Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-06-18
JOHN KELLY.

The Noted Tammany Chief Expires at
His Residence in New York City, After
n Long nlness-Biograph:cal Sketch.
New York, June 2.-John Kelly, the
chief sachen of Tammany Hall, died
yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Kelly had been
ii for seven months. During theNlast few
weeks he seemed to feel comparatively
well, but on Sunday at eight p. m. he was
taken with an attack OF fainting and be-
came weaker aftcrward. Monday he was
worse, but this morning an Improvement
was apparent. At noon. howeveh he be-
gar to sink, and the approach of the end
was realized.
Mr.. kelly's death was painless, although
he was conscious to the last. Only Mrs.
Kelly and her two children were present
when he passed AWAY. Mrs. Kelly was
FRUSTRATED by the blowand is too i'll to see
any body. No funeral arrangements have
as vet been made
Late last evening itvwas announced that
the funeral would take place on Saturday
at the cathedral. A solemn requiem mass
will be celebrated over the remains. Arch
bishop Corrigan, who called at the house
during the evening, will probably officiate.
[John Kelly WINS born in New York City
April 20, 1922. His father died when he
was eight years of age. While a mere lad
he attracted the attention Of the elder
Bennett and was taken into the Herald Of
fee in the character Of an oiiiee7boy. He
n when at length he grew older and
determined on learning a trade, so
as to better support a large family
that was depending on him. Mr.. Ben
nett offered him strong inducements to
ro,,roio orI on ma finr with him }1nYQ6iofQ6
that he would succeed anywhere. b
elder Bennett was as strong a friend of
Kelly's as the present Bennett was a bitter
enemy. Kelly learned the trade of soap
he afterward made a considerable fortune.
He proved to be a remarkably shrewd
business man, and his faith in TIE future Of
New York City was SO great that with
every 5000 or $500 he would get he bought
a lot uptown; these lots are worth to-day
died a millionaire. Though Lis charity
was distributed most secretly, it is esti-
mated that he dispensed Ss5O,DG0 in that
IN Nj !, KS sl1y ST, first t. ap E,ps france, in politics
In 1854 he was elected to the Thirty-fifth
Congress. He resigned his seat before
his last term was completed to a the
office of sheriff, to which he had been
elected. 1t was while in Congress that Cen
q SuSSS L u Z kCOC1C V&1k Y
Of State, spoke of him as Honest John
Kelly" which he has been commonly
called since. In 1888 he was a candidate
for the mayoralty, but the death of his
wife and son during, tho canvass caused
him to withdraw. and he went to Europe,
remaining there for three years. During
his absence the city was given over wholly
to the plumber of the Tweed ring, and on
his return prominent men like MI. Til
den, Hewitt, Horatio Seymour and
Belmont sought Mr.. Kelly to help
in Its overthrow. He consented, and while
Mr.. TTlden and Charles O'Conor attacked
the Tweed ring in the Legislature and in
the courts Mr.. Kelly had a hand-to-hand
tussle with them in Tammany Hall, their
citadel, and routed them, as is well known.
since.
In 1876 Mr.. Kelly was appointed comp
troller of the city, and not only stopped
the debt of the city increasing, something
unprecedented, but actually reduced it
Sl2, 600, coo during his term of Office. Kelly
retired from the comprehensive in 1880.
Bitterly engaged in the local political fac
ton fighting for supremacy in the party he
was the target for constant and severe criti-
cism and animadversion. but his integrity
and ability were never questioned. Be-
sides his Importance in local politics
he possessed great influence in regatd to
nearly every Presidential convention after
that Of 1850. In 1879 he ~antagonized the
regular Democratic nominee for Governor
with such force as TO defeat him, running
as an independent, and polling over 20, 900
votes.
In 1876 Mr.. Kelly remarked, and he
leaves two children, a boy and girl.