Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-05-15
No Announcement Made by
Attorney General as to
Charges Against the Rev,
Lynn George ], Kelly,
SAYS EXAMINATION AS
TO SANITY IS LIKELY
Attache Of State Department
of Justice Is Authority for
Statement as to Probable
First Step,

10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wtaSl
Des Moines, Ia, May 14.---The Rev.
Lynn George j. Kelly. arrested today
at Red Oak, Ia, In connection with
the Villisca axe murders in 1912, will
be lodged in the Polk county Jail here
tomorrow, to await further action by
the state department of justice, ac-
cording to a statement issued tonight
by Attorney General Havener.
Although the attorney general has
made no announcement as to the
charges in the case, it was stated by
an attache of the department who is
reliably informed, that Kelly proba-
bly, will be first brought before san
ity board. A statement issued by Mr..
Havener shows that Kelly was ad-
judged insane in 1918 after an inves-
and was then lodged for some months
in hospital in Washington, D. G.
Says He Claimed Bloody Shirt.
According to the attorney general,
an important clue connected with
kelly's arrest was found in a package
of clothes left with a Council Bluffs,
Ia, laundry a few days after the mur-
ders. The bundle. which contained a
bloodstained shirt was claimed by
Kelly.
The indictment which resulted In
the mans arrest today was returned
at a recent session of the Montgomery
grand jury as result of testimony
given by a Reputable witness" This
witnesa was Said by tne attorney gem
erai to have declared that Kelly relat-
ed the details of the crime to him at
Macedonia, Ia, seventy-five miles
from Villisca only half hour after
the murders were discovered.
Kelly. who was a Presbyterian min
lister, according to his own statement
at that time had charge of a parish a
short distance from villisca. On the
night the crime was committed he Is
said to have slept in Villisca at the
home of the local Presbyterian minis
ter and the next day to have taken an
early train for Macedonia.
The murders occurred on Sunday
night. June 3. 1912. The victims--Joe
Moore. Villisca implement dealer,
his wife and their four children to-
gether with two visiting children by
the name of Stillinger-were killed in
their beds as they slept. Their heads
were literally hacked to a pulp. A
bloodstained axe was found in the
house.
Jones Exonerated.
A feature in the case which attract
ed wide attention during the ensuing
investigation was a $4,000 SANDER
suit instituted in 1916 by former
State Senator f. r. Jones Of Villisca
against ]. N. WiIkerson, detective OPP
erative, because his name was con-
nected with the murders. Wilkerson
won the case but Jones later was ex-
onerated after the recent grand jury
Investigation.
During the last month while Kelly
had been under close surveillance by
the authorities he has been preaching
at the various parishes in southern
Illinois which comprised his charge.
He was assigned to churches at Ar
lington, Pilot Grove and Macedonia
after his graduation from an Omaha
seminary in 1912. At the time of the
murders he was student at the insti-
tuition but preached at Macedonia and
Villisca on alternate Sundays.
Kelly Is a native of England and
came to this country about ten years
ago.
About three weeks before the crime.
according to the statement of the at
torney tonight, a reputable witness
testified that Kelly was discovered
looking into the house of the witness
in bedroom where the latter's wife
was moving about the room in her
nightclothes and was frightened away.
Testimony also is cited showing that
Kelly was seen wandering apparently
aimIessly about town at all hours of
the night.
Kelly In Villisca.
On the night the murders we're
committed Kelly is said to have come
from his country charge to the town
Of Villisca and attended chidren's
day exercises at the Presbyterian
church. After the service he went to
the home of the minister and was
shown to his room. The pastor testi-
fies that it was arranged that Kelly
was to get UP for an early train to his
home at Macedonia, but that when
members Of the family awoke the man
had left the house.
Between $40 and 8 o'clock on the
morning the crime was discovered
the unnamed witness referred to by
the attorney general testified that
Kelly told him in Macedonia the de-
tails of the murder. 1t was said that
no one in villisca knew Of the tragedy
until $3.50 a. m. that day. The wit
ness testified further that Kelly told
him that he had been unable to slaep