Neighbors' Testimony
1) Thomas Welsh
I live under the hill in Irishtown. Kelley's wife came to me, to call me out,
I think last thursday, after dinner. She told me, to come out and see the fun.
I told her, to go to the devil. She went away; a few minutes afterwards I went
to my work. Passing by Kelley's shanty, I saw the door closed, and found it
again so a few minutes afterwards. I heard no noise, nor saw I anything unusual
in the house. There is nothing but a backhouse between my house and Kelley's.
I did not see Mrs Kelley again after I told her to be off. I don't remember
that I spoke to any one about a fuss in Kelley's house a week ago. I have a
good memory.
Thomas Welsh
(his mark)
2) Bridget McGuire
I live next to Kelley's, there being only a fence between the two shanties.
About one o'clock last thursday a man came along with a lot of cabbage; he rapped
at my door and asked me, if I wanted to buy some cabbage, and I told him "no
Sir." Standing at the window, you I saw the man go to his waggon and the women
all crowding around. Mrs Kelley came out of her own shanty, with a cloak on,
and Mrs O'Malia came there also, & stood by the waggon next to Mrs Kelley.
Mrs O'Malia picked up three heads of cabbage and put them into Mrs Kelley's
apron. Mrs Kelley put up a few more and putting her [them] into the apron, went
back to the shanty. I did not see whether she paid the man or not, but Mrs O'Malia
went up after her; they seemed to be very pleasant to each other. Mrs Kelley
stood at the gate before her own door; Mrs O'Malia went down to another shanty,
across the street from Kelley's. Mrs Kelley then invited Mrs O'Malia to come
in and talk a while to her. Mrs O'Malia thought, she would not, but turned around
and went in at Kelley's. About three quarters of an hour afterwards, I heard
Mrs Kelley oo hallowing out for the watchman, "Mrs O'Malia, the old whore, was
in bed with Bill Kelley." She was just about of her gate; then she went in and
came out at the back-door, going up to the road and down again; in about ten
minutes she went in again. Half an hour afterwards, I heard some women hallowing:
Rose O'Malia was murdered in Kelley's shanty. Mrs Connors and my daughter, Mary
Fuddigan, hallowed so; my little girl came in, saying Rose O'Malia was killed
and Kelley and Mrs Kelley had killed her. I went up to the gate, but not in;
the women were in there, had the door opened, and I saw Mrs O'Malia lying upon
the floor, the women keeping her head up and putting cold water on her. Blood
was all he around her. She lay about four feet from the door, across the room,
with the head to the right. Kelley's wife was striking her hands together, said
she felt sorrow for her and helped Mrs Connors to put water on her.
I did not see Kelley. In perhaps twenty minutes, I went to Kelley's house again; Mrs O'Malia had been turned around by this time. The watchman was taking out Mrs Kelley by the back-door. I did not see Michael Cogan after Mrs Kelley hallowed for the watch; he was going out at that time and his mother told him to go in again. I did not see Kelley after the night before that day. I know of now quarrel between O'Malia's and Kelley's previous to that afternoon. I heard nothing in Kelley's shanty between the time, Mrs O'Malia went there, and the women hallowing, she was killed. Mrs Kelley never spoke to me of any ill-feeling she entertained against O'Malia's. I never knew Kelley to have anything against them. When I saw Mrs Kelley go up with the cabbages, I thought she staggered a little; Mrs O'Malia was sober, as far as I know.
(Her
Bridget McGuire
mark)
3) Mary Brogan
I live in the next house to and almost side by side with Kelley's. I did not
see Mrs Kelley last thursday afternoon, until she came out and hallowed "watch."
She also called to some men, to come down to her house. I did not hear her state,
for what purpose. While she was outdoors, on the side of the house fronting
Detroit street, Kelley came out of the same door and went up towards Detroit
street; he did a kind of stumble or stagger, as if intoxicated. I understood
her to say: You are going to have me arrested, or You are going after the watchman,
or something like that. She went in, when Kelley was gone, but soon she came
out again and hallowed "watch" more frightfully than before. Going in again,
she shut the door leading to Detroit street. I could see that from my window.
Quite a while afterwards Mrs Kelley came out again from by that same door, and
went around the house, crying out "watch watch, watch," but not very loud. Soon
after she hallowed louder & begged Mr. Welsh & Mrs Barrett, to come
and see what had happened in her house. Tom Welsh refused to go with her, but
came to our house, replying upon my questioning him about her, that she was
drunk. I saw her come towards our house and told Welsh, not to let her in. She
took hold of the door-fastener, asked "are you in, Tom Welsh?" and went away.
A good while after that, Mrs Connor came in, appearantly much scared, and stated,
Rose O'Malia was dead. She asked me to come along with her and I went with her
to Kelley's house. Mrs O'Malia was lying o the floor, all covered with blood,
and insensible, so that I thought, she was dead.
