Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-11
Officers Believe Facts in
kidnapping and Murder
Will be Revealed.
SEARCH GOES ON
AS BABE is BURIED
Thousands Follow Little White casket
to Grave-Iron Nerve of One Of Sus.
poets Saves Him From Lynohins at
Hands Of Mob-Two Taken to Kan
sas City For Safe keepins-letters
Demanding Ransom Made Public.

thousands followed the little white
casket Of Lloyd Keet to the grave to-
day more arrests We're expected to
clear the mystery surrounding the kid
naping and murder of the child, whose
body was found in an abandoned we'll
Saturday.
Meanwhile Cletus Adams and Claude
Piersol are being held in Jail in Kan
sas City. where they were rushed for
safekeeping after being taken from the
sheriff and subjected to the third de-
gree" by leaders Of posse. who threat
ened them with death. Having failed
to obtain confession, however. the
two were returned to the sheriff un-
harmed. The other prisoners-Taylor
Adams. his wife and one son and Sam
MoGinnis-were understood to be still
held at Stockton. The coroner's In
quest will be held "Wednesday.
Threatening Letters Published.
The letters sent to Mr.. Keet after
the babes kidnapping were made avail
able to the public today. The first let
ter received. which sent the father on
wild drive over almost impossible hill
routes, directed him minutely as to the
composition of the $4,000 he WAS to
pay over for the return OF the infant,
and added:
1--WE are sure we have your kid.
Don't say anything to the police or put
1T into the papers. There are three OF
us and we want $4,000 apiece, so 1t will
cost you $4,000 to get him. We have
another one picked out. so if we don't
get this from you we will show them
what we did to you
Then followed instructions as 20
placing the. money in a certain build
ing; that it was noted by the kidnap-
ers that their instructions were being
complied with and the description Of
the route to be taken to reach the place,
and added: I'VE are going to feed him
and be good to him till then, but II we
don't get 1t you, will have tough
looking kid We got lots of milk The
kid is all right
The second letter arrived at the Keet
home the next morning. It declared:
"When we seen what was up on the
road we come In" adding that it was
known the instructions in the first let
ter had been revealed to outsiders.
Written in Feminine Hand
The third letter was received on the
night following and set forth the same
instructions. It merely added to the
route to be taken. Both drives laid
out led past the Crenshaw farm, where
the babes body later was found float
ing in we'll. Officers believe 1t pos
si'ble the baby was kept in this house
until the abductors became frightened.
All the letters were written in good
hand. apparently feminine. but was
filed with misspelled words and lack
ing in punctuation.
Adams and Piersol owe their lives tO
the iron nerve Of the latter. A rope
was placed around Piersors neck and
the end thrown over q tree limb. He
was assured that he was about to die.
whether guilty or not. but only replied
that he hoped you will tell my parS
ents I had nothing to do with the abb
duction. Of the Keet baby" After their
return to the sherifrs custody the pris-
oners were taken to Kansas City.
There were reports today that ad-
ditional arrests were expected short
" in the alleged abduction plot that
had to do with the kSdnaping of O. A.
Clemens, Springfield millionaire, q
Springfield baby, and st. Louis man
ufacturer.
The condition Of Mrs. Keet which
has been serious, was said TO have i'm
proved today.
Sheriff Tells Of Chase.
Sheriff Webb, soon after his return
from the Wild ride to save his prison.
ers consented to tell the story Of that
fight. Ho sald that he decided to re-
move the prisoners Immediately after It
was reported TO him that the body OF
the Keet baby had bsen found in the
old we'll on the Crsnshaw place.
=; .'ygree ygGree :e<s. mere about Il: go yesi.rn.S
morning in two automobiles" he said.
"were they willing to go?" he was
asked. =
.wi,,ins?s he replied, You couldn't
have gotten them away II you tried.
They were frightened pale, all Of them.
we drove 1t breakneck speed. hadn't
any place in mind. We Just drove and
drove fast.
II wanted to get where41 could lock
them up in jail. But nobody would
take them In. We went from town to
town and everywhere there was jail
asked for admission and every place
they refused. i didn't blame them ]
wouldn't want to take prisoners into
my jail here II I felt sure that in few
sssg.