Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-09-18
KELLOY ON STAND,
FAILS To MENTION
KILLING Of TREXLER
Makes Rambling Statement
State Puts Up Nineteen
Witnesses-Case Goes to
e Jury This Afternoon

the later after only one witness,
"Jack" Kelloy himself, had been put
o nthe stand, and had delivered a
rambling statement. in which he did
not mention Leroy Trexler, the At
l;.nta taxi driver, for whose murder
he is on trial-court adjourned for
the noon recess at 1915 o'clock, to
reconvene at go o'clock this after
noon. when it was expected the argu-
ments would begin.
The state put up in all nineteen
witnesses. The defense put up only
Eelloy himself. He was told to tell
This story, and began with a long,
rambling narrative Of his life from
his birth to the day of the murder,
last Friday. He spoke with strong
accent, attributable to his long stay
II France, where he had lived most
of the time.
Coming to his account of what
happened on the death ride of Lee
roy Trexler, Kelloy surprised the
courtroom crowd by not referring in
any to Trexler or to a killing,
Previously he had made three diff
ferent statements to newspaper men
concerning the killing, with a some
what different version each time. but
always admit SA,er had
been shot to death.
Story of Trip
Kelloy's story of the automobile
journey last Friday, as related to the
jury follows:
I had car sent to Luckie street.
L went to Griffin. got pinched
there. They fined me $22. was
on my way to Savannah. I had
never driven car in my life. In
going over some rough roads I STEP
ped on the throttle once and broke
the rear axle. ...
1 told a man named Green, who
rode me to Miner. that / was a hand
artist and asked him to have
drink with me. I got on the train
and went to Macon.
They arrested me there. I did
not know what for, and it was
long time before they would tell me.
Just let me say this:
Il didn't kill nobody, never stole
nothing, have been honest all nv
life. I was making money, and
would make money, but they
wouldn't give me no chance"
After the statement by Kelloy.
court was adjourned until 1:30o'clocl1
this afternoon.
Contention of State
The noise of something like a soht,
that sounded smothered." described
by one witness. who then saw man
standing by an automobile, Gin a
STOPPING position" and the testi-
mony Of the undertaken, that there
were powder burns about the fatal
wound in the back of Leroy Trek
ler's head. Indicating that the shot
was fired at close range" made up
the more sensational points of the
testimony up to noon Friday in the
trial of Kelloy. The trial was pro-
ceeding swiftly in the Friday session,
and more than dozen witnesses had
been examined by the noon recess.
Just before court reconvened this
morning. Solicitor General Owen. for
the state, made the following state
ment to The Journals correspondent:
I'VE expect to place the defendant
at the scene of the crime, and with
the deceased, at the time the murder
was committed. with absolutely no
one else in the vicinity"
Toward the end of the Friday
morning session, the most pertinent
testimony in this direction was given
by Mrs. D. A. Shepherd, who lives
a mile from, the store of Grantldnd
Doe, and Short distance from the
scene of the murder.
Mrs. Shepherd Testifes
Mrs. Shepherd said:
Il saw a car with two men in it
pass my house last Friday. I was
in my yard at the time. About three
minutes later l heard noise like a
pistol shot. or maybe a tire blowing
QUIT sounded as if smothered-
and looking down the road L saw
the car>standing at the roadside not
far from me.
I could see only one man. He was
the man who had been sitting on the
righthand front seat as the car pass
ed my yard. He was out of the car
standing beside IL, in a STOPPING po-
sition.
I'm few minutes. the car came
back past my house, going toward
Griffin. The man who was formerly
sitting in the righthand front seat
now was driving. He was alone"
This testimony created the prin-
cipal sensation of the morning ses-
sion.
Mrs. Frances Roche, who appeared
as the only friend of the defendant
at the opening session of court
Thursday. and who had retained his
Atlanta counsel for him, was not in
her place atshis side when court De
gan Friday. Her absence seemed to
disturb kelley, who also was in a
more serious mood than yesterday,
when he had at times smiled and
even laughed at incidents that came
up while the motions for a contin-
uance and a change of venue, all
overruled, were being argued and the
jury chosen. Attorney w. o. Coop
er, of Macon, also was absent and
in his place was the senior member
of the firm, John r. Cooper. who,-
with H. A. Allen. Of Atlanta, was
conducting the defense.