Mrs Kelley was alone in the room, besides Mrs O'Malia; Mrs Kelley said, Kelley had killed the woman with the axe. I did not stay longer than two or three minutes, then I went on the road and told some men standing there, to go for assistance. To Kelley's house I did not go again. I had noticed no noise there, before she came out, calling the watch. Kelley has been before the Police Court quite frequently, and a disturbance or noise at his house was nothing unusual. Mrs Kelley said to Welsh: "Come in for charity's sake and see what Kelley has done, "almost the same words she repeated to Mrs Barrett. She did not speak of murder, nor mention the woman's name; she acted as if she was drunk, but might have been excited, appearing a kind of crazy. When sober, she is always very quiet.
Mary Brogan
4) Margaret Connor
I live very near to Kelley's shanty, right below it; from my window I can see
the door leading to Riverstreet. To the best of my opinion, after one o'clock
last thursday, I heard Mrs Kelley hallowing for Tom Welsh to come down. Kelley's
having been always very noisy, we did not like to meddle with them much, so
y I went to the bed-room window. She made a louder noise now, and opening the
window, I saw her go to Tom Welsh's, begging him to come down in a hurry, "come
down, come down!" He seemed to be afraid, but went down and around the house
to the Detroitstreet door. Without much delay he came back; I asked him, "Tom,
what is the matter?" He did not reply, but shook his head and his hands, and
went up the road; I saw him pass up to Detroitstreet. When he might have reached
the top of the hill, Mrs Barrett came over from his shanty to mine. I asked
her what was up; she said she did not want to tell me, little Mary Ann Mackenay
told her, Rose O'Malia was at Kelleys, and Mrs Kelley stated had been hallowing
out on the street, O'Malia's wife was in bed with Kelley.
I asked Mrs Barrett, if it was possible, that Mrs O'Malia was in such a place? "Well, she is," replied Mrs Barrett. "If Rose is there," said I, "I will go and take her out. Ought I not to go in?" With that I went to Kelley's, knocked at the Detroitstreet-door, and Mrs Kelley inquiring, who was there, I told her: "me, open the door." She did so willingly and let me in. She was fussing around, as if putting things away, and Mrs O'Malia was lying on the floor, appearantly dead. Running towards her, I found her stretched on the bare floor, with the head on a bed, which had been laid on the floor. She was lying near the other door, a kind of slantwise across, the head stuck right to the jam of the door. "O Mrs Connor, O Mrs Connor," said Mrs Kelley, striking her hands; "Kelley had done so and so with her four times (I cannot repeat the mean expression she used) and then he killed her with the axe; having done the murder, she cleared out." I went over and picked up Rose's head; I spoke to her, but she did not reply; she gasped only. Her ear was slinging off, with the blood boiling out. I let her head down and called Mrs Brogan. Mrs Kelley was walking around, pretending to feel very mournful. Wh "There she is, and she is dead," said she; "Kelley killed her, for, he had said, he could not have satisfaction out of Frank O'Malia and now he had her there and he would have it out of the woman; it was for something O'Malia had done him last year." She did not say much more. When I knocked, it seemed to me, she had bolted both doors; coming in, I found her shoving things around; I did not see her put anything away. She appeared to have drank some liquor, but spoke freely, and walked without staggering. She did not help me any about Mrs O'Malia, but went through the room all the time. I unbolted the other door and called for help. Mrs Mackenay came to the door; Mrs Kelley refused to let her in. Soon, however, she came in with the crowd. Mrs Brogan came first in after me, but did not stay long. The last time I have seen Kelley was at the market on the other side, a week previous to last saturday. Mrs Kelley was always very jealous and would scarcely allow another woman, to look at her husband.
(Her
Margaret Connor
sign)
Margaret Connor (called again). A little time after Mrs O'Malia had spoken to Davy Philbain, I went to the house and while I was there, some one asked her, if it was Kelley that killed her, and she said "yes." I think, it was her husband, that asked her. I did not hear any other question put to her, and she did not speak on her own account.
(Her
Margaret Connor
mark)
5.) Bridget Murphy
I live in the second shanty from Kelley's, that of Tom Welsh being between.
Last thursday afternoon, a little before about one o'clock, a little before
the furnace bell rung, I was hanging up clothes in my yard. Mrs Kelley went
down to a waggon with cabbages, with a cloak on her head; she looked at the
cabbage. Mrs O'Malia came up also, stood by Mrs Kelley's side and picked out
the good heads for her. Mrs Kelley then came to her at her own gate; when she
went in, Mrs O'Malia came up after her, but turned around again, as if to go
off, and then stopped about a minute, talking to Mrs Kelley out side the fence.
I could not hear the conversation. After that, Mrs O'Malia went into Kelley's.
A little after that, while I was sending my girl to school, Mrs Mackenay came
in and said "Mrs O'Malia went in there." "Well," replied I, "they will kill
her before they let her out." I supposed so from the character of the Kelley's
and from the way they carry on. Mrs Mackenay went home. In perhaps a quarter
of an hour I was finishing my clothes, Mrs Kelley came out and Mrs Mack the
milkwoman passing by, Mrs Kelley called to her: "Mrs Mack," said she, "come
in, Rose O'Malia is in bed with Kelley." Mrs Mack had a drayman with her and
did not go in, but went away.
