Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-06-05
SPRINGFIELD GOES
AFTER K|DNAPERS
Securing Ozarks for Hiding
Place of Those Who Hold
Baby Keet for Ransom.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. June 4.-Into
the ozark mountains today and to-
night went searchers for the missing
Lloyd kect. 14-months- son of j.
Holland Keet. wealthy Springfield
banker
With the announced determination
of seeking out hiding places from
which future abductions similar to
that of the Keet baby might be di-
rected and in which the band respon-
sible for the present crime may be
found, motor car loads of citizens OF
Springfield and the surrounding coun-
try went in large numbers. planning
to search the hills as carefully as
could be done.
Many Hiding Places.
The Ozark mountains hold Spring
field within a tight embrace. For
many miles they extend in all direc-
tions, mostly low scraggling hills, yet
largely timbered and sparsely inhaD-
itcd except along the railroads and
near the larger streams In years past,
moonshiners, bands of thieves and
others hid in the caves and the almost
inaccessible back woods. But or re
cent years the law has reigncd thru
out the hills, the mountaineer feuds of
a decade or more ago seemed all to
have died away and Springfield had
no fear of those who live in the hills.
But the Keet kidnapping has aroused
the fears of many. knowing that the
former haunts OF the law breakers
might again become the rendezvous
of abduction bands and believing that
perhaps such "A band had established
itself somewhere near at hand. citi-
zens of Springfield met today and de-
termincd to carry out n thoro search.
This was decided as was announced
by Judge A. A. Johnson of the Spring
field court of appeals. for the double
purpose of seeking the Kcet BABY and
of queting the fears of other women
that their children also might be alb
ducted by band running loose thru
the hills
father Would Play "Ionc Hand"
The other outstanding development
of today's search for the missing baby
was the growing conviction that Mr..
Keet had determined to play ''lone
hand" in ferreting out the captors of
the baby. He refused the aid of friends
and of county officials in the hill
search and told them that such n
search meant putting a dagger at the
thu oat of his child. The exact signifl-
canoe of such a course can not easily
ne ueteTDllneu. ItuInOTS nave Dten
afloat that overtures already have
been made for the return of the child,
the father to pay n sum in excess OF
S6 600 and that Mr.. Keet believes II
would be unwise to seek them out now.
He has received scores of letters, tolc-
Srams. telephone calls and communi-
cations from many persons recently.
While he has given ou: that they are
principally offers OF assistance and
suggestions from interested persons.
detective agents and others, Ii was
possible of course that one or more of
them might have come from members
OF the band proposing ransom. This
could be neither verified nor denied
and II was believed tonight the next
few days would reveal the truth or
falsity of the theory
Seemingly the wealthy young bank
er has plan that he believes will re-
suit In the return of the brown eyed
youngster. What It ls can only be sur
missed, but he made II plain to county
authorities today that he desired per-
mission to proceed alone.