The Washington times., 1922-01-22
''Mrs." May Neary
Kelly's Nine-year Ro-
nance is Revealed I'm
Court when Her Illus
bands" Relatives Con-
test for His Fortune
Brother Leads Fight.
NEW York. Jan. 81.

~ q sufficient ceremony of mar
rage and who in adherence to that
oral covenant has been the faithful
companion Of the man she accepted
- her husband2
Mrs. May Neary Kelly insists that
her status Is fully as strong and
righteous as that Of q woman who
has become welded through legal
ceremony.
But the kin Of the man with whom
she lived, Terence Kelly. wealthy
liquor dealer, deride that contention.
and insist she cannot share in his
worldly goods.
It remains for the surrogate's
court to determine whether the
young woman who staked her future
with the man who assured her their
pact had made them man and wife
has standing as his widow before the
law or whether, as his mother, and
brother and sisters maintain. she
was nothing more than his compan.
ION and therefore not whit entitled
70 his estate.
500, 1000 AT STAKE.
On the judicial view depends the
disposal of Kelly's estate Of 100000.
Kelly died q little more than a
month ago. The young woman i'm.
Inediately filed papers demanding
that she be appointed administrative
of his estate. Her claim to the prop
arty has been opposed by his family
through q brother. Bernard Kelly.
In the drab records Of this litiga-
ton the case il listed prosaically and
lnromantic As q contest Of Kelly
-. Neary. They do not even &C
knowledge. in the papers Of the dead
mans kin, that her name il Kelly,
as she processes.
But, however drab the terminol.
ogy Of the court case. there Is writ
ten into the records story Of love
and devotion covering q period OF
nine years. which even the dryness
Of legal documents has failed to at
feet with ordinariness.
Bernard Kelly has obtained an
order from Supreme Court Justice
Chohaian compelling the widow" to
show cause why her demand for let
tiers Of administration should not be
granted.
The widow insists through coun-
sci that when she has done present
ing to the court the evidence Of her
relations with Kelly the court will
not hesitate to declare her entitled
10 the letters Of administration and
% q wifs's share in the liquor deal
er's imposing estate.
A NINE-YEAR ROMANCE.
The romance Of Terence Kelly and
May Neary reaches back into 1912.
1t was nine years ago that they
met, and those who ara not OF mis-
KIN ana knew them both aver that
tneir first acquaintance was one OF
immediate love that swiftly devel-
uped into an inseparable companion.
ship.
Terrence Kelly was an aspiring
young man. He was tall OF stature,
broad of shoulder and with kindly
twinkle In his Celtic gray eye. His
heart was big and 1t was warm.
II warmed with enduring affec-
lion for May Neary, an affection
that endured unto the day a month
ago when death parted them. and an
affection that the young woman
insists his family was ghly
ooRnizant of and Of which they
heartily approved.
At the time he met her young
Kelly conducted a liquor store a.
one Hundredth street and Column
bus avenue. Those, OF course. were
the days before prohibition. Ii.
uuors sold cheaply then. But they
sold in quantity, and Terence Kelly
accumulated q growing bank &C
count. When he died he had amass-
cd Sl0e, 900, and his business was
prospecting.
But to 20 back to nine years ago.
May Neary's affection for Terence
Kelly was mono less than the love
h. showed and spoke for her. She
was a few years his junior, decided
~ attractive of feature and dispo.
s,t,on. and an amiable companion