Mrs Kelley went in again and shut the door on Riverstreet. In about half an hour some man, standing on the sidewalk up the hill, hallowed to me, they were killing a woman in there, and proposed to go in. I was in the yard, and told him, I would not go in; I went to the watchhouse, calling Mr. Burlison and Mr. Rogers, who came down with me, myself keeping back, so as not to be seen with them. Coming to the sidewalk above Kelley's house, I found the door opened and a crowd of women inside. Mrs Kelley was at the door, but inside, calling on all decent people passing by to come and see what Kelley had done. __ I saw Mrs O'Malia friday, saturday and sunday mornings, but I did not speak to her, nor did I hear her say anything in reference to Kelley's. Kelley had a very bad reputation; noblody went to him; he was twice in the penitentiary County-jail and his wife was in jail the watch-house quite often. I never saw Mrs O'Malia go in there again, except about a month ago, when she brought there another woman from Newburgh, but did not stay there long. I never heard Kelley or his wife speak of any bad intention they had against O'Malia's.
(Her
Bridget Murphy
mark)
6.) Michael Murphy (not sworn)
Don't know, how old he is; appearantly six or seven years old. At the time of
the affray at Kelley's, he was not home, having been after Kelley's boot. When
Michael came back, Kelley was running away, Mrs O'Malia lay on the floor, dead.
Michael was gone a few hours; before he started for the shoemaker's, Mrs O'Malia
was in the house. Cannot tell, what conversation went on between them. Kelley
killed the woman, while Michael was to the shoemakers; so they say. There was
a gallon full of whiskey in the house. Mrs O'Malia drank of it. Guesses, he
was away only a minute. Mrs O'Malia was drunk, when witness went after the boot;
she fell on the bed, before the boy left the shanty, and even rolled to the
floor. Kelley was sitting on the bed at that time, and Mrs Kelley on a [ ].
Mother was not cross; she had no angry words with Mrs O'Malia. Kelley asked
his wife, what made her let O'Malia in; Mrs Kelley did not reply. When Michael
left, the shovel was near the rain-barrel, in the sidewalk; the shovel is now
here, broke; if [it] was not broke, when witness went for the boots. The axe
was with the shovel in the same place. When Michael came back, his mother was
at Tom Welsh's. My Mother said first, Kelley had struck Mrs O'Malia. Witness
heard no noise in the shanty, while returning from the shoemaker._____
7.) James Smith
I am a shoemaker, having my shop some thirty or forty rods from Kelley's, between
Detroit- and West-River-street. About twelve o'clock last thursday Kelley's
boy Michael came in with a boot, said it was Kelley's and he wanted it mended.
Between one and two Kelley came in, asking if it was done. I said, no. I want
to go up to Ohio City, said he; so I threw him the boot and he tried to get
it on, but could not; I turned around and told him, his foot must be wet. He
replied, yes, his stocking was wet, he had nothing on but an old slipper. He
pulled at the boot, until he got it on; he seemed to be in a hurry at the time.
He walked out and I saw him advancing towards Riverstreet. When he came in,
I did not look at him very particularly, sitting with my back to the door; I
remarked no blood on him. Kelley may have some liquor taken at that time but
was not intoxicated.
James Smith
8.) Charles Norton
Last thursday I was going down Detroitstreet hill with George Heath, a little
after noon; when we were below Kellogg's, we saw a woman come out from the shanty
I afterwards learned to be Kelley's. She called "watch watch," more than a Dozen
times, going around to the other side of the house. As soon as she came around
again to the part fronting Detroitstreet, I started towards the shanty, not
going beyond the sidewalk, so that I could see down. She hallowed watch and
between that she said "you are a damned villain, and have a decent woman of
your own." The man came out upon that, with a coat on his arm, which he commenced
putting on, and then ran towards Detroitstr. Nothing was said between them;
the woman only hallowed "watch," after the man had come out. As soon as the
man left, I went on, to the other side, the woman being near the door. In about
three quarters of an hour I came back and saw the other woman on the floor,
Charles Norton
9.) Isabelle Dyle
I live right on the other side of the street from O'Malia's. The second or third
evening after Rosa had been injured, I went over to see her, about eight o'clock.
I asked her, if she knew me; she said "yes" and whispered my name. I further
asked her, if it was with the axe that Kelley struck her on the head? "No,"
said she. I asked, if it was with the shovel, and she replied "yes." I went
on asking, if it was on the head he struck her, and as near as I could understand
her, she said "in the face." That is all I could get out of her. She was kind
of astray and I cannot say, whether she meant him or her. I was with her two
or three nights; she spoke several times again, but not of Kelley's. The latter
were people I never associated with. I saw Kelley buying cabbage and taking
it home frome a waggon, about noon. Mrs O'Malia was also at that waggon; whether
at the same time with Kelley or not, I don't recollect. Mrs Kelley was not there
to my knowledge.
(Her
Isabelle Dyle
mark)