The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-06-11
Woman Was Guiding Spirit.

| ~ AsiA>Sr lE4lII, Mo, uIS
a woman was the guiding spirit in thu
keet Kidnapping case, and not onl!
participated in the actual abduction
but was the brains behind the con
spiracy is the belief of police today
In fact the only clews, a black sill
shirt and three letters held by the pc
| lice, point to nothing else.
]. Holland Keet, father of the dead
boy, turned over to authorities the
three letters he received from the alb
ductors
The first letter was received the
day following the abduction, the sec
ond the morning after Keet's harrow
ing ride over The storm swept Ozark
hills and the third while he was car.
rying out the instructions of the sec.
ond letter.
All are written in a bold feminine
hand
No effort at capitalization or pune
tuation is made and the attempt to dis
guise is evident
The letters and the black skirt
found with the baby's body are the
only tangible clews and both point to
the participation OF a woman in the
case.
Sensation Of Being Hanged.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, June lit
feels like hell''
That's the way Claude PiersoI. ac-
cused of the Lloyd Keet kidnapping,
described the sensations of hanging
today, as he paced restlessly back and
forth in his cell at the county iail here
Piersol and Cletus Adams were
brought here from independence. Mo.
shortly hafnra Nv
T. j. Harris. Fearing that a
mob might possibly take his prisoners
away from him should he bring them
to Kansas City's north end, and worn
out after his all night race with the
Springfield ''vigflantes" the deputy
turned the prisoners over to Independ-
ence officials yesterday afternoon.
Until they arrived here, their where
abouts was a complete mystery.
Though haggered and worn after a
sleepless night, Piersol stood the ter
rific grilling administered by Criminal
Judge Arch Johnson and Springfield
,f1cials here today ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
He still stoutly maintained his inno-
;ence and declares he has told all he
Knows.
Concerning his near lynching, when
lie was cut down, while unconscious,
lie talked freely.
Yes 1T hurt something fierce" he
aid. They told me that had to die |
and really believed it. But I was
lot afraid. II / had confessed to kid
tapping Buddy they would have |
Tiled me, and l believed they would |
my way.
You can't describe the choking SEN
Af10n or u
gainst it. None of, us want to die
nd 1t is only natural. 1t feels like
ell But, honestly believed my time
ad some. Thought I was a goner
Il don't know how high they stretch
me off the ground, but it seems as
they never would stop AS the rope
ghtened l felt something clutching
my throat. l couldn't get my
reath.
Then there came a far away ring
lg in my ears, a sort of tinkling of ,
lurch bells. Everything grew black :.
efore my eyes. | wasn't afraid then :,
more or less resigned to the newt
Die. Then all grew dark and quiet. :
he ringing gradually faded out in
Re distance. That's about all / can /.
member until came to.
Felt weak in the knees and didn't !
low at first where I was" ;,
Weren't You afraid to die?" Piersol
as asked.
Il didn't want to-but wasn'tfcc
raid. I had done nothing and was =
nocent. Guess my chief concern
IS about the old folks back home. ;.
ly wanted them to know that their ~ ~
Y was not what the people said he :,
Is-a murderer"