Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-11-18


affirmation. Mrs. Kelly's affirmation is
to the effect that three" Docn
White, John Meadg, volunteers of
Helms gang, and - Simmons,
a regular State policemaa-came to Hen
~ Kelly's house, called him out, and
arrested him They subsequently arrest
ed William Kelly; assisted in this arrest by
another of their aceomplices nsmed VIII
liam Sutton. Henry's wife, anxious for
his safety, and in the company of men
whom she knew by public reputs as pro-
fessional murderers, desired to accompany
them. They would not wait on her, but
she got the mother of the two Kellys and
followed them. They tried to avoid her,
and although they had previously promis-
ed TO do so, refused to go by the house
of Mr.. William Day, where she wished
to get her child, but said that she could
go for it and might rejoin them at anoth-
er point in the road beyond. Seeing their
object was TO get rid of her, the poor
wife became more and more alarmed,
and sending her mOther-in-law after the
child, endeavored to follow them on foot.
She got within forty or fifty yards of the
party, and saw that they had halted in an
open space in the road, and were appar-
emily engaged in conversation. The re-
mainder of the horrible assassination is
best given in her own words:
PIE MURDERS.
Henry Kelly was sitting on his horse
near Doc White and the stranger (Sims
mons, J and William Kelly was sitting on
his horse also, near William Sutton, and
engaged in cutting up some tobacco to fill
his pipe. After preparing his pipe he
dismounted from his horse and took out
match, and was squattiDg down with one
knee on the ground and engaged in stIik-
ing q match on the bottom of the boot OF
the other leg when William Sutton shot
him. William Sutton was sitting on his
horse at the time, and / saw him as he
suddenly raised his gun, and pointing it
downward in the direction of William
Kelly, fired it off William Kelly, in his
doubled-up position, instantly sank to the
ground In an instant another gun fred,
and saw Doc White with his gun to his
face, pointed in the direction of
Henry Kelly, aud smoke between
them, and Henry Kelly instantly
fell from his horse. A general firing
at the bodies on the ground by the party
then ensued, and the ground where the
bodies lay and the vicinity was go en-
veloped in smoke as to completely hide
the men and bodies, too, from my vision.
After the fitting ceased, and when was
screaming and making toward the bodies,
saw the men escape in the brush. John
Meader was not with the party when the
killing took place. When l reached the
bodies Henry Kelly was lifeless and mo
tionless. William Kelly showed signs of
life, but did not speak. William Kelly's
clothes were on fire, and continued TO
burn until his mother arrived and put
them out.
The remainder of her TESTIMONY and
that of other witnesses goes to slow, from
the position of the bodies when found,
and the manner in which they had been
shot, that there was no attempt whatever
to escape, but that the Kellys were victims
of cOld-blooded, cruel, cowardly muir
der
The above is but mild picture of our
horrible situation here. Murders like
those of the Kellys and of Mr.. Sharp are
of daily occurrence.