Clinton County Republican-News May 26, 1927 INQUEST PROVES BATH DISASTER WAS RESULT OF PREMEDITATED PLAN; DECLARE KEHOE WAS SANE 40 WITNESSES EXAMINED IN THREE-DAY SESSION; TESTIMONY SHOWS THAT ONE MAN WAS RESPONSIBLE; SCHOOL BOARD MEETS SUNDAY Dynamite And Pyrotol Was Cleverly Hidden Away Under Building That the death of 37 children end 7 adults resulted from a premeditated and deliberate plan laid by Andrew P. Kehoe was the verdict of the coroner's jury Wednesday at the conclusion of the Bath disaster inquest. Some 40 witnesses were examined by Prosecutor Wm. C. Searl during the three days that the inquest was in session. "We find that the said Andrew P. Kehoe was sane at all times", reads the formal verdict of the jurors. "We find that he conducted himself sanely and so concealed his operations that there was no cause to suspicion any of his actions; and we further find that the school board, and Frank Smith, janitor of the school building, were not negligent in and about their duties, and were not guilty of any negligence in not discovering Keboe's plan." The inquest disclosed that Kehoe had cleverly hidden several hundred pounds of pyrotol and dynamite under the flooring of the school in such a way that it could not have been found without a thorough search. This explosive, spread under different parts of the building was all connected with electric wires, which, in turn, were connected with two hotshot batteries, and also connected with electric wires, which, {were con}cealed in the sub-basement of the building. The clock was set for about 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, May 18, and at that time a portion of the explostve detonated. Some 504 pounds of pyrotol and dynamite did not explode due to the batteries used not being strong enough. It was determined that Kehoe murdered his wife at the farm home sometime between Monday night and Wednesday morning and burned her body together with his buildings Wednesday morning. The coroner's jury was composed of Edward Drumheller, Ishmell Everett, Burt Wilcox, Delmo Colman, Clarence Tolman and Alton Church. Frank Smith, Bath school janitor and brother of Glenn Smith, the village postmaster who was fatally inured by the explosion that wrecked Kehoe's car, was one of the first witnesses called at the inquest conducted by Prosecutor Wm. C. Searl before Coroner C.E. Lamb. The inquest opened at the Bath community hall Monday morning. "I'm in an awful hurry", were Kehoe's last words to Smith when he encountered the janitor in the basement of the school shortly before the explosion, according to Smith's testimony. Evidently Kehoe visited the building in the attempt to make sure that his time-clock mechanism was working. Trap Doors Open Smith testified that he had been janitor for eight months and had never noticed anyone in the building at night. He had, however, he said, noticed that the several trap doors leading beneath the bottom floor of the building, had been left open several times. These doors were in the floor under which there was no basement, but a space between the flooring and the ground. It was the newest part of the school. Only once did Smith have occasion to enter this recess, and that was to inspect a water pipe. He did not look around further than the pipe, he said. Shortly before the explosion Smith saw Kehoe, and Albert Detloff, another witness called Monday morning. Detloff had encountered Kehoe just before Smith came on the scene. It was at that time that Kehoe said "I'm in an awful hurry" and left quickly. Detloff also left the building after conversing a few moments with Smith. New Year's Blast Joseph P. Sleight, Kehoe's neighbor, another witness at the inquest, told how Kehoe had experimented with high explosives and electrical timing devices months before blowing up the school house. The community was rocked by a blast last New Year's eve, Sleight declared, caused by explosives on the Kehoe farm which the owner had set off by means of an electrically controlled alarm clock. In response to a question by Prosecutor Searl, Sleight said there was no reason to believe Kehoe had an accomplice in the school disaster. "I guess I jarred them up a bit" was Kehoe's comment to Sleight in speaking of the New Year's eve explosion. "Your Last Check" Wood [sic - Ward] Keyes, one of the school bus drivers, testified that Kehoe had paid him his salary 10 days prior to the disaster with the comment "You had better keep that check my boy. It is probably the last one you will ever get." School opened at 9:30 Eastern Standard time on the morning of the tragedy, several witnesses testified. The explosion took place 15 minutes later. Testimony showed that the blast which wrecked Kehoe's car occurred at 10 o'clock or shortly after. Albert Detloff, a member of the school board the past two years, told of the friction between Kehoe and the other board members when Kehoe wanted Supt. E.E. Huyck kept out of the board meetings. Monty Ellsworth, proprietor of a gas station between the Kehoe farm and Bath, testified that the school explosion occurred first and that the Kehoe buildings blew up a moment later. This fact was also established at the State Fire Marshal's inquiry. The Republican-News carried Ellsworth's account last week although most papers reported that the Kehoe buildings were the first to be destroyed. Buys Pyrotol Kehoe bought 500 pounds of pyrotol (government war explosive) from the Jackson Farm bureau in 1925, it was brought out at the inquest. He also purchased two boxes of Giant Hercules stick dynamite from a Lansing store. Warns Friends Sidney J. Howell, a neighbor of Kehoe's testified that he and three boys were warned to leave the Kehoe farm when they stopped there while the buildings were burning. Howell said Kehoe's warning was "Boys, you're my friends. You'd better get out of here and go to the schbool house." Allen McMuline, Bath farmer, testified Wednesday that Keho had given him a horse about a