrest was eventually made
came from Joseph Sager, a baker.
who told a policeman last week that
the description of the pair in an oyster
saloon at 60l3 Haverford avenue short
ly after midnight last Wednesday.
Special officers Glare and Vale be-
in the neighborhood, and their hunt
led them TO the very house occupied
by the abductor and the child. The
dwellings were so constructed, how
Kean was able to elude the police bv
climbing into the back windows of
two adjoining houses which were also
n~noccupied.
A second investigation resulted in
the discovery of the boy and the ar
rest of the k%idnapper.
In the letters which the %kidnapper
wrote to Mr.. Muth he threatened to
kill the boy if his demands were o
met. He demanded that Mr.. Muth
tell the police a fictitious tale about
the disappearance of his sou in order
that the detectives might be with
drawn. His letters were answered
by Captain Donaghy through the
personal columns of the newspa-
pers and apparently all of his demands
were granted. The reward of 81. 900
offered by the father of the boy was
accepted by Kean. and as a test he
sent a letter TO Mr.. Muth requesting
him to send $500 20 a certain address.
the remainder to be paid later.
Previous TO kidnapping the Muth
child, he had attempted unsuccessful
iy TO abduct Louis Kolasky, a 6-y ar
old boy, whose parents, he believed
were well-to-do.
Kesn's parents live at 967 Park
avenue. New York. His brother is TO
be ordained to the priesthood TIM
month.
1t developed after Kean's arreststhat
he had stolen over $50. 600 from the
Harlem bank, New York. when he
was bookkeeper, in 1894. He admitted
the theft.
Ia his cell IN the police station Mon
dav night. Kean made a desperate at
tempt 10 kill himself bv banging,
but was prevented.