Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1922-04-21
NANCY KELLY ~
s, TAKES OWNLIFE
Slashes His Throat With Small Knife
In Jail Cell Few Minutes Before
Time For Execution.

AR-~i 6t oCO6N ANsOC hoihG
a small pocket-knife and cutting his
throat by two strokes one on each |
side, making cash which reached
slmost from ear to ear and severed
his jugulars as we'll as cut his wind
pipe in two, the wound gaping wide
and exposing the inside of the throat
At the time it occurred Kelly was
IN his cell in the Leakesvlle jail
where he had been placed late the
preceding afternoon on b e n &
Drought here from Jackson jail where
be has been kept since his trial last
May nearly year ago when he was
convicted directly of the murder of
Marshal Lawrence Dunnam on April
|, 1921, and was also under indict-
ment for the murder of Prohibition
Officer Jake Green killed at the same
time in the famous shinny-still raid
in the wilds of Piney Woods creek
just inside the Greene County Inca
few miles out from Richtou.
When Kelly arrived in Leakesvile
Sheriff Webb Valley asked him If
there was anything he wished before
locking him up in the cell He ask
ed to see the death trap and was
shown it and the rope which had
been hung few days before for the
execution. Kelly remarked that the
rope looked rather big. Then he
was asked if he wished to see any
preacher, the several ones of the
town being named and their demon
nations Said did not want any,
I, out later after the Sheriff insisted he
asked about the Baptist minister. but
being told bro. Golden was out of
town, finally consented to have the
Presby terian minister bro. Hardy.
A long distance message was put in
for Governor Russell that morning
by Kelly's wife and brother after
they arrived here. They finally GO
the Governor over the phone He
told them he was sorry but the Par
Ion Board had turned down Kelly s
petition and there was nothing he
could do. Soon after the noon hour
the preparations for the execution
took quick turn, Mrs. Kelly and
the children being allowed a last talk
with the husband and father in his
cell. while Sheriff Webb Valley and
Rev. r. w. Hardy, the Presby teri
an minister waited below on the
courthouse back steps till Kelly
| folks came out of the Jail when they
were going in for last chance for
Kelly to have the preacher to pray
with him if he would and they were
not to consume but about 10 min
utes with him, was the plan the
! Sheriff states. About this time
Nath Sowell, deputy Sheriff emer-
ged from the Jail, approached the
Sheriff and whispered message
which Webb says he first understood
to be that he has cut the rope" but
closer questioned revealed that the
whispered words were He has cut
his throat" Webb got 10 the Jail
quietly at once while Sowell quietly
hunted up Drs. Knight and Faux
who were on the ground waiting to
be called, by arrangement with tie
officers, to pass on the condemned
mans condition after the death trap
was sprung. They got into the jail
at once. Kelly only gave gasp or
so after they got there. He had ex
| pired very quickly after the terrible
wound was made. He spoke a few
words with Jonathan Turner, Depu
ty Sheriff before dying.
On the second floor at the time
there was only Charley Byrd who
was guarding the rope near the
tairway; Deputy Sowell who was
about halfway from stairway to cell
and Deputy Jonathan Turner who
was at the door of the cell and Mrs.
Kelly and the three children in the
cell This IS the positive statement
of both Sheriff Valley aud Deputy
Turner and we have worked to get
this part exact in view of some state
menis which have appeared as to
that point. In view OF these facts
we give the
STATEMENT OF JONATHAN TURNER.
/ t.Jad iuuf xualkad mn ~ tho ool1