Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-13
KELLEY'S RESURRECTION.
Extraordinary Excitement among the
CoIOred Peopie-The Hanged Raw.
Usher Reported to be Alive and
Kicking.

s'Say, the colored people say that Bill
Kelley has come to life again."
The remark was addressed to a UNION
AND AMERICAN reporter who was walking
rapidly up Cherry street about 10 O'Clock
last night.
We'll, do you know anything more about
it," he asked.
mo; that's all | know. | thought you
might want to make note of it."
The reporter thanked the man who had
so kindly told all he knew with reference
to matter that might prove interesting.
The pencil master hesitated a moment and
passed on-Oyer Capitol hill towards St.
Johns Church, colOred, at which place he
heard religious meeting was in progress.
At the corner of Vine and Cedar, the re-
potter observed two cOlored women and a
colored man in earnest conversation.
s.What's this talk about Kelley having
come to life?" inquired the newspaper
chap.
"Well, he's come to life sho' nuff," re-
piled one of the women, IL knows he has
kase | hearn white folks say So"
Finding that this was about as much as
any of the party knew about the matter,
the reporter proceeded to the church which
he found to be half full of colored people a
portion of whom were shouting, screaming
and crying in frenzy of excitement.
sis there anything in this story about
Kelley?" inquired the reporter of middle
aged man and brother who occupied seat
near the door.
''Oh, that amt So" was the reply, 'EThey
say when they went to take him out of the
vault to bury him yesterday, they found
him
A sETTIN' ON HIS COFFIN
shoutin' They say they fetched him to
the Capitol yesterday, and that hundreds O
people went to see him. | seed woman
this eyenin' that lives out by the graveyard
and she said she never hearn nOthin' Of it
till she come to church tonight. There
amt nOthiU' of it, mister" and the old
philosopher changed his quid from the right
to the left side of his mouth, gazed serenely
upon the crowded. excited people and indi-
Gated BY his manner that be had been pump
ed dry on the subject under discussion.
Another cOlored man said it was ''onpos-
sible for a man to be alive after he's
dead"
A fourth said that Kelley was not quite
dead when he was put in the vault last
Friday; that the vault was opened Satur-
day, when the body was examined by DR..
McMurray, who said he was still alive, but
that he was dead when they went to bury
him Monday.
Afifth had heard the story, but was nom
committal as to whetherhe believed it. 81
amt bound to believe it, and L amt bound
to disbelieve it," said he oracularly.
By this time the pastor of the church
had brought the main service to a close,
and was on the point of leaving the build
ing, when he was interviewed by the re-
porter He said that he lived out in South
Nashville, that be had heard various stories
regarding Kelley's resurrection all the way
to the Church, (Which is On north Spruce,)
and that when he reached the Church he
had found the excitement so great that he
had denounced the story rs fabrication
before beginning service, and requested all
present to pay no more attention to it.
Thousands of negroes in Nashville believe,
however, that Kelley is still alive and kick
ing.