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MANCY KELLY TAKES OWN LIFESlashes His Throat With Small Knife In lail Cell Few Minutes Before Time For Execution..lust a few minutes before the time set for his execution, Mancy Ivelley took bis own life lust Friday, April 14, 1922, ui about 12:35 p. m., using i small pocket-knife and cutting h.s throat by two strokes one on each Vide, making a gosh which reached dmost from ear to ear and severed lis jugulars as well us cut his wind* pipe in two, the wound gaping wide md exposing the insideof the throat At ihe time it occurnd Kelly was in his coll in the I*«*ukHsvil e jail where he had been placed lute the preceding afternoon on be in g orought herefrom Jackson jail where tie has been kept since his trial lust May nearly u year ago when he was eon victed directly of the murder of Marshal Lawrence Duunarn on April 1, 1921, and was also under indictment for the murder of Prohibition Officer Jake Green killed at the same time in the famous shinny-still raid m the wikis of Pinoy Woods creek just inside the Greene Couniy lme-a few miles out from Rich ton.When K**lly arrived in Leakesville Sheriff Webb Walley usked him if there was any tiling ho wished before locking him up in the celt. He asked to see lhe death trap and war-shown it and the rope which had been hung a 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 beingnamed and their denominations. Said did not want auy, out later after the Sheriff insisted he asked about the Baptist miuister.but being told bro. Golden was out of town, finally consented to have the Presbyterian minister bro. Hardy.A longdistance message was put in for Governor Russell that morning by Kelly’s wife and brother after they arrived here. Tbov fina'ly go the Governor over the phone. He told them he was Surry but the Par-ion Board bad turned down Kelly’s petition and there was nothing be could do. Soon afier the noon hour the preparations for the execution took a quick turn, Mrs. Kelly und the children being allowed a last talk with the husband and father in his cell, while Sheriff Webb Wulley and Rev. R. W. Hardy, the Presbyterian minister waited below on the courthouse back steps till Kelly’s folks came out of the jiil when they were going in for a last chance for Ki lly to have the preach?r to pray with him if he would and they were not to consume but about 10 minutes with him, was the plan the Sheriff states. About this time Nath Sowell, deputy Sheriff emerged from the jail, approached the Sheriff and whispered a message which Webb says he first understood to Ixi that “he has cut the rope” but closer questioned revealed that the whispered words were “lie has cut his throat. ” Webb got in the jail quietly at once while Sowell quietly hunted up Drs. Knight and Faulk who were un the ground waiting to be called, by arrangement with tie oflicer-, to pass on the condemned man’s condition after the death trap wassprung. They got into the jul at once. Kelly only gave a gasp or so after they got there. Be had ex pired very quickly after the terrible wound was made. He spoke a few words with Jonathan Turner, Depu tv Sheriff beforo dying.On th*i second floor at the time there was only Charley Byrd who was guarding the rope near the stairway; Deputv 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 ceil. This is the positive statement of both 6 be riff W alley aud Deputy Turner and we have worked to get this part exact in view of some state* meets which have appeared as to that point. In view of these facts we give theSTATEMENT OF JONATHAN TURNER.Had just walked up to the cell door to take Mrs. Kelly out for the last time. Had just gone to the door to take Mrs. Kelly out. The little boy said: ’Goodbye Daddy’ ’Bn good son’ said Kelly, who kissed his wife about that time goodbye.I heard his wife s,.y, #Lont do that Mauce I cant stauu it.’ Turoiog I yaw the blood guth from his neck. Hits hand passed over his ueck first uu oue side aud thou on the other,but ceil a little dhrk and knife possible a little darkened from b’ood and did not exactly see the knife. Then I said ‘Mancy what did you do that for?’ Kelly— T just couldn’tstand it; the rope looked too big, Mr. Wulley wont get to hang me.’ Jonathan—‘What did you do it with? Where is the knife?’ Kelly had laid down on the bod now und pointed under the bed where the knife was found.”Sheriff Wallev after getting to the cell and seeing Kelly dying sent for bro. Hardy and then tor Walter Kelly the brother of the expiring man. Then Walley appeared at the side jail door boiow and announced to the waiting crowd who had already got an inkling that Koliy had suicided: The man who was to have been executed today has just cut his throat with a knife and died within two minutes.” Then he called out jurors for the Coroner’s inquest who went inside with Justice T.G. Briscoe and quickly returned a verdict of that. The deceased came to his death at Ins own hands with a knife.The knife with which he did the work was exhibited to the people and showed sharp as a razor though a small pocket knife with but one blade.There was a puddle of blood in the cell beside the bed about big as a man’s hat giving a rather gruesome look to the place, despite it was comfortably arranged with good bed. chair, toilet, etc.A note was found which read as follows: Don’t think anybody is responsible for this suicide but me: I do not think I ought to hang foi this crime. The rope looks too big for uio.The rope in question is the regulation size used for hanguigs so SbIT Wallev says the authorities told him. It was a J iuch manilla rope.Two rather lengthy letters weiv left by Kelly and in one of them to a fellow-prisoner in the Jackson, Miss, jail he said t hat, he had two chances to have done what am doing, on way coming here but wanted to see my sweet wife and dear children aud thought it would bo an injust to them ’ There was one reference in his letter to being in a better world. but the name of God nor the Savior wes not set down. In none of the lettai 9 left nor in his statements did he break the stoic resolution to make no conlession of the crime for which he was convicted merely throwing out statements which seemed to carry viith it that he felt himself innocent. The body was neatly dressed and put in a nice casket and tune d over to hs family who left wit h it about 3:45 p, m. for the family burial ground over in Wayne County, where the poor man was laid away freed from his troubles so fair as earthly affairs are concern (dEG19:COtoEiraofhuthtiidaw;JuhuolsE
Newspaper Details
Leakesville Greene County Herald
Leakesville, Mississippi, US
Fri, Apr 21, 1922
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Kelly H.
MS, USA 17 Jan 2021
Other Publications Near Leakesville, Mississippi
Leakesville Greene County Herald
