The St. Joseph observer., 1922-11-18
KENNEDY, THE QUAIL
HUNTER AND HIS ALlBI
CONTINUED from PAGE one

|
stunts, and I'm recounurg that ac-
quaintance the other night said that
81 was the first officer TO arrest Jack
! for the robbery Of a Chicago & Alton
train back in 1896. The loot totaled
! $4,000. And for two years after
ward tried to send Jack TO the peni-
tentiary for various train robbefes
near Kansas City. but he was acnuit-
ted whenever he faced jury in this
county. Jacks defense was invarla-
bly, an alibi and he was a past master
at It,"
A Rival OF jesse James Career
Mr.. Kcshlcar recalled his expert
ences with Kennedy, whose bandit ca
reer in Jackson county rivalcd that Of
Jesse James.
saloons were generally tho settings
for Jacks alibis." Kcshlcar said.
"Rofore robbing a train Jack planned
his alib lie would sauntcr into some
saloon. then loudly order a round OF
drinks for the crowd, so as to attract
attention.
Jack then would noi~ily sit at a
table and Join in game OF cards He
bought drinks so often that many Of
the card players would become drunk.
! After an hour or 80 OF drinking anl
, card playing Jack would quietly
sauntcr out Of a side door and, once
2
horse. thcn speed to whore his gang
was waiting
"Thcn would come the train rob
berry. after which Jack would hasten
back to the. saloon. rrsumins his
samc seat, pick up an abandoned hand
Of cards, then noisily shout for more
liquor
Ills Witnesses. Believed VI
"And do you know there were many
mon who would honesty testify on
the witness stand that Kennedy was
in AIch and such a sllooa throughout
the night of the train robbery, play
ing cards and drinking with them?
Several incidents arose after the
Chicago & Alton robbery which caus-
cd the arrest Of KENNEDY" Keshlear
continued. First we learned that on
the night Of the hoId-up Kennedy
went on a drunken SPREE in Kansas
City spending several 1hundred dollars
on women and booze. f'recall he
bought q rocking chair for the wife Of
one Of his friends. The next day he
bought several suits or new clothing
di,cardlng his I'D, tattered suit. Then
he purchased seven hats, which he
gave TO friends.
Second, we learned OF Jacks visit
to one Of his favorite loafing spots,
fire station at Fourteenth and Penn
streets, the day following the train
holl-up. Jack entered the fire sta
tlon all drunk and dressed mp.
Talked Too Much TO Fireman
cone of the fircmen remarked:
Say. boy, wasn't that big train rob-
berry last night" Kennedy showed out
his chest. then drew from his pocket
a roll Of bills. 4 should guess there
was ho!d-up" Kennedy laughingly
remarked. The sudden display OF
wealth caused one OF the fircmen to
! tip OFF our office.
And another bit of evidence was
| information we received from a girl
named Madee who lived on a farm
near Kennedy. Jack tho day after
/ the Chicago & Alton ho'i-up. visited
Madge, telling her he was prosperous
now and able to marry her. But she
| turned down the proposal. Jack then
showed a handful Of jcwelry into a
pocket Of the girls apron, saying for
. her 10 keep the presents and maybe
/ later she might change her mind
about him. The girl told Us about
Jacks boasted prosperity and she gave
us the jcvclry which was later idcn-
titled as having been stolen in the
train robbery.
"Madge, now dead. was witness
against Jack at his trial The. state
introduced all This evidence, together
with confessions Of two other men ar
rested in connection witA the robbery.
The confessions implicated Kennedy
Announces Reformation
well the results Of The Chicago &
Alton hold-up arrests were that the
two men who confessed received pris-
on sentences, and Kennedy was freed
by a jury. Kennedy used an alibl that
he was IN saloon at the time Of the
robbery.
Il met Kennedy at Missouri avenue
and Main street in 1919, the same year
lie was released from the state peni-
tentiary where he served twelve years
OF 17-yoar sentence for robbing
Frisco train near Macomb. Mo-. in
Wright county.
4 asked him how he was getting
along and he said fine. that ne was
going TO reform, that he planned to
enter the motion picture business and