The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-06-17
JOHN K ELL Y.
DEATH OF THE TAMMANN HALL
CHIEFTAIN.
4 Self Made Man Who Worked Him
self Up From Obscurity--Sketch of
his Life.

self Up From Obscurity--Sketch O.
his Life.
Mr. John Kelly, who died in New
York city on the 1st of June, at the
age OF sixty-four, was one OF the mos.
noted and experienced of local politi
cal leaders, and had in his day enjoyed
the possession and the fruits of power
OF most curious degree and kind He
was best known, in the last fifteen
years, as the successor of "Boss" Tweed
in the leadership of Tammany Hall
but he was noted and almost famous
leader in the field of national politics
at a period before the war;" and
when great events were taking place,
the details of which are now almost
forgotten.
When the New York Herald was
in its infancy, young Kelly walked in
to the office one day and asked the
elder Bennett if he wanted an office
boy. Bennett was a good Judge of
character and quick at deciding. He
talked with the youth few minutes,
then told him to go work He became
a great favorite with Bennett, and
when at length he grew older and de-
termined on learning a trade, so as to
better support the large family that
was depending on him. Mr. Bennett
offered his strong inducement to re-
main, and on parting with him pre-
dicted that he would succeed any
where.
In early manhood, however, he
learned the trade of a grate-setter and
soapstone mason, and for many years
had shop with his brother Hugh, in
Elizabeth Street, near Broome. He
very soon took an active part in the
politics Of the Fourteenth Ward. where
success in those days had to be got
and held literally by force, and his po-
itical battles involved many hard
fought bout at fisticufs, in which his
strength, courage, and skill usually
gave him the victory His first ap
pearance as a candidate was for the
office of Assessor of the Ward, and
his second, for the office Of Assistant
Alderman, in both cases against the
faction of" Mike" Walsh, the cham
pion of-the violent Irish element. In
both cases he was defeated, but he had
established his reputation as bold
leader and a hard fighter. and when
in 1854 Walsh secures: the nomination
for Congress, John Kelly to the amaze
ment of the leaders, who then includ-
ed the afterward famous Peter B.
Sweeny, entered the field against him,
and was elected by the aid of the Ma
tive-Amerlcan vote. He had already
been chosen Alderman in 1867 by
the same aid, and had won the epithet
of the " Irish Know Nothing" In
Washington whore Mr.. Kelly spent
four years, being again elected in 1856
he soon proved his entire lack of SYM
pathy with the Known Nothing party,
and became the most outspoken defen-
der of the Roman Catholic Church
and its followers. At that time he
was the only member Of the Church
in the House He was courted bv
President Pierce and Mr.. Marcy. and
IN the National Convention of the
Democratic party 1856 he used all his
influence for the denomination of Pierce
His after-relations with Mr.. Buchanan
were not pleasant, and he soon tired
Of Congressional life, especially as he
lost control of the Federal patronage
which he had been allow to use under
Pierce
He came back to New York, and
sought and won the place of Sheriff,
which was then, as it has been since,
very profitable, and he held it until
1861, gaining here good part of the
fortune which he ultimately acquired.
During the next ten years he was nee
essarily brought into close relations
with Tweed and the Ring, who then
controlled Tammany Hall But the
Hall was by no means the compac;
machine it afterward became, and
through Kelly was twice nominated
for Sheriff and elected, it was only by
his own strength and skill. Tweed
and his men always distrusted and, as
much as they dared, fought him. He
was SO entirely free from any compile
ity in their plans that, in 1868, he was
induced by Messrs. Tilden, O'Conor,
and Hewitt to contest the election of
Oakley Hall as Mayor. He was forced
by broken health to withdraw before
the election. Halls election was the
final step in the scheme that led to
the tremendous robberies of the Ring.
For most of the next three years
Mr.. Kelly was abroad, seeking to re-
store his shattered strength, in which
he succeeded, and to gain health for
his two daugh. ers, in which he failed
one of them dying abroad, and the
other being only temporarily benefited.
He returned home IL 1871, and imme-
diately took commanding position
in the reorganized Tammany Hall. |
From this time dates his most CON
sfisaious part in the politics of the
city and State. He took hold of Tam
many with firm grip, and was soon
acknowledged as its Boss" in a way