Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-14
Keener Admits Killing Man on
His Farm.
BURIED VICTIM IN ORCHARD
Breaks Down Under Third Degree
After All-Night Sweating.
SAYS MAN WAS STRANGER
Declares Girl Helped Him to Cut UP
Corpse After 1t Was
Exhumed.

YORK. Pa, January l4.-The old axiom
that murder will out was again proved
here today when Harry keener, a York
county farmer. confessed the truth of the
story told by a girl of this city that he
had killed a man on his farm last July.
The finding today of ashes and portions
of burned bones at places where keener
said he buried pieces of the body cor
roborate the confession made by the
farmer.
Keener's father died several months ago
and left an estate of about 5000 in trust
for the son. About two years ago keener
was married, but separation occurred
year later. He lived on the farm with
Miss Lorena. his accuser, as his house
keeper.
Since the murder Keener advertised in
matrimonial papers and again married.
He abandoned the farm and was living
with his mother several miles from the
farm when arrested.
The identity of the victim is still wrap
ped in mystery. The police hope to clear
up missing points during the day.
The girl accused keener while she was
lying on what was believed to be her
deathbed. The young farmer steadfastly
maintained his innocence until this morn
ing.
Mentally tortured by the sweating proc
ess he was put through and the harrow
ing experience of the last few days. he
q
had killed man and described what he
had done with the body.
The girl in the case Miss Lorena Taw-
ser. is aged eighteen years. Last sum-
mer she was employed on keeners farm.
near Seven Valleys. a short distance from
this city. How she left his place is at
present not definitely known.
Taken Ell at Trial.
Last week she attended the murder trial
in this city of a one-armed negro. She
was taken i'll while listening to the testi-
mony Taken home, she was seized with
spasms
Fearing she would die, the girl gave a
detailed account of the supposed crime to
her mother. Her reason for not telling CT
the killing sooner. she said. was that she
had been sworn to secrecy by Keener and
was afraid to divulge it.
The local authorities were Immediately
notified. AS a result Keener was taken
into custody last Sunday.
The girl said that after keener had
killed the man he buried the body in the
orchard of the farm and that he had
painted the places where blood had spilled.
An immediate investigation was started
For three days twenty-five men under the
direction OF the district attorney searched
4 l,n far ne
statements except the burial or the body.
The entire orchard had been plowed up TO
a depth of three or four feet.
Keener Admits Killing.
While this was going on keener was
constantly ''sweated' by the police. When
the sweating was resumed last night
keener stoutly denied the accusation and
minated that the girl might have killed
a man.
After a grueling that lasted until o
o'clock this morning he was unable to
hold out any longer and admitted the
crime. He cOrroborated practically all de-
tails in the revelation made by the girl.
keener said his victim was stranger
who came to his house in the night and
without apparent provocation threatened
to kill him. He said he shot through the
glass in the door of his home and killed
him.
He then buried the body, he said. in the
orchard. The odor of the body caused him
to take it up later.
In his confession keener said he made
an attempt to dispose of II by burning.
In this, he said, he was not successful.
keener alleges the Tawser girl then
helped to cut up the body of the man
and assisted in its burial.
He said the arms and legs We're sepa-
rated from the trunk and were buried at
different points. A portion of the body
was buried in the cellar of the home.
Other parts We're inferred in the woods
on the farm Still other parts We're buried
on the farm of his father. some miles
away.
Taken to Scene of Crime.
keener and the girl We're taken 10 the
scene of the crime this morning. An
effort will be made to unearth the re-
mains of the murdered man under their
direction.
keener. who is twenty-five years old
and widower. speaks Pennsylvania
German. He did not weaken until mem
Der OF the city police force. who speaks
the same tongue. appealed 10 him in con-
fdence to tell him.
The accused said if he We're given d
drink of water he would tell him some
thing. After taking the drink ne told all
the circumstances OF the killing. but in
sists that it was done in lf-defense.
The girl in her statement to the police
said the shooting occurred July y. She
said:
al was upstairs in the bedroom when |
heard knock on the door downstairs.
Il ran down and the door was open.
keener was standing there with his re-
vOlver. A man was lying on the grass
between the porch and the cellar door
He said. My God Ny God and
opened his eyes as | looked.
- IN finish him., said Keener. and fired
three times more. | think four shots hit
him in the head and one near the heart
Body Buried in Orchard.
Then keeHer got the little wagon and
loaded the body on it, AS he was going
out the garden gate to turn into the
orchard the body rolled eff. Keener
loaded it on again.
when he got to the well Keener stop
ped. I thought he would throw him
down there. L guess I'd better not lie
said. We would not have anything to
drink
She then told how Keener had dug a
hole and thrown the body into it, and
how he Swcre her to secrecy. threa tening
TO kill her ii she would ever reveal any
thing of what she had seen.
On the garden path of stones. she said |
blood dripped from the wagon upon sew
eral stones. To cover these stains she
said, keener smeared paint on them