The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-14
TOLD BY A GIRL.
She Reveals Story of a Murder
Committed Last July.
A Farmer With Whom She Liv-
ed Shot a Man.
HE BURIED THE BODY
Then Dug 1t Up and Attempted
to Burn 1t.
Cut 1t in Pieces and
Scattered the Parts.
HE BURIED THE BODY

York. Pa, JAN Hilary Keener, a
York county farmer confessed today
that the story told by a girl, of this
city, that he had killed a man on his
farm last July is true. The identity of
the victim is still unknown. The girl
accused Keener Will, she was lying on
what was believed to be her deathbed.
The girl is Miss Lorenza Tawser,
aged Is. Last summer, she was en-
ployed on Keener's farm near Seven
Valleys. Last week she attended the
murder trial in this city of a one armed
negro. After going home she was
seized with spasms and fearing she
would die, gave detailed account of
Keener's alleged crime to her mother.
Her reason for not telling of the killing
sooner, she said, was that she had been
sworn to secrecy by Keener.
The girl said that after Keener had
killed the man he buried the body in
the orchard. While the orchard was
being plowed Keener was constantly
''sweated' by the police. Today, I'M
able to hold out any longer, Keener adj
mitted the crime and corroborated
practically all of the details in the
revelation made by the girl.
Keener said his victim was a strang-
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 odor of the body caused him to
take it up. He then tried to dispose of
it by burning, but he was not sue
cessful Keener says the Tawser girl
then helped to cut up the body and as
sisted in it's burial. He said the arms
and legs were separated from the trunk
and were buried at different points. A
portion of the body was buried in the
cellar of the home, other parts were
buried on the farm his father. some
miles away.
Keener and the girl were taken to
the scene of the crime today.
The finding of ashes and portions
of burned bones there corroborated
the confession made by the farmer.
The girl in her statement to the
police. said the shooting occurred on
July II. She said:
'I was upstairs in the bed room
when I heard knock on the door
down stairs.
At ran down and the door was
open and Keener was standing there
with his revolver. A man was lying
on the grass between the porch and
the cellar door He. said, My Godi
My God!' and opened his eyes. I'll
finish him said Keener and fired three
times more I think four shots hit
III IAS AAS0A S~AA~
heart.
s'Then Keener got the little wagon
and loaded the body on it. AS he was
going out the garden gate to go into
the orchard the body fell off and
Keener loaded it on again.
when he got to the well. Keener
stopped and I thought he would
throw him down there. I guess I'd
better not he said. we would not
have anything to drink.
She then told how Keener had dug
a hole and threw the body into it and
how he swore her to secrecy, threaten
ing to kill her if she should ever re-
veal anything of what she had seen.
On the garden path of stones, she
said blood dripped from the wagon
upon several of the stones. To cover
these stones she said Keener smeared
them with paint. Keener is rs years
of age and a widower.
Keener's father died several months
ago and left an estate of about $4,000
in trust for the son. Two years ago
Keener was married but a separation
occurred a year later and he lived on
the farm with Miss Tawser as his
housekeeper.
Since the murder Keener advertised
in matrimonial papers and again
married. He was living with his
mother several miles from the farm
when arrested.