Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-10
SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE
|. IN kEET KIDNAPPING Case
Jury Sworn In for Trial OF Claude
j. Picrsol, Alleged Leader
e. OF Gang.
CRIME PLANNED FOR YEARS
State Prosecutor Asserts Testimony
Will Show That Picrsol Studied
Possibilities and Organized Gang
: FOR Purpose.
IBy Associated Prcss.l

Testimony and evidence tending 10 dis
close that Baby Lloyd kect had been
kept alive in weird sort of well i'll
the interior of the, deserted Crenshaw
mansion Immediately after his having
been kidnapped from his home in
Springfield. was given to-day during
the trial of Claud J. Piersol an alleged
hidnapcr, in Criminal Court. The well
extended from cellar to garrett. and
WAS formed, according 10 Richard
Crenshaw. a witness. when an opening
for circular staircase was walled in
with brick.
At the bottom of this enclosure were
found parts OF the infants garments.
The body of the baby was found in
n cistcrn containing water on the
CrenShaw farm, several days after the
kidnapping on May So ~ Springfield
physician testified that since no water
was found on the lungs of the child. II
was evident that the baby either had
died from exposure and starvation. or
had been murdered before Its body was
thrown into the water. the tempera-
ture of which, another witness teeti-
fed. was half n degree below freezing.
Crenshaw, continuing his testimony.
declared that three months prior to the
abduction he had seen group Of
strange men in the yard of the Cren-
shaw farm, and that he thought one Of
them was Piersol. He added that an
electric sign on the top Of Il dry goods
store in Springfield nearly twenty miles
away was visible from the top Of the
house That sign was suggested by the
kidnapers as a signal to be used by
j. Holland Keet. the father 10 an
with the ransom demanded
MOTHER IDENTIFIES CLOTHES
WORN BY SLAIN CHILD
Mrs. Keet, the mother of the child.
identified clothing found on the baby
in the cistern as that worn by her child,
and during exhibition of the articles
she SO nearly collapsed that the states
attorney excused her from the stand.
George Walker, motor car driver told
how he had seen two men whom he
could not identify, standing beside an
automobile in front of the Keet home
ut about the time of the disappearance
Walker told of conversation lie
had with C.etuS Adams. under arrest
in connection with kidnapping plots. on
the Friday night after the abduction
lie said he asked Adams If there was
any news about the Kcct baby, and
that Adams replied:
I'll tell YOU if YOU say nothing
about il. Holland Kect received an
crhcr letter to-day"
T.. H. Stanford. vce-presdcnt Of the
Holland Banking Company, testified
that no one except himself and the
paoEs rather knew OF the letter in
question.
ha i,tr-
composed entirely Of farmers All OK
cept two of them are married and
have children.
Paul NJ. ODay. prosecutor NJ Tho tri,I
OF Claude j. Picrsol. charged with Kid
tapping baby kect. Of Springfield, in
MS opening statement to-day declared
mat Piersol had admitted Ia Samuel
Aiicnder, chief of detectives at ST
Louis, and to Mr.. O'Day that tho
elaborate story he had told when first
arrested OF being an agent Of the
German government was pure inven
ton.
PIERSOL PLANNED CRIME
DURING Two OR THREE: YE.ns
Ar o'Dsy. .tte- reviewing the his
tHEE ct th= disappearance and subse-
ert-; aiding u TIE infants body in a
c-stt- 70; Ez=.d. asserted tina,
;-s.-s-5 - ~ -. $50: ~. 81 nee,
F,rs.r f,.--5,..t,..:' -, :. III -. oa-.
tirr1-i'I vtati --.t- =. ;:-ss.@-st n
r--nk@cS :: ..4u-.-es.- ...s.---z-
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II. 5-ir.rl-lr mat ~ w
v:rlt si:v -ist- 4 s...s.- --. .-..-.
-. .5@-l-; -,s = i.. ;...s .s.y 2..-
~. E--c 80 a-.E.c ua;.: e. .,--zz.-.s,
l'.s- .t.- "a IL. l..lx: ...:1p.1 II ~
!szac.ats "a. e ., .:4,- w.. -
az rGy-.c ---E-stE -: .,s-.e.Ey -
Son=c a zr-.--g.t- = .:-lr..s..
pot seE--oy
~. p.zy 5A-:a-s3 =. tsx:.---.ay
Tccit :.e-z;. -: -sY7a- Z ..5.:..s-
rho ais :. c5a-ged VIZ -. E.e,
l!dazDil I'd 2Vproarhsd psrzors IN
Greene ana Christian Counties or.-!,g
them sutns % .ncney % engage IN .:!c.
mapping Projects. These persons would
lie used as witnesses. the States a..
torney declared
TOLD INQUIRER THEY
WOULD GET kEET BABY
The testimony would indicate. Mr
O'Day continued. that about the Istl
or 18th OF March piersol and his com
panions were stationed In automobile,
HNios5 kHt street iIuU! the hset nome
and on being asked what .heir pur
pose was that Pi"rsol replied by-"W
are going TO get the Keet baby" TIL
prosecutor declared that on the da
the baby was stolen, Piersol and Clotu
Adams went to the Kect home to de
liver package addressed TO w i
Wolfe, well knowing that this was tn
Kest home. inasmuch as Cle,us ha
delivered a package 10 the same plac
the day before"
The statement related that two cal
were driven 10 the country club wher
the parents Of the Keet baby We're a
tending a ball. and that the driver
one OF the cars inquired OF the grount
keeper-ras to the presence of Kee
On beShr ordered off the premises. II
two cars drove 10 within block of Il
Keet residence. which was near
and stopped. The groundkeeper wou
testify, Obey declared, That the ms