New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-14
RECALLING A FATAL RIOT.
CONGRESSMAN KELLEY AND COL MANN

Car Company OF New-York and Congressman
W. ID. Kelley. Tho correspondence has Just como
to light, and refers TO Of the most
memorable incidents of the Reconstruction period.
ABOUT six weeks ago thoro appeared In washington
letter by W. A. Crorut interview with Mr.
Kelley, which was published In a number OF papers
1t read:
Judge w. D. Kelley, well known as Pig.Iron Kelley
looks fifteen years younger than his age He seems 10
get thinner he gets older his coor is good and his
hand steady. his foot light and his hair su holds s
native brown.
Yes, L am very well for q man who has been through
as much as have" he said was shot and once
had moro than sixty shots fred The latter hap
poned know IN what is known the Kelley riot in
Mobile, Ala. in 1895, under Andy Johnson While
speaking there was attacked under very bad lot of
carpet baggers, marshaIed and led by a cutthroat
whose name Is we'll known in connection with patent
car He meant to kill Tho platform was swept
by bullets OF the assasns, and several slain BY
my side. 1t fearful scene, and that villain was
solely responsible for It, Last year. when as Wost Point
he drove around in stylish rig and scattered him every
time by simply moving toward him whom no stopped As
soon as he he whipped and took new position
every time. He evidently very uncomfortable fear
ing that might speak to him. or perhaps that would
expose him TO the crowd 1 would not like harbor In
my breast that wretchs conscience
COL. MANN ASKS FOR CONFIRMATION
Among the newspapers which published this article
was The Mobile Daily Rcgster.'' leading editorial
referred to by Mr. Kelley and soon after Colonel W.
d.. Mann, at the New-York Hotel. received a marked
copy Of the paper. Tho Colonel at once wrote
follows:
Sir ind in The Mobile Daily Regiter" OF wednes
day, 21st Instant what purports to bo Washington dis
patch, from which inclose extracts. VIII you be
good as to inform IL you correctly quoted not
there be question that the person alluded
to. Respectfully. W. d. MANN.
MR. KELLEY's LIVELY REPLY.
The letter arrived in Washington the last week in
March and, after several days Of dcberaon Congress
man Kelley prepared a reply, from which the following
are extracts:
House of Representatives. U. S.,
Washington. d. c.. April ., 1888.
William d Mann, New York Hotel. New-York:
You not mistaken in supposng that you the
person to whom alluded In the course OF conversation
with Mr. Crorut who is I suppose the author OF the
communication to which you refer am, however.
responsible for the language used by the reporter OF
the interview. did not he represents, limit the
number OF shots fired at sixty. They must have
exceeded hundred and said that when the military
authorities tho next morning examined the pastorcd
wall in front OF which speaking when creatures
opened fire they found sxtynve distinct bullet
marks several abrasions which had they believed
been made by bullets.
You have boon quick, Colonel Mann, to discover
the terrible character Of tho charge you invited whcn
my approach to Mobile, you. in the
columns OF The Mobile Times the in.
famous sheet you owned and responsibility for
utterances you avoved in parlor at this Baltic House
in the presence OF representatives OF The NewYorh
HERALD Philadelphia Inquirer and Tho Cincinnati
Commercial" announced in nnammstory paragraph
that though 1 apostate from my faith and my
party and my country and my God hoped
people OF Mobile would not as the people Of
Boston had served Irish Catholic deputy marshal whom
they had found in the act Of executing an order OF he
United States Court by conducting slave TO Its owner
and Who Wild fury, they tore Limb from limb on
tho Boston Common Those who know tho character
OF your and It's readers interpreted this paragraph
as an invitation personal violence. repeat that
you feel the nfamy OF this charge You have
lived Quietly under than twenty years, and
now for the tmc ask who is responsible for max
known your agency fomentng that murderous riot ie
made the same charge nearly twentyone years ago. for
In speech made In Philadelphia on June IL, 1857,
said, as the files OF The Philadelphia inquirer
show The chief promoter OF that murderous riot was
Norhener who had been sent 10 that city py
the President as OF Internal Revenue Colonel
Mann formerly OF Michigan who owns The Mobile
Tines That paper had, in advance OF my arrival OK
cited the passions Of the Southern people against me-
. But not to dstain you with the details OF that
sanguinary scene let me say that the outbreak was pro-
yoked by no indIscreet word Of mine. IL had been
planned before went to meeting, II not before ar
rived in Mobile and the man Immediately behind mo
would have been shot through the head he was and
another ve feet from me would have been murdered
he was ce preconcered signal had been feaihg
the litany or tho Lords Prayer
al hope that my reply to your question Will prove
satisfactory to the whom proprietor and editor OF The
Mobile Times . VIM d. hELiEi'.
WHAT COLONEL MANN SAYS ABOUT TT
Colonel W. D. Mann was visited by Tribune
reporter at his rooms in tho New-fork Hotel on Sat-
urday. The colonel Is stout man OF average hegh',
and has gonlal expression Of countcnance Ills COM
pcxlon is fair and his hair and whishers are snowy
white He hardly looks like man who In bis youth
could have boon guilty of inciting bloody not
Colonel Mann spends most OF his summer at "oSt
Point, where he has establishment and enjoys inc
friendship OF many Of the officers When INC opor'oi
called the colonel packing his valse TO 90 TO west
Point FOR Sunday, and had no time TO 60 no
With tn. Kelley riots. lie said Tho TACT ths' nh mh
LEFTY seems to mo to show considerable venom for
which certainly thnh OF no expsna,on p
the editor Who. Years ago, was my book keeper also
sent me personal letter regaIdns tno ,t. ~ Judge
Kelley. ! did so. and received the letter In reply
which you have considered tho matter from as po5
Mobile papers and documents in EVIDENCE in order to
Judge Kelley that he is wrong as.S on spph
ing and arc most absurd At In. time of the riot
owned paper and controlled the editorial m MaSe
had nothing to do with the riot ana %s w have S' put
nea in Ke.ys ear and he has had It there ever since
He Is abong under doason vhch l hsi Pink Roea OF IL
pressing him for twenty years ysn, bspSsned and now
he rcsrrccts II in the form Of an unwarneq seS
upon who Is out OF politics AM c@hAo' F''
do any good or harm I'm the campaign
HE NEVER WAS SCATTERED AT wEsI ~' naIu. .,
AS far as his scattering me at west roi,'
concerned, that is sheer nonsense. lho iao' 10
don't know Judge Kelley, and wouia A'' mn" - a,
from 4 side OF sole leather II l saw hiln' 80 =.
his face for twenty years have no .s1aa,S
fear him or his approach, and would not bo AFRAID
even II | had any reason for H. . rossess,on
~The papers at Mobile came INTO ny pO'' -, ,Tr..
the RID
papers published there In 1907 were poIer, ""na
after the war; and having become loans until
had quite an amount invested with them hc,a S.tter Ssi
came TO the conclusion that I'D them enough In
Addition e buy their Whole outfits Then S ons n9enSa
tho plants, published one me morb ntbsr publications. As
edition. and discontinued me nd o bad no influence