Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-23
THE WOOD-KENNEDY AFFAIR
Events That Led to the Terrible
Tragedy.
ELOPEMENT, PURSUIT, DEATH
Mrs. Kennedy Followed by Detective From
MobiIeto Texas at Mr. Kennedys
Request.

A dispatch to the Mobile Herald Of the
21st9fron Montgomery says:
"A Herald representative had not been
in this city ten minutes this morning
when fusilade of gunshots was heard
at the union depot, and with them came
a confirma ton of the Statement made in
the Herald that tragedy would result
from the Kennedy affair, the details of
which were. published several weeks
ago. Sheriff Kennedy of Selma met Per-
cy and Mardis Wood, sons of Judge
Wood of Dallas, and opened fire with a
shotgun. Percy fell, wounded in the
back. He will die. Mardis was badly
wounded in the shoulders and wrist.
Kennedy shot six times at Mardis,
who shielded himself while he used pis-
toll on Kennedy. The latter was not
hurt. Kennedy surrendered.
"Mardis Wood was recently nominated
for congress, but withdrew from the race,
presumably on account of expected
trouble. His alleged intimacy with Ken
nedy's wife was the cause Of today's trag
edy. -
"The Mobile END of the story is no less
interesting than the tragedy resulting
from the enmity@bstween Kennedy and
Mards Wood. Several weeks ago Sheriff
Dorian Of Mobile received a telegram
from Sheriff Kennedy of Selma, inform
ing him that Mrs. Kennedy, against
whom there had never before been a
breath of scandal, had left her home in
Selma, over the Mobile and Birmingham
railroad, without any explanation and
that he thought it was her intention to
desert him.
Sheriff Kennedy requested Sheriff Dor
Ian to have her watched, giving him
description of Mardis Wood, son of Judge
G. T. Wood of the probate court of Sell
ma, who it was expected, would join her
somewhere on the route. The telegram
intimated that Mrs. Kennedy's destina-
ton might be somewhere in Texas Sher-
lf Dorian detailed Deputy Sheriff Muir
ply to work upon the case as an act of
accommodation and friendship to Sheriff
Kennedy, and the officer met the incom-
ing train at the depot. He had a good
description of Mrs. Kennedy, and was
able to locate her without any trouble.
She got off the train here and went to the
boarding house kept by her sister, and
at which her mother was staying, near
Church and Royal streets.
Mrs. Kennedy took the afternoon train
for New Orleans, followed on the same
train by Deputy Murphy, where she was
Joined in the waiting room of the depot
by man answering to the description
furnished by Sheriff KennHdy of Mardis
Wood. After some conversation in the
waiting room the man and woman, still
outward bound Louisville and Nashville
train coming this way, evidently to throw
any pursuers off the scent or track, but
left the Louisville and Nashville at the
Southern Pacific ferry in New Orleans,
where they crossed the Mississippi river
and took the Southern Pacific train for
Houston, Tex.
"Mr. Murphy, who had followed them
thus far, wired results to Sheriffs Ken
nedy and Dorian, and asked for further
instructions. Through delay in getting
his instructions promptly Mr. Murphy
had to wait for the next Southern Pacific
train, wiring the chief of police at Hous-
ton to locate the fugitives But the couple
evidently left the train in the suburbs
of Houston and went direct to Calves
ton, as the Houston police failed to find
any trace of them.
AT Galveston Mr.. Wood and Mrs.
Kennedy are supposed to have taken the
steamer for Guatemala, where 1t is
thought Mrs. Kennedy now is. Mr.. Muir
ply arrived in Houston on the next train
after the runaways. After having dis
covered that the fugitives had left Gal
weston Deputy Murphy returned home.
He says that several days ago 1t was
rumored upon the streets that Mards
Wood had returned to Alabama, but Mr.
Murphy says he did not credit the rumor,
knowing what a dangerous man Sheriff
Kennedy was and believing that he
would kill Wood on sight.
1.-The men evidently met for the first
time at the gathering of the Alabama
democrats at Montgomery. and the
shooting, predicted by the Herald at the
time of the publication of the elopement
and the chase. Immediately followed.
SHERIFF Kennedy and his wife have
been married for about sixteen years,
and they buried their only child, son,
and to all outward appearances they
seemed a happy and contented couple.
Mrs. Kennedy Is a very stylish and
handsome woman, about 35 years of age,
and when she passed through Mobile
she was quietly but richly dressed.
Deputy Murphy noticed that on her
finger there was large and costly SOL
taire diamond ring, which a Louisville
and Nashville brakeman in New Orleans
saw her take from her hand and give to
the man supposed to be Mardis Wood
Sheriff Dorian regrets very much to
hear of the tragedy" v