Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-09-07
KELLY L|ON|zED
BY KIN Of DEAD
4 UNUSUAL CONDITIONS AT TRIAL
or MAN ACCUSED OF VII
LlScA MURDERS.
ON FRIENDLY TERMS WITH
MooRES AND STILLINGERS
Relatives Of Victims Of Ak Murders
Have Faith in Innocence Of Man on
Triai Charged With Welding AK
More Than $4,000 Raised to Meet
"a ..
Expense Of kelly's Defense.
Red Oak, Sept. 7.-Imagine a father,

Red Oak Sept. Imagine a father
2 whose children have been brutal!
nurdered, paying out his hard earned
dollars to defend the man who Il
enlarged with the crime.
That is precisely the situation il
MONTGOMERY county.
Instead of longing to fy a the
tthroat of Rev. Lyn Kelly who has
sconfessed to crushing with an AK the
head of their loved ones bereaved rel
atives of the Villisca dead are exert
ling every human effort to save the min
lister from the penitentiary.
They have implicit faith IN his in
nocence, scott at his confession anc
declare his admission Of guilt to be
the result of brutal third degree
methods brought into play upon dis
eased and distorted mind.
And their belief is shared by fully
half of the residents of Montgomery
county, it is claimed.
Minister Lionized.
Rev Lyn Kelly, murder suspect, is
sbeing lionized and hailed as d martyr
sthere has been a stream Of men and
iwomen who have fled past the pris-
toners box and eagerly shook hands
with him.
The reception" was under full head
of steam Wednesday afternoon when
Judge Boies called a halt, and in no
uncertain terms notified the bailiff that
II such action was repeated at any flu
ture time during the trial there woulo
be new bailif on the job. The court
declared the performance would in
huence jurymen.
"Not Guilty" Says Montgomery.
John Montgomery whose daughter,
Mrs. Joe Moore, was slain by the ak
man, says:
Il do not think Kelly is guilty
do not believe he knows anything about
1.-THE Villisca murders except what he
has heard from others. I believe his
confession is frame-up.'
81 have always believed Detective
Efwilkerson's theory Of the crime to be
1.-The correct one. 7 have all the conf
6ence IN the world in that man"
But lot Of people say WIlkerson
is merely pulling the wool over your
eyes and agitating this affair for the
purpose of getting a lot Of easy money
from you" 1t was suggested.
Wilkerson is not getting the money"
fetorted Montgomery. He does not
handle a cent of the funds that have
been raised. He draws no salary and
receives his only reconlpense from a
few loyal supporters who have dug
down into their pockets. Wilkerson is
out Just $1,000 of his own money since
the first day Of April. He spent it on
This investigation"
Ross Moore, whose brother Joe was
slain by the axman. Joe Stillinger.
whose two little daughters were killed,
and other relatives echo MIR Mont
gomery's sentiments.
Defense Fund $4,000.
The organization which Wilkerson
has perfected has succeeded in raising
over $4,000 with which to pay Kelly's
attorneys, it is said
In an attempt 10 feel out the senti-
-meut of the community an ardent Will
kerson supporter, pro-Jones man.
sand neutral was interviewed. At
Feast the latter claimed he was a neu-
trail.
This man owns a prosperous busi-
ness in Red Oak He said the people
were divided about "ffty-fifty" asked
him to express his own views, and he
said:
II believe Kelly Is innocent. He is
physically incapable Of committing the
crime. Furthermore. believe Jones is
innocent, and am convinced they
haven't got the right man yet. | feel
certain kelly's confession was secured
thru third degree methods"
What do you think Of Havner,"
W-ii, i,e didn't at ~::S!:: a@-n
here. When the grand jury consider
ed evidence seeking to connect former
Senator F. F. Jones with the crime
Havner should have tried to make a
thoro investigation instead of attempt
ing to stop it, and belitle all he evil
dence produced by H'ilkerGon witness
es. Now it's a personal fight between
Wilkerson and Havner.
The Other Side.
A5pro- Wlkerson man said:
"Havner is trying 10 protect Jones
in order to further his political amb-
lions and secure the Jones influence as
a stepping stone. Ninety-ti five per cent
of the people in Montgomery county
believe in Wikerson and his theory Of
the crime. He was third degreed' Will
tkerson Is absolutely on the square and
II have never known him to make a
single statement that he could not back
up. Havner got rough with grand jury
AA III II