Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1923-02-10
MISSING WITNESS APPEARS

MISSING WITNESS APPEARS.
Monroe La, Jan. 29.-Harold Teeg.
estrom. whose testimony was wanted
at the open hearing into the murder OF
Watt Daniel and T. F.. Richards and
who had been missing for a month.
was back in the Monroe Gas Field to
day. declaring that he went away b.
cause Department Of Justice men ana
reporters were bounding him. He said
ne had spent several days at Baton
Rouge. where Ire saw Governor Park.
'er almost every day.
The boys father Victor Teegestrom
and his brother Clarence both were
witnesses at the open hearing. The
father during his testimony indicated
that he believed the boy was dead AMI
seemed anxious to have the State
search for him while the brother Clar
ence under cross-eXaminatiOn showed
hostility to the State and admitted
that he had joined the ku klux khan
since his brother was supposed to have
been kidnapped.
This afternoon young Teegestrom
went to Bastrop; where he was warm
ly welcomed by Captain ]. X. Skipwith
exalted cycIops of the khan and others
He then returned to Spyker and calico
ON S. 1. Bennett. manager of the car
bon plant where he was employed as
"a time keeper at the time of his disap.
,pearance Bennett. who admitted on
the witness stand that the time shee:
of the company had been tampere I
with. apparently in an effort to show
that JEFF Burnett. carbon worker,
GharOnl with In 10,
with the Mer Rouge outrage was
working on the night in question, aisv
stated that he is klansman. He as
'sured Harold that he could have his
old job back at once.
TeegestrOm was supposed to have
been kidnapped from the clubhouse
at the carbon plant on the evening oi
December 80. Henry Jones. farmer
and k'ansman told on the witness
stand at Bastrop that Teegestrom ha1
come to his house the morning follow.
ing had borrowed $40 and a change of
clothing and left his brothers watch to
be returned to the owner, and then dis
appeared after stating that he had
been forced to leave because secret
service men and reporters were hound
ing him.
JOneSS home was searched recently
for the boy, but he was not located
Today young Teegestrom made his nL
re'rrEce III III. Monroe gas fields III
company with Jones, and Jones ad
United that he had seen the boy sever
al times since he was supposed to
have disappeared.
SAYS JUSTICE AGENTS
HOUNDED HIN
Il was forced to leave" declared
Teegestrom at Spyker this afternoon
about IL o'clock on the night of Dec
29. a number of persons came to Sc;
he at Spyker in an automobile. They
sat back in the car, smoking cigarette!
saying they would give me all the Timt
/ wanted to get on my clothes AMI &
with them. I put on my clothes ant
hiked, but l did not go with the men
i gave them the slip and wandered
around in the woods all night. / sup
pose / was more familiar with the sel
ton around Spyker than they, for they
couldn't find me. They were Depar;
ment of Justice men. / was told. I IL
not know what became Of them Th'
fact is l was not interested in then
after / hit the trail and made my GO
away
Teegestrom said he had been in K d,
RADIO, Ark, where he spent severn
days in the oil fields; then at Alexan
'dria for few days and then on thu
Baton Rouge, where he spent fiv'
days
81 could have talked to Governo
Parker If had wanted to-" said Te4
gestrom. Gas I saw him daily. Tn
fact is, was tempted to go up to tn
executive mansion at times and Tel
him who / was, lay all my cards OF
the table and ask him what l had be:
ter do. did not want to injure any o
my friends, however. wanted to he'll
them out. "
Asked why he left, he replied:
II thought it best to let Mr. Jel
Burnett testify. I did not want to in
jure him or anybody else. but / wal,
to do the right thing. / was not frigh
ened away. I was not Kidnapped o
run out. but 1 left because l felt tina
it was the right thing to do, because
did not want to injure anybody or tn
States chances of getting at the boz
tom Of this thing. thought it best
let Jeff Burnett's case come UP befor
do anything or say anything"
Teegestrom said he read the paper
daily and kept UP with the progress Q
the open hearing.
PLACED UNDER ARREST.