The New York herald., 1921-04-10
SHE NEVER LOST HOPE
First Came Word of His
Capture, but She Never
Believed That.
HE FELL AT MT. KIMMEL
Military Funeral for Brook
lyn Soldier Will Be Held
Tuesday.

Inclosed in nag draped coffin, the
body Of Private Edward Eugene Kelly |
OF Company G., 106th Infantry, rested
last night in the parlor of his mothers
home at 103A Somers street, Brook
lyn. The mother, Mrs. Lucy Kelly,
known to practically every official
connected with the administration OF
army affairs in Washington as the
pluckiest woman in the world stood
plucking at the folds Of the flag which
survivors OF the company had just
put in place. Private Kelly lost his
life in the attack on Mount kimmel
in September. 1918, but conflicting re-
ports. misdirected kilograms and mis-
spelled names served to withhold the
news from his mother until few
days ago when her long search and
constant inquiries were ended by the
arrival Of his body and its delivery TO
her home.
Il never would believe he was killed
she said, patting the flag in place NO
not even when received the message
saying his body had been brought here.
First they told me he was prisoner.
7 was dreadfully sorry to hear that.
wondered how it happened Kelly let
the Germans capture him. Then De-
gan to believe there must have been
some accident about it. He must have
fallen into a trap.
"And then / received another tele-
gram from Washington That one said
my boy was in a French hospital,
wounded but getting better. ! stopped
worry then The sisters were in charge
of the hospitals In France and knew
he would receive fine treatment. one
night / was writing a letter to him
Mrs Kelly interrupted her story
minute to receive a couple OF stalWart
lads who had fought with her son at
the last battle In which he took part
The two young veterans of the Twenty
seventh Division patted her on the
shoulder and told her what a fine fight
young Kelly made of it and how she
ought to be proud of him.
II am" she said, "but it's been terribly
hard to keep searching for him so long
two years and more, and then to nave
his body brought to me-"
And then she continued her story:
I was writing him letter one night,
hoping he would get II, when third
telegram came from Washington. 1t
told me he was missing In action, but
never gave up hope.
THAT was early in the winter of 1912
after the armistice, and since then I've
been trying to get help from the War
Department in my search for him. !
always believed he had been hurt seri-
ously and perhaps taken to some hos
pital and registered incorrectly.
thought 1t was even possible he had
been brought back to the United States,
badly hurt, or shell shocked, and that
his Identification disk had been lost, or
that for some reason he wasn't able
to tell his name or regiment So / had
all the army and other hospitals
searched. i helped to search them. but
there was no trace Of him.
Thursday / was notified that-that
his body was on a transport that had
Just reached New York. That ended my
search"
An English officer found Kelly's body
long after the American advance at
Mount Kimmel had passed on. He had
It buried and marked the spot giving
the location to American officers who
were with him later. In time searching
parties came to the ssot and moved the
body TO an army crmetery-moved 1t
just as II had been found. with one OF
the hands clasped around a tiny memo
randum book in which was pasted his
mothers picture. Several weeks ago the
body was taken from the army ceme-
terry and put on transport.
There will be military funeral for
Private Kelly on Tuesday. At 10 O'Clock
In the morning a solemn high mass of
requiem will be sung in the Roman
Catholic Church Of Our Lady OF Lourdes,
Aberdeen street near Broadway, Brook
lyn. Interment will be in the National
Cemetery, with military escort TO fire
volley and bugler to sound taps over
the grave.