The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-01
Ease WILL NOT BE PUSHED.
INV Reilly LIKELY TO ESCAPE
PROSECUTION FOR HER CRIME.

pposECUTION FOR HER CRIME.
',,ossrs. Rosenheim Have Decided Not
a., Insist Upon Her Punishment,
Mt IN Ask for Mercy-RecOrder
IN Hear the Cnse TO-day-Over
cf.t,s EARLY Life Hung the Shadow
,rrogedy-TriaI and Want Have
-, ttcr Portion-Her Actions In
Int. THAT she Is n Neral Degen-
crate.
,,,rv Kelly. the young white woman
.-,,-a anxiety to accumulate wealth too
.-,7,v has led her to forge the names Of
4 or5srs to checks for money and landed her
hsbfn4 the bars of the police station house.
nil be given hearing before the Re
corder TINS morning.
II is doubtful if she will receive any
runfs5ment for the offenses against law,
/ order and property rights that she has
committed. but that with some add .uonal
and perbaps stronger admonitions than
che has vet received-and these have not
been mid-she will be given her liberty.
1iessrs. Rosenheim have not seen fit to
nush the case against her and stated yes
teriav that they would not do so. No
one else seems anxious to undertake the
task
The truth of the matter is that Mary
Kelly is more or less of a mystery to
every one with whom she comes in con
A tact and that no one seems to understand
4 or 90 know how to place her. She is GER
Etainiy not lacking in intelligence, and there
L is DO indication in her manner or appear
dnce that would lead one to a belief that
4 she has lost her mind or is mentally I'M
1baanced. She can discuss ordinary mat
a ters with as much spirit and vim and
III with all the display of Information as Is
customary in a girl of her apparent sta
ton in life and the idea of keptomana,
VI entertained for a while by some in lieu
lOf a better explanation, must be aban-
ldonel The facts do not bear IL out.
Ii has been suggested, aud the explana-
ton is more Plausible than any that has
Ayet been offered, that the girls moral
Hdeyel0pmen, has been very meager; that
her perception of right and wrong has
Vbeen stuuted in her infancy or destroyed
10y subsequent cruel and inhuman treat
Nment and that she is moral infant, Jun
Eable to dsormiqate between good and
Ebad In this suggestion, probably, is the
HeXpanation, or the partial explanation
q OF the crimes which she has committed
land her actions.
Something of her life may serve to show
the basis for this belief From the best
.obt3n2b.e sources of information 1t would
Eseem that the girl was born in the dark
Is obscurity and the most abject poverty
&Ovar her early life hung the shadow of
N a tragedy it is said, the murder of her
Vm0ther by her father and all the bitter
Iness and misery and want incident there
III TO- Her people had lived in the country
q and She was brought mere and placed
at a very immature age, in 81. Mary's
II Home. Not for long was she permitted to
IN enjoy the holy calm of this sanctuary
nor Its atmosphere of goodness and piety.
She was taken from the home and adopted
by Patrick Kelly, an old junk dealer of
the city. with whom she spent some years
OF her life and from whom she inherited
some money.
She and the money were left to the care
OF a guardian who it was asserted at tho
ume treated her most inhumanly, beat
anu abused her and squandered her mon
ley She was al this time about 10 years
II o.d and at an age when the moral percep-
IONS are in the period of formation For
some length Of time the in-trea tment CON
hnued, until it finally became noised
L abroad and created an outburst of indig-
\ holoh some charitable and kindly Wo-
men took up the fight for the poor gin,
NJ e9pouSe1 her quarrel and began a lawsuit
n. /
ecldea ln her favor and the girl was
eht 10 a school in Asheviile, n. c. Here
ne remained until about six months ago
aeh she returned TO Savannah.
W oAe worked for a short while after she
~ me pack IN store on Broughton street,
III lost hel POSITION after the exodus of
~ II soldiers decreased the need for an en-
sea force. Since then she has been do
holhhs and her recent efforts to forge
names OF Others were the first that she
Eeiy made 10 make a living.
We glil is still at the station house.
eIe Sne has been made for the time as
Noftaole as circumstances permitted.
- mas been visited by the ladies who
peNous-y took an interest in her welfare
F 'u VINO sought TO impress upon her the
1oyl thdt a continuance of her passion for
t ruue would lead her ultimately into grave
uouole. Sne accepted the scolding with
~; ~ S'oleal composure that has character
49, er since her arrest and though she
naue lew half hearted promises. there
leu 10 be little real sincerity In what
Aend Old knife - an O'uh' as
"a course Will be pursued in her case
"ot oeeh determined, though ii would
~" mat something should be done to
"sl III lhe way of a better life With
constituted as she seems to be il
a,u TO devise plan that will be feas-
II anu me charitable ones are at a loss