Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-09-14
MYSTERYSURROUNDS
SHOOTING Of TAXI.
DRIVER NEAR GRIFFIN
Wife of J, L, Kelley, Sought
by the Police, Declares
She Fears His Return
Home

THO pIOuS 1ulO the HluTueE meal
Griffin Friday of Leroy Trexler, an
Atlanta taxicab driver, were SEN
sational but somewhat rambling
statement by Jack L. Kelloy, of 1873
West Pine street, charged by a
Spalding county coroner's jury
with the murder. following his ar
rest in Macon Saturday afternoon,
land w. Doe, farmer and merchant
Of Vineyard, Ca, four miles north
of Griffin on the Dixie highway,
who talked with Trexler and Kelloy
+ shortly before the murder.
:. Immediately after his arrest by
the Macon police Saturday after
noon, Kelloy, according to dispatches,
made a statement in which he en-
phatica1ly denied his guilt and de-
clared that as he and Trexler were
passing Orchard Hill, small town
sout hof Griffin, someone fired on
their automobile from the roadside,
the shots taking effect in Trexler's
neck and causing instant death; that
he then placed the dead mans body
near the road and proceeded on his
way to Savannah.
Making a more detailed state
ment later Saturday afternoon to
newspaper reporters in Macon, ac-
cording to a dispatch to The Jour
nal, Kelloy is said to have recanted
utterly from his first statement.
According to dispatches from Ma
con, he now asserts that Trexler
was murdered by another Atlanta
man who accompanied him and the
young taxicab driver ON the trip.
The name of the Atlanta man i'm
/ plicated by Kelloy is not made pub
lie because an investigation seemed
to establish the fact that he did not
accompany Kelloy, but was on his
regular job here Friday and Satur-
day.
kelley is quoted as telling report
ers in Macon that his wife had been
receiving calls from Trexler.
when I learned Friday morning
that she had sworn out a warrant
for my Arrest I got this man to come
with me and we hired a taXicab and
left Atlanta" Kelloy is quoted as
saying. When 1 ordered the taxi,
/ did not expect that Trexler would
be the driver assigned to US"
Was Drunk, Ee Says
kelley is said to have further de-
elarcd that he was half drunk
and was seated on the back seat of
tha car with the man he claimed
went with him. He stated that
when they were within few miles
&C Griffin, they turned off the road
to a place where they could buy
more liquor, and that when the car
stopped. his companion alighted,
walked several PAGES into a patch
of bushes. turned and shot Trexler
twice, and then dragged him out of
the car and placed his body in q
branch running through the woods.
Then he showed me how to change
the gears on the car" Kelloy is said
to have continued, gave me $50 and
! tolG me to dash for Savannah and
never to return to Atlanta, so that
he people would think twas ME who
cat Griffin I did not know how
to handle the car, and went through
the town about fifty miles an hour.
told me to nay $50 and get out. 1
! hand only $25, so he took that. The
/ axle of the car broke about a mile
or two before I reached Miner
81 got ten dollars from a garage
there as a pawn on the automobile,
intending to send back for it from
Macon. I came to Macon early Sat
urday morning intending to see q
4 friend so 1 could get the money. 1
was arrested on Cherry street about
noon"
Macon police are said to have
placed no credence in Kelloy's
statement.
nal over long distance telephone late
Saturday by Grantland w. DOE, a
well-knoWn citizen of Vineyard, Ga,
failed to corroborate Kelloy's claim
that he had a travelling companion
Doe stated that when he first saw
tho automobile at 2 o'clock Friday
afternoon, it's only occupants were
kelloy and the driver. Later, when
the car passed his store, only Kelloy
"Two men," said Mr.. Doe, drove
up in a car in front of my store
about 2 o'clock Friday afternoon.
The young man who was driving had
very little to say; the man at his
ing. He did not appear to 1e in
toxicated, but he had wild look
In his eye, and I at once began to
regard him with suspicion.
Inquired About Address Y
"f1e wanted to know" continued
Mr.. Doe, where a man named Kelly
lived, saying that he wanted to see
him about buying some hos. T in
name lived in the vicinity, but that
Mr., H. V. Kell resided a few miles
back. Then he asked more ques-
tons about how he should proceed
to reach Mr.. Kell's farm; and after
had instructed him in detail. he
chine, and they drove IF in the
opposite direction on a side road.
! I'm about ten minutes the two men
again passed my place. he contina-
ed. and they were driving ut a
terrific speed-probably fifty miles
IN hour. 7 yelled to them - slow
down unless they wanted to be ar
rcstel. About $50 yards above my
ly and backed approximately $50
Yards to cross road; cE'h hey
pr. ceeded down the Damascus road,
T S;at l@ads west from the Dixie
Mr.. Doe said that short time
later, Kelloy drove back by his
store, but that Trexler was not in
the car. He started up the main
road" he continued, but appeared
to be very nervous, and would not
look toward me as he passed. He
seemed to be having a hard time in
steering the car, as it was zig-zag-
cling considera bly,"
Suspected Something Wrong
Two Spalding county policemen
were in Mr.. Does store when Keilov
passed alone, he said, and he re-
marked to them that "sometfing
IS wrong somewhere; that man who
Just passed here took a young fellow
down the Damascus road with him,
but didn't bring him back Mr.. Doe
said kelley appeared greatly ex-
cited as he passed his PLACE the last
time
Later in the day" said Mr. Doe
"a man who said he was connected
with the taxi company which en-
tloyed Trexler, and officers came by
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