month ago and a few days later brought him a receipt for the animal. McMullen became suspicious of the gift and took the horse back about two weeks afterward. He arrived at the Kehoe place at 9:30 a.m. and found Kehoe in bed. Evidently the man was sleeping during the days and working out his plan for the destruction of the school late at night. The inquest closed late Wednesday afternoon. Some rather surprising testimony was given on the final days by three telephone linemen who were working near Bath the morning of the explosion. They said that after visiting the Kehoe place they hurried to Bath and as they were running toward the school house on the main street of the village Kehoe drove by at about 30 miles an hour. They had nearly reached the school at that time and as Kehoe went ahead of them his car swerved to the right and came to a sudden stop in front of the wrecked building. The next instant, according to the linemen, the car blew up. One of the three was struck by a piece of the wrecked machine. Nearly all reports previously given out indicated that Kehoe called Supt. Huyck to his machine before he set off the blast. Prosecuter Searl said he was unable to establish this fact at the inquest and that the testimony of the linemen is proof that Kehoe had no time to call anyone to him. It is probable that Kehoe saw Huyck on the walk and after stopping his car as close to him as possible, blew it up. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fathers, mothers and the community of Bath consolidated school extend their most heartfelt thanks to the departments of Lansing, state police, doctors, nurses and all who so nobly assisted us in this hour of grief. --Board of Education. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District Faces Heavy Debt; Must Lay Plans For Next School Year At an official meeting of the board of education of Bath Consolidated School District held Sunday evening at the home of Supervisor Ewing, the financial situation of the district and the township were informally discussed. A representative of the Republican-News and Wm. M. Smith of St. Johns were present. Out of the chaos that has existed in the township, the school {must make?} some definite plans for the future. In three months some provisions must be made for housing the school children and starting the 1927-28 school year. The Bath Consolidated school district has a bonded indebtedness of $35,000. The township has an additional bonded, debt of $20,000. The assessed valuation of the school district is $1,179,645. The school tax rate per assessed $1,000 for the past year was $19.80, while the total tax rate for the township in the school district was $38.48 for each assessed $1,000. Thus a farmer with an 80-acre farm assessed at $5,000 paid $192.40, of which $99.00 was school tax. Even this high rate failed to meet all the running expenses of the school and the fund for retiring the bonds during the past year. There is a deficit of several thousand dollars at the end of the school year, partly due, however, to failure of some of the people of the township to pay their taxes. The Republican-News last Week started a relief fund for the stricken people. This fund will amount to between $2,500 and $3,000 before the end of the week. One $50 subscription came from Will Flowers of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mr. Flowers years ago was employed in the Clark & Hulse store and many St. Johns and Clinton county people will remember him. Another came from Murl H. DeFoe, Charlotte, Mich., newspaper man who was in New York on his way to Europe. Mrs. DeFoe read of the disaster fund in the New York Times. A number of the families who lost children in the disaster are in very poor financial condition. The combined relief monies will be handled by the committee appointed by Gov. Fred W. Green in conjunction with Red Cross officials of Clinton and Ingham counties and Bath school and township of officials. Friday of last week the Board of Supervisors of Clinton county met and appropriated $2,500 which was allotted to the Superintendents of Poor to be spent for relief. This money will be expended with the supervision and advice of Supervisor Ewing of Bath. Indications are that from all sources the relief fund may reach $15,000. A hurried survey of the needy would indicate that at least $10,000 of this amount would be needed for immediate relief - funeral expenses, hospital bills, clothing, food and other needed articles. Whatever is needed for immediate relief and for treatment of children, who will be permanently crippled, will be given to the Bath school district to help in restoring their school. Tuesday the Bath board of education met with Gov. Green and discussed the possibility of replacing the school building. While no definite plans have been announced, it is likely that the offer of Senator Couzens to help will be accepted and there is a possibility that there may be some state aid given the district. An incomplete summary of the approximate amount of relief that had been reported Wednesday follows: Bd. Supervisors____________________$2,500 Republican-News fund_______________ 2,500 Detroit Scottish Rite Masons_______ 1,000 Lansing____________________________ 3,500 Howell_____________________________ 500 Mason______________________________ 200 Owosso_____________________________ 500 Laingsburg bank____________________ 500 Ovid_______________________________ 310 Funds in many parts of the state that have not yet been reported may bring the total above that estimated. Another phase of the obligation of the Bath district which has not yet been decided is that of compensation to the dependents of those adults who lost their life in the disaster. At least two people may be entitled to compensation under the laws of the state of Michigan. If this proves to be the case, it will add materially to the already heavy burden of the district and make financial relief doubly acceptable.