Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-06-08
ADOLPH VAN WALLEGHEN'S
BODY PUT IN RIVER TO FOOL
OFFICERS. HE ADMITTED.
Weird Tale Was
UnfOIded Friday

A crime that has never Deen equal
ed in this section Of the state because
of the age Of those involved, was un-
covered by Gratiot County officials
last Friday when they secured con-
fession from Percy Kiter, thirteen
and a confirming confession from
Donald Smith, both living near St
Louis, that Kiter had caused the death
of Adolph Van Walleghen, the four
teen year old son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Alex Walleghen, living on a farm
near ST. Louis, on Wednesday, May
81, during a fight between the dead
lad and Kiter.
Kiter also admitted that he had
forced young Smith to aid him in COW
ering up the evidences of the crime,
by undressing the body of Van Wal
leghen, and putting the body into
Pine river to make the affair seem
like a case of drowning. Fearing
Kiter, because of threats he made If
Smith told of the affair, the officers
had some real difficulty in getting
the little Smith lad to tell what he
knew of the affair, the reluctance of
the lad to tell what he knew ap-
parently coming from a real fear of
Kiter, whom Smith saw cause the
death of Van Walleghen.
The tales that the lads unfolded to
the officers, at a time when one OF
the lads was not present to overhear
the story of the other co-incided in all
details, assuring the officials the
correctness of the accounts. In ST.
lent wonder the officers listened to the
weird story of the lads who pictured
to them the various scenes which led
up to the fight that resulted on the
"high banks" about 34 Of mile up
from the st. Louis dam, and death of
Van Walleghen, and the subsequent
attempt to dispose of the body to hide
the crime.
Prosecuting Attorney Romano
Clark Friday evening detailed the af-
fair to a representative of The
Record, as CLEANED by the officers
from the confessions made by the two
lads.
1t seems that on Wednesday, May
81, the lads, Van Walleghen, Smith
and Kiter, started for the high
banks" and on the way Van Walleg-
hen and Kiter quarreled over some
goods that Kiter is said to have
stolen and Van Walleghen, is said to
have threatened to squeal about them.
During this argument Kiter is said to
have threatened Van Walleghen
Reaching the "high banks" the lads
started quarreling anew, over the
possession of pipe. Van Wal
leghen, the lads admitted, sat down
on the edge of the bank and started
TO unlace his shoes, when kiter
struck him. Van Wallegehn jumped
to his feet to protect himself from
Kiter, who again struck him and at
the same time tripped him.
In falling Van Walleghen went
over the edge of the bank, falling
from fifteen to twenty feet down the
steep bank, and struck his head or
the limb of a tree on the ground
at the edge of the river.
Kiter scrambled down the bank anc
again attacked Van Walleghen
pounding his head against the limb
but had hardly started this before
he noticed blood coming from Var
Walleghen's nose and mouth, which
caused him to stop, it is said.
Kiter is said to have admitted thai
Al IL w., Wal1anhnn m thu
edge of the river, so that his head lay
partly in the water, and grabbing {
forked stick nearby, pushed it dowr
around Van Walleghen's neck which
caused the marks, which the officer!
found on the neck of Van Walleghen'i
body when they took it from Pin'
river last Thursday about noon.
,. Kiter then forced young Smith, /
is said both lads admitted, to aid hin
to undress the body Of VanWalleg
hen, and to aid him in showing tn
body into the river. kiter thel
used the limb of the tree to shove tn
body out from the shore. Kite
they admitted, noticed some spots o
blood on the back of Walleghen'
shirt. near the neck-band, and h
stopped long enough to wash tn
shirt, and pile Van Walleghen'
clothes in neat pile. the lad evident
" believing that when the clothe
were found on the river bank,
would be taken for granted that Va
Walleghen had drowned
Threatening dire results to Smit
if he ever told, the lads then starte
to leave the "high banks" but jus
ae they reached the top Of the banl
Kiter is said to have returned to tn
edge of the river where Van Wallee
hens clothes were piled, and to hav
taken ten cents from his pocket, pu