The sun., 1892-04-11
nrnLr xELlr,s xExoRr.
Compsniors In the Days when Ne Was .
Gnnh er Pay Their Tribntes.


Gamb er Pay Their Tributes.
In the big room Of the Jerry McAuley Mis-
sion at 316 wntcr street there lay in state
Yesterday the body OF Billy Kelly gambler.
faro dealer. barkeeper. drunkard. and all
around sport. reformed year before his
death and become one OF the most respected
members Of tho mission.
The hard wooden benches In the little build-
ing were crowded with reformed outcasts and
outcasts beyond all hope OF reform. On one
side OF the coffin sat Billy's three children.
Florence. Tiny. and william, Jr. On the other
side were some of Kelly's old comvanions,
among them the gambler Tom Jolly. with his
wife, and Mr.. and Mrs. The Allen.
More than once during tho brief and simple
ceremony the famous dive keeper furtively
wiped his eyes and coughed with suspicious
huskiness. About the coffin we're wreaths OF
white and pink roses while on II lay great
mass OF white lilies.
On tho coffin plate was inscribed the name
OF William Kelly with the date OF his death on
April u. 1892. at the age of Al years.
After Col. Hadley had announced that tho fu.
neral procession would start from the mission
would be In Long Island City. he asked for
remarks ana1 p from those who were friends o. the
mated mated in bristly gray beard. arose In his
=, :, r@smsmter On we'll the night Billy Kelly arst ?,
iamS "a IN here f4urteen months ne sad
p Billy sI came stumbling IN: terrible osEs wreck
man could see that th he Desn was on the edge q
soan h fsks hS Ssr
ssSsnt cent Fo1 FS1aE ske last ~ week tvs sssa @ in
tharo nell Some Some don't nelteye in he'll but I've been
that when closed my. eyes ali the torture, of
mar dead and damned was In me. God help
%Ssn n f,s ssp 81 thrss days now
since my eyes we're closed ~
SsS 5s and tS Hs
the look on his face when he kneeled. : o God,
he s ESeh Gy SeeD ssd
TOR him. and that night he slept After that
hS hs gave the drink and was ono Of us until
!, There were other remarks, from members Of
the mi sion. showing how the dead man had
been loved by all his comrades. and at the end
You al Knew Billy here when he was in the
knew the good that was in him when he was
ct oaa his I've Man sa and w EGy b 5Gr tssess sstsp
WITH With 9 Li%; III, He was my partner ii, through
gamblers and and drunk f kards and lived up and and
down dow by your wits know what that hat means; nS
in his an5 e week 6e
Bellevue with the blue devils at his throat;
When he got out he pawned his shoes and shirt
saw him give away, half what he had to a
Bilily would have veg gone new without dinner or bed
that night II | hadn't found him. That's, the
ne Hs
ho joined the mission ia been in hard luck. but
had Jnst struck JOB dealing f1ro i.e used to
Finally asked. him what was up with him.
and he said: Jim. Tve ionned, the mission.
come in too We'll. / thought about it and six
things that Billy did for me. But what ] remem
and | was still gambler p1I1G and Or dEinker. he
After the speaking was over some hymns
Hnd the msetng I'll breEe Sn ae
old daughter: II. sY:diyo keeper k.;1! walked up
the ane r ms sbod nana wh'cn 'rem0ieo s's"'S Oh
Ny child" he snld: your father was wa =. a
S Himself GSk ffss hfa oe
him perhaps can FOR his children. II ever
20 in need Will. @
Billy Kelly" continued The Allen turning
TO the crowd which had collected. was one of
the few men I knew that would trust.
four years l haven't walked block in tho
street in company with any man |
60 theirs. But l didn't feel SO toward
oily. knew the house where he was born;
down on Carmine street. near Bleecker l
to work for me I've been away and left
$4,000 in his, hands, without fear many
ard lie was. but he never was ac-
,nsed Of crip;,, and through his life
drink. trIeI t" stop him. He was working
for me inlBloecker stree, then. The drink had
II hold on him. and he couldn't stop. had to
and was glad when Billy Joined the mission
and reformed
AS he finished speaking his voice was un-