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

Marshfeld Mo, Oct. lO.-A Tiny
baby dress-blood stained and torn
That's Exhibit A in the trial Of
Claude J. Piersol and six other sus-
poets in the keet Kidnapping and muir
der ease which opened here today.
The case which has stirred the en-
tire country brought crowds from ad-
Joining towns. The courtroom was
jammed. and crowds gathered about
windows and doors 70 get peek at
the prisoners.
Because Of the strong public senti-
ment in Springfield a change of venue
from Greene County to the court of
Judge Il. e. Thurman here was
granted
Stolid reserve of the prisoners,
! which carried the mthroueh Il near
llynching and rigid third degrees did
not break down at the opening OF the
trial, and all pleaded not guilty.
Exhibit A-the blood stained baby
iress-was wrapped about the mutt
lated little body of Buddy Keet. the
fOurteenmonths- old heir 10 millions.
when il was iished ont Of an aban-
dOned well behind the deserted Cren-
shaw mansion al Springfield. Mo.
Around the baby's neck wire had
been fastened. and at the end of II
was large stone.
Buddy keet was Kidnapped from
the home of his banker father, J. H0l-
land keet, AZ Springfield. on the night
of May 50 last while his parents were
lattendng a dance at the country club.
Three men in q 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
land men combed the Ozark noun
tains night and day in an effort to
find the rendezvous of the kidnappers
Uut I'LL tHOTlS WE'RE futile.
One day the father received this
lnote.
your kid is we'll Treate US rite
and he will returne to VA O. X To-
night starte out in your ear alone with
50 1909 Start about II o'clock and
lrive around the country roads n0rthe
Of town Ill you mete us. Ii evry'
thing Is O. X we vii mete you and
return the baby. Don't try 70 bubble
crost us or ymi will newer know your
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 him
, how and where to go, Each time he
followed the directions in the notes
but failed to meet the kidnappers.
Two weeks after the child was
: stolen searching party visited tbs
deserted house of this district. Ate
going over the entire premises the.
. decided 10 examine the well
One of the men, Dick CrenshaW
~ peered over the weather-beaten sid
y OF the we'll Tie suddenly recoiled
The others came running up. Cren
shaw tried TO 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
a armed themselves to avenge the nun
9 der. Sheriff Webb, anticipated this
!. placed Piersol and the other prisoners
r in automobiles and started for an out
of-town Jail. The mob overlook them
I Piersol, alleged brains of the gang,
y placed about his neck lie was leo
r under a tree
t DO you want to confess before W.
Il hang y0u?" he was asked.
AS God is my Judge I'm not guilt,
G Of this awful thing" h. pleaded
5. You're killing an innocent man"
Il The moose was tightened about hi
II neck. He maintained nnocense unit
, he lapsed into Inconsistencies. Fin
r ally he was freed and turned over Il
q he Sheriff.
picrsol and two other suspects
Il CleUs Adams and Dick Carter. wer
r brought TO st. Louis. where police pu
n them through the third degree.
u The police said the men told cor
y dieting stories and that they ha
gained important admissions, but di
not get a confession.
" The other suspects in the case ar
- Adams's father, Taylor Adams; hi
mother younger brother, Maxi
y Adams, and Sam McGinnis, cook,