A. W. Comstock with an Osage Indian Credit 38Kenny had a history of mental instability—she claimed to be
possessed by spells—and she had once even attempted to murder
another local attorney. Still, Hoover himself had interviewed her
in Washington, not once, but twice, and he arranged for a
government expert on “mental diseases” to evaluate her. The
doctor concluded that she was paranoid, but noted, as Hoover put
it, that she “perceives items which would escape the observation of
the average individual.” As a result, Hoover said, Kenny “is of
greater value to us in furnishing leads than she would be possibly
as a witness.”
White hadn’t been able to substantiate Kenny’s allegations, but
he wasn’t sure what to make of Comstock, either. Armed with his
English Bulldog revolver, Comstock was one of the few prominent
white citizens in Osage County who seemed willing to assist