The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-04
HIGH DIVER IN JAIL
KEARNEY p. SPEEDY LOCKED UP
PART OF DAY.
HELD FOR GRAND LARCENY.
CHARLESTON EXPOSITION COMPANY
HAD HIM MADE A PRISONER.

ana Oiun't Understand Techn1caI
Term-When Matters Were Made
Clear He Denied the Charge-set-
tied the Case for $50 Rather Than
Lose a $4,000 Engagement in Chat
tanOoga-Has Played in Hard
Internationally Killed Mexi-
can and Left That Country Hur-
riedIy-Then Lost Diamonds VAL
ued at $1,000, $50 in Cash and VAL
liable Papers in CharIestOn-Arrest
Here for Stealing Electric Lights
Followed.
Kearney P. Speedy of Columbus, o.,
high diver, Bohemian and an Elk, was
a prisoner at the police station for
several hours yesterday. He was ar
rested during the morning by Superin-
tendent Reilly and was held on
charge of grand larceny for the
Charleston police.
SPEEDY is known in almost every
town in the United States and was not
in custody long before he secured
counsel, Robert L. Colding, Esq, a
brother Elk. The diver did not know
just what was meant by the charge of
grand larceny and racked his brain in
an effort to discover what it was.
Il don't owe none of those guys any
thing and I never took anything" said
Speedy as he tried to figure out the
cause of his detention. Can they call
it grand larceny if a fellow owes a
bill at home" he asked, still puzzled.
Il can't make it out this grand larce-
ny business. Somebody will have to
put me next cause if it means staaI-
ing never got away with anything n
my life"
Charged With Stealing Lights.
Later Chief Boyle of Charleston
wired that Speedy had stolen 1870 in
candescent lights, but that if he would
pay the freight on them, and send them
back to Charleston, the prosecution
would be withdrawn This message
was received in answer to one from
Speedy, saying that he would hold
somebody responsible if he missed an
engagement in Chattanooga that means
$500 to him. He didn't have the
lights and couldn't return them. Their
value was placed at $50 at the Char
lesion end, and upon the advice of his
counsel and friends Speedy paid that
sum and secured his release so that
he would be able to reach Chattanooga
by. to- morrow.
THE King of the Blue Dome Sky
recently ran into a streak of hard luck.
and said that he felt distressed at his
arrest on a false charge. He was
forced to cut short an engagement in
Mexico and rush back to the states by
having accidentally killed a Mexican.
I his incident was followed by the loss
last week in Charleston of two dia-
monds valued at 81, 900, $50 in cash and
valuable papers and railroad tickets.
Had Trouble in Mexico.
While in Mexico recently Speedy had
stupid native assisting him in erect
ing his tower from which he makes
his ninety-foot dive. He repeatedly
warned the Mexican against working
under the tower, but without result.
The diver was on top of the tower
when a piece of his apparatus, which
he was holding, broke, and dropped the
ninety feet on top of the Mexican. The
blow produced instant death and
Speedy was in a quandary. The minis
ter of police with whom Speedy was on
very friendly terms, witnessed the ac-
cident. He advised the diver to leave
at once for the States, reminding him
that the death of the Mexican would
probably be followed by a long inves-
tigation, which would cause him to lose
some of his engagements. Speedy took
the advice offered and left at once for
Savannah en- route to Charleston.
Lost His Diamonds.
While in Mexico the diver purchased
two unset diamonds, each weighing
215 karats. These he had carefully put
away in a purse, with his transporta-
ton over several railroads. Five ten
dollar bills were added to the contents
of the purse after Charleston was
reached, and Speedy kept the valuable
package in a special pocket in his div
ing suit. He was engaged in filling
his tank with water when in some
manner the pocketbook slipped from its
resting place to the ground and some
one in the crowd that pressed
close around him got the val
uaoles. Although the loss was
| discovered almost Immediately
| Speedy could find no trace of his
belongings and came to Savannah
! rather down in the mouth, only to be
troubled again.
Surprised at His Arrest.
my arrest was the greatest surprise
of my life" said Speedy. Il never was
accused of any stealing and feel sore
about my arrest. l takes down all
my apparatus yesterday morning and
packs it up. l settles with the EX-
position people and tells them my route
l was on the square all through The
police had no trouble in finding me
as my purpose in coming to Savan-
nah was to see Col p. w. Wrenn
general passenger manager of the
| Plant System on matter of business
l have been in business twenty-five
! years and am known all over the
country.
L open in Chattanooga on Monday
where l have a contract for twenty
/ eight weeks, at 500 per week. l didn't
want any settlement as to do so might
be taken by some as an admission of
my guilt, which 1 will never make l
/ listened to the advice of my friend Col
Wrenn, and my attorney, Mr.. Robert
L. Colding, and decided to allow my
self to be imposed upon rather than
! lose my engagement, which would put
me to the bad now.
Didn't Have Any Lights.
1.-The charge against me was the lar
| ceny of $50 electric light lamps. l never
+ carry lamps with me, because almost
every other city has a different volt
age and 1 would have to carry five
or six sets of lamps. which would get
broken in travelling, and so l make ar
engagements in each place that l works,
that the party engaging me has to fur
nish all lamps. AS soon as l discovered
the particulars of the charge l hands
my keys to Supt. Reilly and asks him
/ to send an officer to the railroad to
rob oil hoe