Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-12-19
Mickey" Keith Confesses That
Lawrence Piercy, ex-Police-
man of Lexington, En-
gineered the Das-
tardly Crime

Due to the untiring efforts ot
Deputy Sheriff SAINT Bush. Sher-
if Il. ). Whitlock, OF Madison
county. and Assistant Chief oi
Police Ernest Thompson. OF Lex
ington, assisted by a Louisville
detective, two men charged Will
kidnapping Pete NJ. Wells OF Col
lege Hill. this county. and then
attempting to shoot him to death
ON the Lexington pike. on the
night OF December 2. are now con
fined in the Madison county jail
The two suspects are Lawrence
Piercy. d former Lexington po-
liCcnan. who was arrested a lew
days ago. charged with compiled
" in the robbery OF the Ripy DIS
tillery at Tyrone. and Mickey
Keith. both OF Lexington.
They were brought to jail here
Saturday night about midnight
by Chief Thompson and Lieut.
fianlcy. Detectives Maloncy and
Dunlan. and Patrolman Grant .of
Lexington.
They were brought here separ-
ately. and questioned thoroughly
by the officers. After consider
able sweating Keith said he was
willing to tell what he knew OF
thc affair. Mrs. Charles Stani-
fer was sent for and took down
kcith'> sworn confession inwhiCh
nc detailed the ride he took with
picrcy and a man named "Aloui
Wilson ON the night OF the crime
Wilson was said by the LcXing-
ton officers to be in Newport OF
Cuvingtun. and officers there
were notified to arrest him a
once.
Although Keith told of tho ride
over and the abduCtinG and a~-
~ault made upon Wells. lie did mo-;
make clear the motive. in his con
icssion. Lexington officers. how
ever. indicated that woman was
at the bottom of the affair. and
that the sum OF 5000 was to be
paid for accomplishing the uur-
der of Wells.
There l. much my>tcrv alr;'
the motive for the attempt
made on Wells life that has not
vet come out. and may not do So
until the full facts are told on
trial OF the men charged with the
crime.
County Judge ". X. Price was
dc,irious OF holding examining
trial OF the men at 2 o'clock Mon
dav afternoon. Piercy said that
hc has telephoncd to Attorney
Harry Miller. OF Lexington. and
could not say whether he would
be ready or not until Mr. Miller
had come over. Keith said he was
ready for trial. He has engaged
\ttorney \. X. Burnam. OF this
city. to look after his interests.
The story of the capture of the
men charged with this crime.
which was one of the boldeSt and
and most-coldblooded ever at
tempted in this part OF the state,
leads back to the persistence of
Deputy Sheriff SAINT p. Bush and
Sheriff Whitlock To unravel the
mystery OF the affair.
Due to the insistence of tn elo-
cal officers. Mr. Wells engaged
Detective NJ. ]. Donahue. of Lou
isville. who was in Lexington in
yesiigating the distillery robbery
to look into the Wells case. Wells
went TO Lexington with the local
officers and told of the auto robe
which was in the bottom OF the
car. when he was dragged into it
bleeding and injured.
Why | can take YOU right to
the robe and the car" said the de
tcCtive. and then he told of hav-
ing found them in a garage CON
trolled by Piercy.
1T was then decided that Wells
was To go to Lexington Friday
to see if he could identify Piercy
Wells was standing in the hall oi
the federal building on the seconJ
floor when Piercy came up the
steps to appear at the examining
trial on a charge of being impli-
Gated in the robbery of the Ripy
distillery. As Piercy came up the
steps Wells saw him and crossed
the hall TO one of the detective,
and said, That Is the fellow whC