The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-01
REWARD OUT FOR OWEN KELLY
FRIENDS SAY THEY FEAR AN
OTHER CRONIN MYSTERY.

No Trace Yet Secured OF the Missing PhilR-
delphin Bank Director and Leader
In Irish Circles - Extensive Search
Here and Abroad TO BE Made.
PHILADELPHIA. Dec. 3l.-A reward of
$1,000 for missing Owen Kelly, dead or
alive, bank director, officer Of the Catholic
Total Abstinence Union, president Of big
building and member OF many Irish Catholic
societies, was offered to-day by his brother,
Patrick Kelly. In this Mr.. Kellys brother is
backed by the Irish societies of which the
missing man is member.
America and the British Isles have been
secured for n trace OF the missing man.
Mrs Kelly, the wife OF Patrick Kelly, be-
lieves that her brother-in-law had met with
foul play; that he had aroused i'll feeling in
certain radical Irish societies by his espousal
OF parliamentary agitation, and that he had
been made the victim Of a conspiracy similar
to that in the famous case Of DR.. Cronin
Of Chicago bB
As result Of the statements of Mr.. and
Mre Kelly. made to director of Public
Safety Smyth, who was slightly acquainted
with Owen Kelly, there will be begun
search that will extend from San Francisco
to Maine, taking in the foreign shores Of
Ireland and Bermuda and including
close inspection of every dive In New York
city.
Few OF the friends Of the missing man
knew that he had relatives until the present
search was started. For twenty-five years
Kelly resided at a hotel near Sixth and
GirRrd avenues, one square away from nus
large grocery store at Franklin street. He
rarely talked OF his relatives SeVerai OF
his intimates knew that he had brother
somewhere They had also heard him
speak of n sister, who had married man
OF the same family name, and VINO nVed on
North Second street.
Men who had known Kelly as a member
Of the local Total Abstinence Association
deprecated the fact that a reward had been
offered for the return Of his body dead or
alive They said that publicity might have
the effect Of keeping the man away from
the city should he be alive.
Mrs. Kelly however, asserted that she
had been kept from acting too long already
bv such statements, She declared that
there was now no doubt In her mind that
her brother was dead and that they would
be satisfied even to receive the hfeless body
of tho missing bank director. she fndlg-
nantly denied the story OF double life.
aHe used 10 take trips TO New York once
or twice a week. she said, and when we
asked him why he went there he said that
il was business 1t must have been some
thing about the wool for the mill He was
a strong temperance man. / never knew
him TO take a drink No one ever told me
that he did, either.
He came to the house on Oct. rs and
talked TO us for a while. He gave my little
boy gold watch for present, and then
started to leave. / called after him to
come back soon, and he waved his news
paper. We heard afterward that from
| our house he went to alueeting OF the board
( of directors of the Title and Trust Company
AT Twelfth and Chestnut streets, and from
there we believe he went to the train Tor
New York.
a man whose identity we have not been
able TO discover sent us word that owen
was seen at the New York gate in the Read
ing Terminal with several men. That u
| the last we heard OF him.
Owen was loyal to his own particular
! Irish friends He belonged TO great
/ many societies and was strong for them
! In this way he made many secret enemies;
! He was for Parliamentary agitation and
! against radical measures. We have be-
! come convinced that some of Owen secret
! enemies have lured him away. The case
Is almost the same as Dr. Cronin's. and we
! fear the end will be the same. IL was with
this idea more than the thought OF getting
information "a to his whereabouts that we
advised the reward AT first We were
going to make it 5000. butwe will SEQ what
| 81 600 will bring