Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-09-14
QUARTET OF MEN LABOR UNDER
HALLucINATIoNS THAT THEY
WELDED DEADLY Ak.
KELLY HIMSELF HAS
CONFESSED FOUR TIMES
Kelly Shows Interest in Proceedings in
Court at Red oak-Confession and
Trial Develops Usual Crop Of Cranks
Lawyer Receives Lengthy Letter
From Woman in Kansas.

Red Oak, Sept. 14.-Rev Lyn George
J. Kelly is the fourth man who has
confessed to the Villisca AK murders
And Kelly has himself made four
different confessions, according to the
prosecution.
Gerald MARI, former Montgomery
county man, is believed to have been
the first to admit welding the ak in
the Villisca death house" on the night
of June 9, 1912.
While on his deathbed in Oklahoma,
MARI sent for a preacher. The dying
man, who was a victim of delirium
tremens, told the minister he wanted
to unburden his soul before, facing his
CREATOR and told vivid story of his
part in the Iowa tragedy.
Minister Summoned.
When the grand jury investigated
the murders a year ago. Rev. Mr. Burr
the minister was subpoenaed as a wit
ness. 1t was learned however, that
MARI had not been in Iowa for several
years prior to the Villisca slaughter,
and had never returned to his native
state.
In Villisca is an aged farmer, Wash
Marsh. who confesses periodically that
he welded the ak in the Moore home
Marsh is constantly under the care OF
a nurse.
In Adams county it is reported that
a man named Roberts claimed to have
slaughtered the Villisca victims.
Kelly Takes Interest.
The defense expresses confidence
that Kelly will be freed. after which
it is predicted another grand jury will
take up the investigation of the ak
murders. Altho the state has sub
poened over one hundred witnesses,
Kelly will have only half that number,
it has been announced.
Kelly is reported to have made the
announcement that after his acquittal
he would retire from the ministry and
go into business
The defendant took an active interest
in the court proceedings Tuesday. Up
until that time he had sat in his chair
his head pillowed on his left hand, gaz-
ing into space. Yesterday on two oc-
casions he asked to speak to Attorney
A. L. Sutton relative to examination
of certain jurors.
When he last venire Of forty jurors
was drawn Tuesday it was found that
the name of Joe Stillinger had been
selected. Stillingers two little girls
were numbered among the Villisca
murder victims. He was excused from
service without examination.
Develops Usual Crop Of Cranks.
The big trial has already attracted a
"crank" and Judge A. L. Sutton, one OF
attorneys for the accused preacher Is
in receipt Of a lengthy and wearisome
letter from a woman in Kansas, who
wants to save an innocent mans life by
revealing the fact that "voices can be
heard. The woman said she had read
of the case in the papers. In his al
legged confession, Rev. Kelly told OF
obeying a voice" which commanded
him to "slay Utterly" 1t Is in trying to
explain about this voice" that the
Kansas woman unburdens herself to
the extent Of fourteen pages of a close
ly written letter.
The woman says there are two char
acters Of "voices." One is Gods and the
other is the imitator Of God-the devil
She saws she can reveal the "voices" by
playing the piano.
After the woman has poured forth
her thoughts over several pages she
says that ain plain words" Kelly was
a victim of the will of the devil or evil
spirit, who held him in a sort of
trance and worked on his mind by
power Of suggestion" or telepathy
The writer says she has talked with
the devil many times.
The woman says If piano is piac-
ed in the court room she could come
and reveal the afct that "voices" othel
than our own can be heard. She says
that she has been given the name EN-
manuel and is in direct communica-
ton with God as Moses was.
God would not command &c "S!2S Ut
terly," the woman writes. Only the
devil would do that.