The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-10
Turns States Evidence in Keet
Baby kidnapping Case.
Made Two Trips With PiersOl
to Keet Mansion.
by GOD, WE'RE AFTERlA BABY
That's What Alleged Ring
Leader Informed Him.
PierSOI Said He "Had 1t Fixed"
To Kill States Witness.

ter. charged with implication of the
alleged conspiracy to kienap C. A.
Clement, jeweler of Springfield,
testified today IN the trial of Claude
]. Piersol, charged with kidnapping
Baby Lloyd Keet, as a witness for the
state
Objections by the defense Mat the
prosecution promised to make it easy
for Carter" if he testified, on the
ground that the statute made such
testimony of a co-defendant unlawful,
was overruled by Judge C. H. Skinker,
because Carter is not charged in the
Keet case.
Carter testified to making two trips
in an automobile with Piersol, Cletus
Adams and Taylor Adams to the keet
home on the nights of March 18 and -
of this year, but that at that time he
did not know it was the Keet resi-
dence. On the second night, Carter
testified he asked Piersol what they
came out there for and that Piersol
replied, by God, we are after a baby
The witness swore that he told Pier
sol to count me OUT if that was the
case and that Piersol threatened to
get me" if he told anything.
Carter Left for Kansas.
Carter said. he left for Wellington,
KAN the following day and remained
there until June IS, when he went to
Hutchinson and was arrested the day
following. The witness said he had
met Piersol about a year ago and that
hen had been out with him a number
of times and on Christmas day, 1915
they visited the Crenshaw mansion
During all of these meetings he tes-
titled Piersol continued to talk of cap
turing man named Langford for
stealing government bonds.
On being questioned regarding con-
versations in the Marshfield Jail with
Piersol and Taylor Adams, Carter re-
lated about Piersol, after reading in a
newspaper about an attempt to assas-
sinate William Ousley, witness for
the state, in St. Louis. that Piersol
! said that he had had it fixed to kill
Ousley Carter also told of quarrels
| between Taylor Adams and Piersol in
the jail, but the court sustained an
objection by the defense.
In addition, Carter testified that
Piersol had told him in the Jail that if
Taylor Adams had. destroyed the let
! ter he had written to Adams IN Kan
sas City. in which there was a SEN
! tence which said, Il made the deal I
was talking to you about" that every
thing would be all right but that as it
Was<it looked bad. He said Piersol
Hold him in the Jail that Taylor Adams
! had told everything on both Piersol
and Carter and that Piersol said if he
ever got clear he would kill Adams
| Cross-examinc Carter.
Carter said he never heard. Pierso
mention the Keet case in the Jail, but
that PieGsol said the letter to Taylor
Adams meant Just what O'Day thinks
it does"
On REORGANIZATION Carter ad-
mitted he had told attorneys for the
defense that he had never heard of g
! plot to steal a baby. He said he die
! n of oil he eff al nRxyz a nv hi Inn
because none of the, others had.
! Other witnesses who testified thit
morning were William Ousleyg c. e
Wetherman and w. G. Warren whC
/ Taylor Adams to capture disloya
Americans. James Cummins of Spar
ia, Mo-. a second cousin of Adams
told of a plan Adams said he hat
afoot to capture man for Germany
Roy Rogers of Joplin. who formerl!
lived in Springfield, told of renting
his car to the defendant and his al
legged co-conspirators.
Fails to Identify PiersoI.
/ Marshfield, Mo, Oct. 10-Failure Of
| Richard Crenshaw to positively iden-
tify Claude J. Piersol as one of the
men seen lettering in the yard of the
| CrenShaW farm, where Baby LloyC
Keets body was found at the bottom
of a well, has knocked the first prof.
out from under the deliberately con
structed case against Piersol, now OF
1 trial as chief in the kidnapping plot.
The trial was expected to progress
rapidly today with many Witnesse!
appearing. Crenshaw told of investi
eating the "old CrenShaw mansion
after the finding of the babys bod!
in the well and of finding pieces o
cloth at the bottom + an old pit be
meath the house. The prosecution
will endeavor to show that the kid
napers kept Baby Lloyd hidden in al
upper room until he either died o.
was killed and then lowered the bod!
into this pit, later throwing it in tn
well, it is believed.
Prosecution Sure of Conviction.
Prosecutor Paul NJ. O'Day is still
confident of convicting Piersol.
1.-THE testimony will show that Pier
sol was the brains of a kidna ping gan
that for two years plotted to stea
some child" he said in his openin
statement.
The fate of Piersol should be know
by the end of this week, according t
the plans of all connected with tn
| trial.
Judge C. H Skinker, presiding a
the Piersol trial expects to return t
Bolivar. Mo, next Monday for tn
full term of court there. tits prob
able there ore that the cases of tn
: other defendants will not be tried 70
about a m onth, he said today.
End Trial This Week.
r The prosecution expects to clos
t their case today; the defense plans
4 complete their testimony by Thurs
day night or Friday morning. IN
e case should reach the jury Saturda!