Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-12-24
WON'T TRY PERCY
UNTIL MONDAY
Lexington Police Want To Keep
Him There a Little Longer
Motive For Wells Assault


Lexington until Monday to face
examining trial on the charge ot
abducting and attempting to Kill
Peter W. Wells. of this county.
Assistant Chief of Police Err
nest Thompson. of Lexington
told Special Prosecutor a. X
3urnam Friday night that he
would like To keep Piercv over
there a day or so longer. Thomp-
son thinks he has Il chance to
learn some details about the af-
far, especially regarding Pier
cy's alleged motive for the crime.
and he told Mr.. Burnam he
would have him here Monday.
Both Mr. Burnam and County
Judge Price said that they did
not care how long Pie.vy was
kept there just so the Lexington
police guaranteed that he would
be brought back here for trial.
An intimation came from Lex
ington Saturday that Piercy will
attempt to prove an alibi. 1t is
understood that Harry Miller. his
attorney. i going TO try to prove
that PierCv was not in the crowd
that came over and maltreated
Wells. lust what steps he will
sake TO nullify the confession OF
Mickey Keith about the whole
affair were not disclosed. but ii
was said that the defense will be
that Piercv was not in the crowd.
and ne will put witnesses ON the
stand. il i said. who will seek to
build an aibi for him. Attorney
Burnam i very confident that
ne has the goods" on Piercy
and isn't worrying much about
such attack on the part of the
defense.
Officials are now said To be
working OH clcw which may
involve a woman in the case. il
l. understood. The motive for
the attack ON Wells has never
been disclosed. However. it i
"a d. that woman is suspected
uf having told the men who
sought to kill him that Wells
carried 4 life insurance policy in
her favor. and the plan was to
bump him off" and split up the
proceeds. ii all went through a,
planned.
This is the latest motive for the
crime that officials are said to be
working ON. and it i understood
they have some evidence to lead
them To believe they are on the
right trail
Tie evidence connecting Picrcy
with the robbery of the Ripy dis
tillcry at Tyrone was 50 cOnclu-
sivc AT the hearing at Lexington
that Commissioner Wizard held
him and several others to tho fed
cral grand Jury. The Herald ha~
this about the finish of the tr' al
Lawrence Piercy. Andy Settles
J. w. Drake and II. c. Fain were
held to the federal grand jury on
a charge OF being implicated in
he robbery ON December g. OF
the +. B. Ripy distillery at Ty
rome. at the conclusion of the,
cNamining trial before Unitc6
States Commissioner Charles n
Wizard.
Walter Gritty and II. Y. Lower
anderson county farmers. and
Thomas Barnes. Lexington cafe
owner. were released. w. ]
Wilson and J. NJ. Stapp who are
being held under bond on :;
same charge. will be tried Mon
dav afternoon.
Two witnesses yesterday ide-
tified the accused. Mrs. Edward
T. Henry said Settles was tn
man to whom she had rented the
garage at APO South Broadway.
and Ernest Wilson. Woodford
county farmer, saying that he
was one of two men who took
Sl02 from him the night of the
Ripy distillery was robbed
Piercy was returned to the Fay
ette county jail after the trial to
wait preliminary trial in. Madison
county on a charge of abducting
and assaulting Peter w. Wells,
Madison county farmer.
Schwartz. who was arrested Oil
December IL, trying to dispose
OF stolen automobile in Louis
vile and whose information led
To the arrest of the alleged whis-
XIV robbers. testified that he saw
Piercy try to sell ]. w. Drake. a
cafe proprietor and one of the de-
PENDANTS. barrel of whisky. The
sale was attempted, according to
Schwartz. the day following tire
robbery.