Killers ignored cries of women who witnessed Kless' fatal beating

THE FRANTIC words of two women were among new details that emerged yesterday in Saturday's fatal beating of a recent Temple University grad in the city's historic district.

The women, who were with Kevin Kless when he was being punched by two men, yelled to the attackers: " 'Please, stop, stop!' " an investigator said. Then, a third man walked over. The women shouted to him, " 'Please, help us!' " the investigator said.

But the man was with the attackers and began beating Kless, too, police said.

The investigator said the attackers' car, which police initially believed had stopped behind a cab before the beating, actually passed the cab on Chestnut Street, between 4th and 5th - where Kless was trying to hail the cab - and pulled into the 300 block of Chestnut.

Two of four men in the car then rushed out of the sedan, crossed 4th Street, and began punching Kless.

Kless, 23, who was with his girlfriend and another woman, had been yelling at the cabbie, who briefly stopped and was making a right turn onto 4th Street. His attackers, whom police have described as "possibly Hispanic," might have thought he was yelling at them.

Kless died at a hospital 17 hours after the 2:25 a.m. attack.

Yesterday the Citizens Crime Commission announced that an anonymous donor had contributed a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the attackers, increasing the total reward to $20,000. The city on Tuesday put up $10,000; the Fraternal Order of Police added $5,000.

Meanwhile, a homicide investigator on the case yesterday bemoaned a lack of surveillance cameras in the historic district. The attack occurred in front of the Second Bank of the United States, a federal site. "Maybe one of our governors or senators could put in quality recording devices in that neighborhood," he said. "How about [U.S. Rep.] Bob Brady? Get some solid recording devices out there. That would be a big plus."

A viewing for Kless will be tomorrow, with a funeral Saturday, in Warwick, N.Y.