Evening star., 1937-02-03
KIDNAPPED DOCTOR
FOUND MURDERED;
YOUTH CONFESSES
Body Is Found in ThiCket
After Futile Effort to Pay
$1,000 Ransom.
OFFICERS LED TO SCENE
BY ABDUCTION SUSPECT
Prisoner Is Hurried to Prison 80
Miles Away to Prevent Mis-
souri, Mob Violence.
BY the Associated Press.

by the Associated PreSS.
WILLOW SPRINGS, Mo-. February
3.-A sallow-faced young farmer-kid-
naper led officers today to the bullet
pierced body Of DR.. j. C.. B. Davis, 81,
this Ozark country towns leading
physician and foremost citizen.
Earl ]. Connolly of the Federal
Bureau Of Investigation said over
allied Robert Kenyon, 20, confessed
killing DR.. Davis after Turing him into
the country last week on false call
for medical aid.
The kidnaper demanded $4,000 ram
som. which the physicians family
tried unsuccessfully to pay.
Shackled between two State police,
Kenyon was sped to an undiScloSed
Jail some 80 miles away after he
directed officers to DR.. Davis body in
an Ozark thicket. Connolly said this
was to avoid possible mob violence.
The transfer was made in the dark
hours before dawn, before sentiment
could crystalline in this town of 1900
where DR.. Davis had built up a uni
versal acquaintance in lifetime of
medical practice and civic and politi-
cal activity.
THE man responsible for the crime
led us to the spot" Connolly said.
He gave us sufficient information that
We knew he was the kidnaper and
then he took us to the body"
Details of Confession Withheld.
Asked if Kenyon had signed writ
ten confession, Connolly said: He
won't have to have signed confess
sion"
He would divulge no further details
of the youths purported admissions.
B. Marvin Casteel, State highway
patrol chief, whose forces worked
with the Government investigators in
solving the case, said the doctors
body was lying face downward. fully
clothed. In the right hand was
clutched a check book; In the left a
pair of gloves. There was no eyi-
dence in the surrounding brush of a
struggle. Casteel said no wound was
seen at the time the body was dis
covered, although he asserted the doc
tor had been shot to death.
Kenyon's parents. Connolly said.
live at Rimmett, Mo, an Ozark village
near here. The father. Samuel Ken
yon. is a farmer. Kenyon has two
brothers and two sisters. A car stolen
last November in Rolla. Mo-, was found
at the farm where Kenyon was ar
rested yesterday. The youth also had
an automatic pistol, Connolly said.
Kenyon is slim and brown-haired.
He is feet 8 inches tall and weighs
about 100 pounds.
The coroner from West Plains, the
county seat, was summoned this morn
ing to view the body at the place
1t was found. After that formality
it was to be brought to Willow Springs.
Family in SecluSion.
The Davis family was informed Short
ly before daybreak of the doctors fate.
The members remained in seclusion
in the een-tiled brick bungalow that
reflected the physicians status as
prosperous, but not wealthy, leading
citizen.
DR.. Davis disappeared from his Of
flee a week ago after being sum-
moned. his secretary said, on a med
ical call by a "Mr. James"
Connolly would not disclose the ma
ture or number Of bullet wounds in
the body nor It's condition.
However, he said the doctor appar-
emily had been killed only short while
after he wrote a ransom note demand
ing $4,000, received by relatives last
Thursday. That note was in the doc
tors handwriting.
Kenyon was arrested Tuesday morn
ing, Connolly said, on a farm near
Rimmett. by State troopers acting on
Tip" from a source held secret.
Connolly also revealed second
ransom note had been received yester-
day after Kenyon was in custody. Con-
nelly said it could have been mailed
by Kenyon before his arrest.
The Federal agent said futile at
tempt had been made Friday to con-
tact the kidnaper. Connolly said an
unnamed contact man had driven
down State Highway IA, southeast Of