Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-03-30
DAMAGE SUIT FILED
AGAINST JNO. KELLEY
HERE FOR $4,000

alcohol with murderous intent to pre-
vent her from giving damaging testi-
mony, Mrs. Catherine Bristol, of Bal
timore, Md, formerly of Atlanta, has
filed suit for $4,000 damages in the
Fulton county superior court through
her attorney, Ernest c.. Buchanan, of
Atlanta, against John Kelley, of At
lanta, for the alleged loss of her eye
sight. The petitioner alleges as a
result of having drunk the fluid she
Is permar emily injured, being totally
blind. .--.-..
The petitioner alleges that the de-
PENDANT gave her the poison to pre-
vent her from giving testimony to
the fact that he had made threats
against the life of Miss Lucille Sharp.
former Atlanta girl, who is alleged
TO have died mysteriously in the
apartments of the defendant at Bal
timore. 1t is further charged by the
|plaintiff that the defendant intended
to kill her, but by quick action on
the part of hospital physicians in
Baltimore her life was saved, though
she will be blind for life.
1t is said by the plaintiff that the
defendant and Miss Sharp were
friends, the defendant spending
large sums of money on Miss Sharp
and had been giving her many lux
urtes Of life, including costly cloth
ing and many beautiful gowns. On
numerous occasions the plaintiff al
leges she was invited by Miss Sharp
to visit her at the home of the de-
PENDANT. EARLY in 1919 the plaintiff
says Miss Sharp went to Baltimore
Soon after Miss Sharp moved to
Baltimore, the plaintiff alleges Mr..
Kelley became friendly with another
woman, which caused the jealousy
Of Miss Sharp. During her visits to
Baltimore Mrs. Bristol declares she
witnessed several quarrels between
Mr.. Kelley and Miss Sharp and on
one occasion she says Mr.. Kelley
threatened to kill Miss Sharp, hold
ing a pistol in her face.
On November %, 1919, the plain
tiff says she received a telegram
from Mr.. Kelley in Baltimore to her
in Philadelphia stating that Miss
Sharp had died on the night previous
from, acute Bright's disease, caused
by catching a severe cold in New
York. The plaintiff says she went
to the apartment Of Mr.. Kelley and
while in a nervous condition as a
result of the shock she says she ac-
copied the defendants proffer of a
drink of brandy, offered as medf-
cine. Shortly afterwards the plain
tiff claims she was taken suddenly
i'll and was rushed to the Johns Hop
kins hospital at Baltimore where
upon examination, she says, it devel-
oped she had been given wood alco-
hol by the defendant. She claims
this was done for the purpose of poi
soning her.
The plaintiff further charges that
post mortem examination made by
the surgeons of the hospital devel-
oped the fact that Miss Sharp had
come to her death as a result of
drinking wood alcohol. The plain
tiff claims that the defendant knew
that the plaintiff was aware of the
threats made by him to Miss Sharp
and that his purpose of giving her
the poison was to prevent her from
making damaging statements against
him. The plaintiff still is an inmate
of the hospital, it is said
KEILIE DENIES ALI
49,. ALLEGATIONS In SUIT
"This is spring time and it ap-
pears as though some one is looking
for sucker to bite. Mrs. BristoPs
financial agent is barking up the
wrong tree"
That was the comment made to a.
Journal representative Saturday
night by John Kelley, wealthy At
lantian, owner Of the Kelley apart
ments and other valuable real estate,
who was made defendant in a suit
for $4,000 damages filed in the
Fulton superior court on Saturday
by Mrs. Catherine Bristol, of Allan ia
and Baltimore, who is said by Mr..
Kelley, TO be now living at 1877
Spring street, this city.
Mr.. Keiley's statement follows:
Mrs. Katherine Bristol has not been
at Johns Hopkins hospital, Baltimore,
since January 5. She is now living
at 1877 Spring street, Atlanta She
signed a statement in Baltimore that
1 did not give her the whisky. She
asked If there was any in the house,
got it and drank it herself. She also
gave it to Mr.. Allie Osman, Of New
York City, who came to Baltimore
to attend Miss Sharp's funeral.
She drank it Saturday night and
Sunday morning but did not COM
plain of illness until Monday MORN
ing at breakfast, about $3.50. She was
attended by a physician called by
myself at 10 o'clock and again at 3
o'clock in the afternoon. At 5 80 that
afternoon the physician sent her to
Johns Hopkins hospital.
"She never stated once in Balti-
more that L had given or offered her
drink but said that she asked for
it and that she and Mr.. Osman drank
the remainder Of the quart (about
four-fifths) left by Miss Sharp. 1t
did not affect Osman.
1.-TWO physicians attended Miss
Sharp twice before she did and pro-
nounced her illness acute Bright's
disease and her death certificate so
states. 1t afterwards developed that
the contents of the bottle belonging
to Miss Sharp was largely wood al
cohol. This was one of the first
cases Of wood alcohol poisoning and
naturally caused considerable noto-
riety.
Miss BirstoPs financial agent is
barking up the wrong tree. This is
springtime, and it appears that some
one is looking for a sucker to bite. .
(Signed) JOHN KELLEY"