Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-10-11
TRIAL OF BABY KEET
SUSPECTS STARTED

Marshfeld Mo. Oct lO.-A tiny
Ibaby dress-bloOd stained and torn
That's Exhibit 4 In the trial of
Claude J Piersol and six other sus-
poets in the Keet Kidnapping and muir
der case which opened here today.
The case which has stirred the en-.
tire country brought crowds from adj
joining towns. The courtroom was
TANNED. and crowds gathered about
windows and doors 70 get A peek At
the prisoners
Because Of the strong public senti
ment in Springfield change OF venue
from Greene County to the court of
Judge Il. G. Thurman here was
granted
Stolid reserve of the prisoners.
! which carried the mthrOugh Il near
llynching and rigid third degrees did
not break down at the opening of the
trial. and al pleaded not guilty.
Exhibit A-the blood stained baby
dress was wrapped about the mutt
lated little body of Buddy Keet. the
fOurteenmOnihs-O heir To millions.
when Ii was flshed out OF an aban-
doned we'll behind the deserted Cren-
shaw mansion AT Springfield. Mo.
Around the baby's neck wire had
heen fastened. and at the end of il
was a large stone.
Buddy keet was kidnapped from
the home of his banker father. j. Hol-
land Keet. al Springfield. on the night
of May 30 last while his parents We're
attending dance at the country club.
Three men in high powered auto
mobile drove up TO the Keet home.
They gained admittance through a
window while the nurse slept and
escaped with the baby.
A vigilance committee was formed
and men combed the Ozark noun
tains night and day in an effort TO
but all efforts were futile
One day the father received this
mote:
Your kid is well Treate US rite
and he will returne TO yu 0. X To
night starte out in your ear alone with
So 900. Start about II o'clock and
irive around the country roads northe
of town til You mete ms. II evry
thing l. o. X. we vii mete You and
return the baby Don't try TO bubble
orost MS or you Will newer know yonr
baby"
keet started in his care that night
with the money but the kidnappers
afraid the vigilance committee was
following failed to meet him.
Three notes similar to this were re
ceived by Keet later directing hin
, how and where to go. Each time HI
followed the directions in the notes
but failed to meet the kidnappers.
Two weeks after the child wa
. stolen searching party visited tn
deserted house OF this district Ate
going over the entire premises the
y decided to examine the well
One of the men, Dick Crenshav
I. peereh over the weather.beaten sid
y Of the we'll Tie suddenly recoiet
The others came running mp. CreI
shaw tried 10 talk. and pointed to tn
we'll out Of the water stood a tin
= foot
Like wildfre news Of the TRACED
spread through Springfield and mel
q armed themselves to aVenge the mul
q der Sheriff Webb, anticipated this
!. placed PiersO and the other prisoner
n in automobiles and started for an out
of-town Jail The mob overlook them
/ piersol, alleged brains of the gang,
was dragged from the ear and noos
Y placed about his neck. He was lie,
r under tree.
DO you want TO confess before w
4 hang yOu?" he was asked
"As God is my Judge I'm not guilt.
G Of this awful thing" he pleaded
=. You're killing an innocent man"
d The moose was frightened about hi
# neck. He maintained innoCense unit
q, he lapsed into Inconsistencies, FIJI
+ ally he was freed and turned over t
o the Sheriff
PiersOl and two other suspects
d Cletus Adams and Dick Carter, wer
T brought TO st. Louis, where police pu
II them through the third degree.
u The police said the men told coi
y llctlng stories and that they ha
= gained important admissions, but di
not get a confession.
The other suspects in the case al
W Adams's father, Taylor Adams, hi
mother younger brother, Maxi
y Adams. and Sam McGinnis, a cook.