Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-02-17
AIOLLIE MAGUIREs.
A Graphic story of crime by the
witness Kelly Ftendtshness of
the Female MOBILES.

BloomSburs Arast ofoo'HA =. Heioi~.i
The excitement incident to the
trial Of Hester, McHugh and Tully
for the murder of Alexander Rea
was intensified yesterday during
the cross-examination Of Kelly,
/" the bum," whose revelations Of
raseality came in such quick and
surprising succession as to almost
take ones breath away. His story
seems bike ythe romance of ruff
fanism but SO far the counsel for
the defense, Hon, j. w. Ryan, with
all his ready fund Of legal fencing,
has been unable to. battle or confuse
him. Kelly can neither read nor
write, but his memory is remarka-
Ble, and it seems as if he could not
utter a sentence without telling of
some unexpected crime c~oncocted
by the Mollies and participated in
by himself.
He told how the Mollies OF
Schuylkill played atwo-fold part in
politics, the leaders working in the
interest of rival candidates, selling
their influence and the votes Of the
rank and file, and putting the
money in their pockets. The wit
ness instanced the Fiske-Oase con-
test for district attorney of Schuyl-
kill, and narrated how he, with
some of the prisoners, worked for
the rivals at the same time. On
one occasion Fske furnished a pass
to take a gang from Locust Gap to
Sunhury, and the leaders got Case
to give them their fare, and then
divided the money between them.
The fndish character Of the fe-
male MolIies was illustrated by the
recital of a startling story as to how
Pat Testers wife engaged band of
desperadoes to go and cut off Mrs.
O'Bnen's halr for revenge. The
gang, including Kelly, went and
tried to get in through the windows
of 0'Brien's house, regardless of the
fact that the family was there. They
finally broke in, and Kelly says
that when he was going to scalp
Mrs. 0'Brien somebody knocked
him down with an ak and the des-
peradoes dispersed,
The murder of Alexander Rea
was, he said, suggested by Hester
on the night of the 10th Of 0cto-
Der, 1868, because on that same
night he intended to go down the
mountain to assist in robbing
Claude White, another superin-
tendent, suspected of having a large
sum of money, but he missed the
train, and then, to make up what
he considered a great loss, he
planned the attack on Rea. Sub.
sequently a man named Jack Smith.
while speaking TO the witness, told
him he understood the order in
tended to get men from Philadel
phia to rob Rea, but if they carried
ont that intention he would leave
the society, because he thought i
a disgrace to get outsiders to come
do their work in that county,
The witness sent a thrill through
the audience when he described thu
%chafering of the murderers owe
Rea's dead body for the oyercoat h,
wore, and theft final decision Of no
taking it because it was riddlet
with bullets. Their division Of tn
$50 found in the pocket-book, thei
fleeing from justice, the WANDERING
of Hester and the rest to eyade CAP
ture, formed a remarkable chapte
in the history of this great crime
Kelly said it had been a burden o.
his own mind for nine long years
and, although he had been in prise.
at different times for various othe
offenses, the thought Of it foreye
pursued him and often tortured bir
/, IN his lonely cell. His cross exam
nation was concluded in the after
noon, and Hon. 7. w. Hughes wa
: opening a redirect examinatio
when the court adjourned mt
Monday morning. rf~
Detective McParlan and a bcd
2 guard are still in town, and it
/. possible he will he heard early j
the week.
The interest awakened by I'll
great trial has been heightened t.
Day by the reading of q pastor
5 letter from Bishop 0'Hara in q
the Catholic churches Of the Sorgl
ton diocese at last mass, excomm.
D nicating the Ancient Order Of II
: bernians, and insbructing the clerl
to deny the members of that boz
the sacraments until they cut {
all connection with the order. II
society has enjoyed favor in th
s diocese for the past three years, al
its denunciatiOn by the bishop til
morning descended like a thundt
n bolt on tho leaders, who, he sal
y had deceived him as to the re
chracter Of the o%rganizatio
Q There are meetings of the differe.
d lodges tonight. The membe
y have now only one way to decide
it either in favor of the order or t
ehureh-thsy GluHot belong
both any longer.