The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-19
KELLY INSANE
WHEN ADMITTING
VILLISCA MURDER
Counsel Endeavors To Bar
Alleged Confession From
The Jury

Red Oak, Ia, Sept. 19.--PromInent
among the defenses Of the Rev. Lyn
George Kelly, charged with murder
In connection with the Villisca axe
mysteries, will be the contention
that he was mentally unbalanced
when he made various alleged con-
LESSONS of guilt with which he now
Is confronted. This was revealed
yesterday by w. e. Mitchell Of coun-
sci for Kelly in explaining his line
Of questioning after the introduction
Of a signed confession said to have
been made by Kelly in jail at Logan,
Ia, Aug. 81, 1917.
Believed Kelly insane.
r. C. Lahman, a newspaper editor
, Of Missouri Valley, Ia, testified that
he believed Kelly unbalanced when
he saw him in Jail at Logan. Lab
man and a man named Bachelor
were handcuffed and taken into Jail
in the guise of highwayn1en so they
could be present when notices Of new
evidence by the state were read to
Kelly by Sheriff M. d. Meyers.
An agent OF the attorney general
was also present during the reading.
Lahman said the agent made frequ-
ent Interruptions to say: THAT looks
bad Kelly" to which the prisoner
lie"
When the reading was about half
way through Kelly wanted the sheriff
to promise they would send him to
an insane asylum and not hang him,
Lahman said.
Identifies Confession.
The Logan county Jail confession
was identified by Paul e. Roadifer,
who testified he wrote it on a type
writer from the prisoners voluntary
dictation. One of the counsel for
Kelly said last night that the defense
would seek to eliminate all his aIleg-
ed confessions, from the jury's con-
sideration.
were examined after the state had
closed its case unexpectedly.
Kelly said: 81 would like to go
on the stand and tell the truth.
know / am innocent" He listened
to the reading of his confession
with no apparent change in his
demeanor.
The context of the statement is of
the sCme general nature as the
abstract already published, quoting
Kelly as saying that dominated by
en- irresistible force and with the
text "Slay utterly ever in his life,
NC SaAu AS hAAASo TIC SAsnG peESonS
with an ak. g.
KeIIys Statement.
In the statement Kelly is quoted
as detailing his arrival In Villisca
and incidents up to the time he was
shown to his room and the family
OF Rev. w. ]. Ewing had retired to
their tents for the night.
Il went to bed, but was restless"
the statement quotes as Kelly's
words. II heard a noise outside like
a windmill and opened the door of
the balcony-but found nothing.
II began to feel sick and
dressed and went outside. >" 1
walked across to the Presbyterian
church. did not intend to 60 fur
Their but my mind was working on a
sermon on the text 'slay utterly
Il had been hearing and reading
sermons on that text and a voice
said go on, and went on because l
was in the grip Of something that I
did not understand.
Il felt that God wanted me to slay
utterly and did not know where I
was going or where / was.
! Sees Shadow.
81 got down near the end of the
street and saw a shadow on t
of a house going from the b..
the front and God told me to toLo, -
that shadow.
Il went hunting the shadow to the
back Of the house. did not know
who lived there but kept on hear
ing that voice 'slay utterly ! said,
yes, Lord, will
Il was walking in the darkness
around the house trying to find that
shadow and accidentally found an
a
the shadow went; for God wanted me
to follow that shadow. went around
to the front door. A voice said: Go
in, do as tell you, slay utterly
81 saw no light, but had to do as
Gold told me and / dared not turn