Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-10-10
Prisoner Identified as Leader
of Mysterious Prowlers
Around Keet Home.
Deep, Dark, Cold Hole Under
Crenshaw House Hiding
Place for Baby.

MARSHFIELD, Mo-. Oct. 9-Rapid
progress marked the opening days
testimony here today In the trial OF
Claude j. Piersol, charged with lid
naping baby Lloyd Keet whose
body was found in a we'll on the de-
serted Crenshaw homestead several
days after he disappeared, MAY 80,
from the home OF his parents. AR.
and Mrs. j. Holland Keet, at Spring
field
Following the selection of jury,
consisting of farmers, all of whom
with tine exception of two are men
of families, and the opening address
to the jury by Paul NJ. O'Day, county
prosecutor, hearing of evidence was
begun.
Mrs. Keet followed Ida McCanon
and Jennie EIaig, nurse and cook, re-
epectlvely, at the Keet home and Mr..
Keet on the witness stand. Mrs. keet
became visibly nervous whom she
identified the clothing that cover ed
the body of her baby when 1t was
fished from the well. 1t was the first
time she had seen the garments since
little Lloyd disappeared. Only the
ending of her examination prevented
a collapse.
Mr.. Keet also was affected when
he Identified the garments. fhe
nurse and cook testified regarding
The disappearance OF the infant.
Mysterious Hiding Place Discovered
The prosecution sought to show by
other witnesses that the kidnapped
baby had been kept at the old Cren-
shaw place all of the time following
its disappearance. Richard Cren-
shaw probably furnished the most
sensational testimony when he idenIi-
fled a peculiar well-likc hole In the
Crenshaw house, caused by the con-
struction of circular stairway. This
hole ran from the basement to tho
garret of the house and was walled
with brick. He testified that on ex-
amining the house after the Keet
baby was found that two pieces OF
cloth were fished out of the bottom
of this hole. identified as part Of n
bGbv's dress
He further testified that he had seen
group of men In the yard of his
place one night In February, 1917. and
that he thot One Of them was Picrsol
Crenshaw also stated that the electric
sign on the dry goods store. which
was used as signal that Keet had
started with the ransom money the
night after the baby was stolen, could
be seen from the roof Of the Crenshaw
mansion.
I'iersOi Not Pcrtui bed.
Ely Paxson, coroner of Green
county, identified the garments around
the Kest baby. During this time
MS. Keet kept her eyes averted and
they were full Of tears. Piersol, mean
while. sat calmly among his lawyers
altho apparently taking keen interest
In every detail of the trial.
Audrey Sills, deputy cooner. testi-
fled that the temperature OF the
water IN tie cistern where the baby
was found registered 31.5O degrees.
Doctor T'rlbrig.ht of Springfield ties
titled that when he examined the Kee'
infant that ihcre was ro water IN its
lungs. On being asked how long the
infant had been dead he replied that
the body would not show signs of dis
solution for probably two or three
weeks owing to the temperature of tho
water On cross. examination, how
ever. he admitted he had no way OF
knowing how long the body had been
in the water.
GeorGe Walker of SPRINGFIELD, n mo-
tor car driver, testified that be knew
the defendant as<well rs Cletus and
Taylcr Adams, and that Taylcr Adam
proposed TO him that he make n drive
OF twenty miles and that there would be
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