The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-10-08
CHARGED WITH
KILLING BABY
Three Men Placed on Trial for
Kidnapping and Murder Of
Fourteen Months Old
Lloyd Keet.
CRIME OF LAST JUNE
Baby's Body Found in Well After
Father Had Attempted to Pay
Ransom for Its
Return.
CRIME OF LAST JUNE

10y oHtteu L lVoS.
MARSHFIELD, Mo-, Oct. S.-Dicf
Garter, 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 abandoned 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. Glenn
ent, wealthy jeweler Of Springfield at
the same time the Keet's baby was
stolen will be placed on trial.
Special deputies have been sworn
in to assist the court officials in pre-
venting anticipated disturbances dur
ing the trials.
The Keet baby was stolen, from it's
home in Springfield on the night of
May 80, while the parents were at
tending dance. A maid, a servant
and a four year old boy were In the
house when the abductors, gained en-
trance through an open window in
the nursery. The child was not miss,
ed 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 po-
lice Keet did as directed, but the alb
ductors failed to appear
A second note was received on
June 1. Keet's friends had been too
solicftous in following him on the
night of May 81, the note explained
adding that If he would bring several
thousand dollars additional as a pen
atty for the action of his friends the
baby would be returned the following
night, but the abductors again failed
to appear.
A few days after 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 prisoners Sheriff Webb spirited
them out of town before announcing
that the child's body had been found.
On learning the prisoners We're TAX
en- from the town, posse "ave chase,
overtaking the officials and the ac-
cused shortly before midnight near
Stockton The posse demanded the
prisoners. After exacting promise
from the posse that the lives of the
suspects would be spared, Sheriff
Webb surrendered them.
'Piersol was questioned by membe ers
of the posse but. refused to make
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 after DR.. Harvey Fullbright tes-
titled the baby had died either from
drugs or suffocated before being
thrown in the well. The cases ordin-
arily would have been tried before
Judge Johnson, but because of his
activity in the search for the child,
he was disqualified.