The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1921-03-03
SHAW AND KELLY GET
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
JURY MAKES REPORT TO JUDGE
SATURDAY MORNING

New Trial--JurOrs Stood For Va
riOus Degrees Of Punishment
Kelley Said to be Brains Of
HOldup Gang-BOth Feared Elee-
trio Chair Verdict.
Aida G. Shaw and Edward B. Kel-
ley, whose trial consumed nearly all
of last week in a special session Of
court here, must serve % years in
the state penitentiary at Nashville,
the penalty for their participation
in the plot to break Jail. which re-
suited in the murder Of George T.
Reeves, Shelby county iailer, on the
morning Of November 30, 1920.
The jury reported TO Judge r. B.
Baptist at 1910 o'clock Saturday
morning. The verdict was handed
Judge Baptist BY Juror G a. Lind
sey and read bv the court, finding
the defendants guilty of first degree
murder with mitigating circum-
stances.
Under the law prescribed and ex-
planned to the jury by the court ii
his charge Friday it was their duty
to fix the punishment If first de-
gree murder verdict was reached.
1t is understood that on the first
ballot the jury stood one for acquit-
tai and II for various other degrees
Of punishment; three voted for life
Imprisonment on the second ballot
seven for prison terms of 20 to Is
years and the two others for lesser
punishment. On the 10th ballot,
taken at 10 o'clock, the ~ men
agreed on the verdict handed in.
Neither Shaw nor Kelley evil
denced any emotion when pronounce
ed guilty KeIley's mother was not
present. Mrs. Shaw, wife Of one
of the convicted men, was in the adj
joining witness room. She broke
down completely when informed that
her husband had been pronounced
guilty. Immediately following the
reading Of the verdict the aged
father of Kelley, tears streaming
down his cheeks. went to his com
demned SON and threw his arms
around the boy, who must spend the
best years of his life behind prison
walls When told Of the result Of
the trial few minutes later, Mrs.
Kelley was FRUSTRATED
Evidently both defendants had
feared the jury's verdict would send
them to the electric chair. After
being returned to the Jail one or
them remarked to Sheriff G. N.
Volz; "Well, % years Is a mile bet
ter than the death chair
The bandits seemed to be relieved.
In discussing the trial and the ver-
dict later they were laughing.
There were few men and no wO-
men in the courtroom when the jury
came in. This was in contrast to
the crowds that thronged the room
during the five days the trial was
in progress
The verdict is generally approved
in Covington. While much attention
has been shown the two prisoners
here since arriving Monday morn-
ing, especially as refers to Kelley,
the youngest member Of the bandit
crew, this probably was caused by
sympathy for the aged parents Of
the boy, whose career Of crime was
SO closely interviewer with that Of
his co-defendant, Shaw. There were
few whose sympathy extended to
the point of desiring the acquittal of
the men who conspired to shoot
down man who had befriended
them and who defended himself only
when attacked BY desperate armed
with deadly weapon. The few who
might have hoped for an acquittai
comprised only boys and girls Of
immature years, whose eyes see only
the glamor that cloaks the desper-
ate deeds of criminals.
The conviction Of Kelley and Shaw
is the closing chapter in a career of
crime beginning at Detroit and ex-
tending through several states to
Memphis. The third desperate mem-
Der Of the gang, Clyde Hamilton
(alias Arthur Hooverl), made his
exit at Winona, Miss, on December
!, the day after he shot down JaiIer
Reeves. Hamilton died with his
boots on and gun in hand, fighting
to the last.
The capture Of Shaw and Kelley
on the same day, the capture Of
Mrs. Shaw the following day, and
subsequent events are matters Of toe
recent record to require repeating.
Irene Shaw, wife Of Aida Shaw, is
held here TO answer the charge Of
accessory to the murder of Jailer
Reeves. Her case win be called
March is. It was proven on the
witness stand that Irene Shaw de-
livered to the bandits in the Shelby
county fail the two pistols, with one
of which Mr.. Reeves was murdered.
It was proven that she visited the
Jail the night before the crime: that
she had IN her trunk the clothes Of
Hamilton, Kelley and Shaw: that
she forwarded the trunk to Water
Valley, Miss, where the three ban
dts met her the morning Of DeceTn-
Der /. It was at Water Valley that
Irene was captured and returned TO
Memphis. Her trunk was brought
back and examined az the Central
police station and Shaw and Kelley
both admitted that the garments
therein was theirs.
In view Of these facts. no one
save her attorney can tell iust what
defense the woman VIII offer.
The spectators In the crowded
courtroom Friday morning hung
upon each word 81 the four attor-
fContfnued on PAGE Sevenl