The Washington herald., 1907-03-27
KISSES HER COUNSEL
Mrs. Josephine Kelly Hugs
Senator Whyte in Court,
CLEARED OF MURDER CHARGE
Woman on Trial for killing sister
Pronounced Not GuiIty-Prisoner
Takes stand and Tells Jury How
She Fired Husbands Pistol Aim
IessIy-One shot Proves Fatal.
- . rhe wa.hlngtan HlraId.

Special to The Washington Herald.
Baltimore, Nd. March 26.-When the
jury announced that Mrs. Josephine
Kelly was not guilty Of the murder of her
sister. Ida Gan. she jumped Up and
threw her arms about her senior counsel.
United States Senator William Plnzney
Whyte. hugged him. and kissed him en-
the cheek. Tears were streaming down
her face. Congressman Harry B. Wolf.
the handsome junior counsel. was tempo
rartly absent The old war horse of
Democracy. as soon as he could disen-
gage himself, said:
You see, I am not too old for the
ladies"
During this little scene there were but
few dry eyes in the courtroom. and even
Judge Dobler, who has sat on many
murder case. looked with sympathetic
eyes upon Mrs. Kelly as she poured out
her affection for those about her
Having been declared Innocent. tha
prisoner, accompanied by her husband.
then left the courtroom, 70 be Jained by
the latter's two sisters. The party after
ward left for the MulHkn stree. homc.
where the couple win stu reside
The trial was the eightie.h homicide
case in which Senator Whyte, noa
eighty-two years old. has appeared. Re-
Gently young lawyer boasteI to the vet
eran OF the Maryland bar that he hgd
tried six murder cases AMI bur one Of
his clients was hanged. Whyte gently
retorted, J have tried sixty AMI none has
been hanged"
Mrs. Kelly Tells story.
Mrs. Kelly took the stand 10 her own
behalf to-day and told how she fired the
shot that killed her sister on the night OF
November S. 1906. in her husbands sa-
loon, at 1925 Mullikin street
II came home" she said. "and found
Ida there. sitting al a table by the stove
asked her what she was doing there,
and told her to go away. She said she
wouldn't go away and she had as much
right there as I had. Then I told her
again that / meant what / said and she
would have to go away. / asked some
body to take her away. She picked up
this stick and said something about kill
ing me with il. and / ran into the front
room. with her after me. 1 ran behind
the bar and that's all I know"
Then you began shooting?" asked Sen
ator Whyte.
7 got my husbands revolver some way,
and / don't remember shooting"
What was your intention relative to
Ida Cam"
II intended 10 scare her.
did you see her when you shot?"
Il didn't see az one"
How did 20 shoot-in what dlrec-
tion?'
! don't knew; I just began shooting"
Witness Breaks Down.
Mrs Kelly broke down and wept as the
direct examination ended. and States At
torHey Owens had to wait for her 10 re-
cover her composure before ne could
eross-eNamine her.
why did you order Ida Can away from
your house2r he finally asked.
Because she was always running after
Frank"
You were Jealous, weren't your"
No ] wasn't Jealous. but I wanted
her 10 keep away.
When Mrs. Kelly returned to her seat
beside her counsel she collapsed COM
pleteiy. Dropping her head on her arms.
which rested on the counsel table, she
cried and moaned:
on M God, my GOd"'
She continued crying, and was led away
BY Ter friends, stiil sobbing and with her
nerves shattered.
Husband on stand.
Mrs. Kelly's husband, the indirect cause
of all the trouble, was on the stand just
ahead Of her. He testified to the main
facts as they have been told before. His
sister, Madge Wade. and Ida Gan came
TO his saloon together while Mrs. Kelly
was out. Mrs Kelly. returning and find
ing them there, ordered Miss Gaff to leave
the house, after demanding of him what
she was doing there. Miss Gaff refused
to go, saying, with an oath, that she had
as much right there as Mrs. Kelly. who
that she would have 10 go. Mss
Gan picked up a heavy piece of molding
and ran at Mrs Kelly, threatening TO kin
her. Mrs. Kelly threw both hands above
her head. exclaiming: For Gods sake,
somebody take her away" and ran into
the front room. Miss Gaf attempted TO
follow her but was caught by Mrs. Wade,
and while they were struggling the shots
were fired
They came like that. said Kelly.
slapping his hands together rapidly, so
quick that By the time ] go to my wife.
who was seven feet away. the pistol was
empty"
You say she ran into the barroom2'
asked Mr.. Wolf
She couldn't run any other way with
out getting her head knocked Of" was
the reply. He said that Ida GaF was ex-
cited and angry and had been drinking.
and his wife was scared to dea tn