The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-09
SHOW KIDNAPPED
BABY'S CLOTHES
MOTHER FAINTS
Mrs. Keet COIIapses on Stand
at PiersOI'S Trial.
Father of Slain Baby Is Called
.a as First Witness.
His LAST GOOD MIGHT KISS
Found Bed Empty Upon Re-
turn From Dance.
Admit Evidence Baby Found
Dead in Old Well.
Father of Slain Baby Is Called
N as First Witness.
His LAST GOOD MIGHT KISS
Found Bed Empty Upon Re-
turn From Dance.

MGrshneId, MO, oct 9.--NlIs- d
Holland Keet. mother of Baby Lloyd
Keet. for whose kidnapping Claude ].
P1ersol is on trial here. tainted when
the torn clothing of dead Baby Lloyd
was introduced as evidence this aft
ernoon. Earlier in the day the court
room scene became tense and the
Spectators that packed the court room
We're visibly affected when Mrs. Keet
broke down and sobbed as the prose-
cutting attorney, Paul NJ. O'Day, made
The opening for the state. describing
finding the baby's body in an aban-
d0ned well. Her husband. who sat
next her was also deeply affected.
The Jury was sworn in at o'clock
this morning and after few prelimi-
naries Prosecuting Attorney Paul NJ.
O'Day began making the opening
statement of the case for the state.
All the members of the jury are
farmers. Judge Skinker cautioned
them not to read the newspapers dur
ing the progress of the trial. The
court applied the rule excluding all
witnesses from the court room. with
Tie exception of Mr.. and Mrs. j. Hol-
land Keet parents of the dead baby,
relatives of the defendant and a few
others.
Mr.. Kect First Witness
Following Prosecutor O'Day's adj
dress to the jury, Judge John T.
Moore made the opening statement
of the defense, declaring that the
state would be unable to produce a
single reputable witness who could
connect Piersol with the kidna ping of
the baby. Judge Moore talked briefly
J. Holland Keet, father of Lloyd
was called to the stand as the first
witness. He recited in detail the de-
velopments in he case from the
time he and Mrs. Keet left the house
to attend a dance at the country club
to the finding of the baby's body in
an old well on the Crenshaw farm.
He Identified all the letters offered by
the state as having been received by
him from the kidnapers. They were
read to the jury all but two of whom
are married and have children. The
defense objected to the introduction
Of each of these letters, but the OBJ
jections were overruled by the court.
M In answer to a question Keet said
that ne received no more letters or
messages after getting a postcard
mailed in Kansas City on June 3. tell
ing him he you'd receive a letter the
following Tuesday instructing him
how he was to deliver the ransom
and get his baby back
Father Tears Quicken.
Tears. came to the fathers eyes
when he was asked to state if he had
seen Buddy again after he kissed
him in his crib before leaving for the
dance. Keet sobbing, said he never
saw his baby again till the little body
was brought to the home from an I'M
dertaking establishment. Keet was
J not cross examined.
The testimony given by Mrs Keet
WAS much the same as that of her
husband.
When Prosecutor O'Day picked up
enlarge bundle and began unwra n1,fng
the apparel which was about her
baby when he was stolen from his
Glib, Mrs. Keet broke down and
sObbed pitifully. 1t was the first time
She had seen the little shirt blanket
/ ana shawl since the evening when
she kissed Buddy" goodnight.
keet walked over to his wife and
caught her as she swConed. She soon
recovered composure but was unable
TO speak She could only nod affirm
auNely when asked if the apparel eX-
hibited had belonged to her baby
she was not cross examined.
Jennie Hague, cook at the Keet
4 nome and Ida McCannon, who was the
baby's nurse, were called and told
OF the discovery Of the babys disap-
/ pearance. Both said they were asleep
and did not know of the kidnapping
until after Mr.. and Mrs. Keet return
ed from the dance, when they We're
awakened by them and told that the
baby was gone.
Tells of Finding Rody.
~ Edward Conkling told of being one
Of the party which recovered the body
from the cistern. The defense object
ed to his testimony on the ground that
the charge was KIDNAPPING and tt.lt
the kidnapping was contaminated
when the baby was taken from the
house. The objection was overruled
Chief of Detectives Allender of St.
Louis and Gus V. Il. Mechin a hand
Writing expert. have been summoned
as witnesses in the trial. Mr.. Mechin
has compared specimens of Piersors
handwriting with that of the notes
sent to the father of Baby Keet. Chief
Allender questioned Piersol frequently