The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-10-12
Accused Trio Now On Trial
In Missouri Town
KEET BABY is STOLEN
Afterward the Dead Body Was
Found in An Abandoned
Well; Story
UNITED Press Dispatch.l
From Mondays Daily.

/ y
Marshfield, Mo-, October 8.-Dick
! Carter, Claude Piersol and Cletus
Adams were placed on trial here to-
day charged with the kidnapping and
murder of fourteen months old Lloyd
Keet, son of J. H. Holland Keet,
whose body was found in an aban-
doned well on June 9, ten days after
the child had been stolen from the
home of it's parents at Springfield.
Mrs. Taylor Adams, her husband, her
son Make and Sam Maginis, who the
authorities charge are implicated in
a plot to abduct Clement A. Clement,
wealthy jeweler of Springfield at the
same time the Keet's baby was stolen
will also be placed on trial. Special
deputies have been sworn in to assist
the court officials in preventing anti
cipated disturbances during the trials.
Keet Baby Stolen.
The Keet baby was stolen from its
home in Springfield on the night OF
May &c. while the parents were at
tending a dance. A maid, servant
and four year old boy were in 'le
house when the abductOrs gained
entrance through an open window in
the nursery. The child was not missed
until shortly after midnight when the
parents returned from the dance.
The following day Keet received an
anonymous note instructing him to
bring $4,000 to a secluded spot near
Springfield that night and promising
the return of the child. Concealing
his plans from the police Keet did as
directed but the abductors failed to
appear.
Second Note Received.
A second note was received on
June 1. Keet's friends had been too
solicitous in following him on the
night of May 81, the note explained,
adding that if he would bring several
thousand dollars additional as penal
ty for the action of his friends the
baby would be returned the following
night, but the abductOrs again failed
to appear A few days later all of the
accused with the exception Of Dick
Carter were arrested.
On June 9 the body of the child was
found in an abandoned well on farm
eight miles southwest of Springfield.
Fearing for the safety of his prison.
ers Sheriff Webb spirited them out OF
town before announcing that the
childs body had been found.
Posse Gave Chase.
On learning the prisoners were
taken from the town posse gave
chase overtaking the officials and the
accused shortly before midnight near
Stockton. The posse demanded the
prisoners. After exacting a promise
from the posse that the lives of the
suspects would be spared Sheriff
Webb surrendered them.
Piersol was questioned by members
of the posse but refused to make a
statement. A rope was tied about his
neck and even though his body was
repeatedly swung from the ground he
refused to talk. All of the accused
were then returned to the officials.
At the preliminary trial in August,
Carter, Piersol and Cletus Adams
were denied bail DR.. Harvey Full
bright testified the baby had died
either from drugs or suffocation be-
fore being thrown in the well.
The cases ordinarily would have
been tried before Judge Johnson, but
because of his activity in the search
for the child, he was disqualified.