The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1917-06-14
BODY OF KEEr BABY FOUND
Mob Tries to Force Confession From
Suspects. May be German
Plot.

Mrs. Holland Keet of Springfield
who was kidnapped May 30, and he'll
for ransom, was found in we'll at tn
old Crenshaw mansion near Spring
field Saturday morning.
The body of the child was wrapped
in the blanket which had been take,
from the keet home and in an oil
black petticoat. 1t was found short
ly before noon floating on the sur
face of the water 10 feet below thu
ground in the abandoned we'll few
yards from the Crenshaw mansion.
1t was this mansion that Piersol,
suspect, had admitted visiting. but MOI
in any connection with the Keet kid
naping.
The information which resulted in
finding the body was obtained by
Nanny Simmons and Edward Conk-
lin. local business men and friends
Of the wealthy father. With detec-
tives. they went to the Crenshaw farm
and instituted search of the house
and grounds. The house previously
had been searched, but no signs were
found to indicate that it had been
used by the alleged gang.
The farm recently was searched by
authorities, after it had been named
in alleged statements given by sus-
poets under arrest here An old
house there. deserted fo- several
years. was said to have been chosen
as the headquarters for the alleged
abductor. who planned to kidnap-
Clement
The Keet baby was stolen from the
family home the night of May 30.
His parents had gone to a dance at
the Country Club and the baby was
left with nurse and an older son.
The abduction was said to have
been committed about 10 O'Clock
that night. Neighbors described later
having seen an automobile drive
swiftly past the house. 1t was sup
posed to have stopped behind some
bushes.
Three men were believed to be the
abductors. and it is assumed they took
lie baby from his crib, carrying him
about 200 yards to the car.
The baby's father received an anon
,mous letter the day following the
disappearance in which $4,000 ransom
or the child was demanded. The
ather was directed to drive into rural
Greene County that night and was
old that somewhere he would come
pom lighted lantern. There he was
0 stop and the child would be re-
urned to him in exchange for the
honey.
keet made the trip. With the lights
II his motor car fixed as he had been
irected. so the abductors might rec
gnize him, he left his home alone
hortly before midnight. Four hours,
trough a binding storm that made
pads almost impossible, he drove
round the Ozark hills of Greene
ounty. He saw no sign of the abb
uctors, however, and returned home
everal hours later, haggard and tired,
is clothing mud-stained and
renched.
Explanations given then were that
lends who had followed him in their
rotor cars, seeking to insure his
lfety, possibly had frightened away .
lie abductors.
Since that time it has been believed
IT. Keet made another trip in the
ills. alone, possibly in response to
mother letter, as it has been report :,
currently that he received at least
,ur communications. But that
ould not be fixed definitely, as the /.
!ther. playing almost "lone hand
the search, refused either to con-
RIM or deny the rumors. i
The wealth of the family, the I'M
sual features of the search, and the
eclarations that an organized and
ell directed abduction plot band
I'd been unearthed, brought atten-
on to the case throughout the coun- Z
y.
Baby Keet was lively youngster =
brown hair and brown eyes. His .
Their. until two or three days ago, "
emed confident that the boy would .
surrendered by the kidnapers. ).
Mrs. Keet, the young and pretty .
other, likewise had kept up her y
irits. The night upon which the n
Their made the wild trip through the q
orm swept hills. she was certain II
at Lloyd would be brought back. n
lie prepared his little bed, fixed "
arm clothing for him. and sat
rough the long night smilingly hap a
; in the expectations of the quick q
turn. ia
Shortly after the finding of the a.
,dy of the baby a mob was organ Z
ID to take from the Greene county J.
/ the six prisoners, one of them a y
oman, suspected with being impli- =
ted in the kidnapping. The alleged "a
otters had been removed by the
eriff in an attempt to secure their n