The Kelly Family: A Tale of Murder and Mystery

In the late 19th century, a chilling saga unfolded in the remote stretches of "No Man's Land," an area now known as the Oklahoma Panhandle. It was here, between August and December of 1887, that the Kelly Family—a seemingly ordinary clan—carved their infamous niche in the annals of American crime. This quartet of killers, consisting of 55-year-old William Kelly, his wife Kate, their 20-year-old son Bill, or 'Billy', and 18-year-old daughter Kit, orchestrated a series of gruesome murders that would echo for generations.

Origins and Arrival in Kansas

The Kellys hailed from the rugged mountains of Pennsylvania. In 1869, driven by undisclosed reasons, they relocated to Kansas, traversing various locations along the southern border before settling in the lawless expanse of No Man's Land, roughly 25 miles from Beaver, Oklahoma. Initially, they earned their livelihood through cattle dealings. But soon, they opened a tavern, offering shelter to fellow cattlemen and travelers. Illiterate but industrious, the Kellys maintained an unassuming facade, attracting no suspicion from the community.

The Grisly Discoveries

The tranquility of the Kellys’ tavern was shattered by a series of mysterious disappearances along the road leading to their establishment. However, it wasn't until December 1887, when the family abruptly vacated their property without a word, that suspicions arose. A curious traveler from St. Louis, S.T. Gregg, who had previously visited the tavern, decided to investigate the now-abandoned house.

Upon entering, Gregg was overwhelmed by a nauseating stench emanating from a hidden cellar beneath the tavern. He discovered the decomposing bodies of three men, along with a trap door under the tavern floor. Alarmed, Gregg alerted the authorities, prompting search parties to flood the property. Led by a cowboy known as "Texy," they unearthed additional horrors near the barn. Loosened dirt revealed a corpse with a shattered skull, murdered with an axe. Continued digging yielded seven more bodies, two of whom were women. Despite the advanced decomposition of most victims, three were identified by their clothing: Jim Coven, a cattleman; J.T. Taylor, a wealthy salesman from Chicago; and Johnson, a merchant from Texas. The murder weapon, a rusty axe with traces of human flesh, lay nearby.

The Chase and Execution

News soon reached Beaver that the Kellys had recently passed through, bound for New Mexico, with a conspicuous display of wealth and several horses. A posse of 20 men quickly formed, tracking the family to Palo Duro Creek, then towards Wheeler, Texas. After a relentless two-hour pursuit, Kate Kelly's horse stumbled, causing her to fall and break her neck. The posse left her behind, continuing their chase.

Half an hour later, they captured Bill and Kit, but William evaded capture. Pleading for mercy, Kit faced a cold rebuke from her brother, who accused her of equal culpability in their heinous acts. As two ropes dangled from a tree, Kit whispered to Bill about confessing, but he retorted bitterly, challenging the posse to uncover the truth themselves. The siblings were then hanged.

The vigilantes pursued William, his horse leaving a noticeable trail due to being shod only in the front. Upon catching up, they fired two shots, prompting his surrender. Surrounded, William initially denied involvement, claiming they fled due to local crimes. Unsatisfied, the posse hanged him briefly, demanding a confession. Succumbing, William confessed the family's crimes, revealing the location of their hidden wealth and admitting to the murders of nine men and two women. Stripped of his possessions, including J.T. Taylor’s gold watch, William was left to hang.

Modus Operandi

The Kellys’ murderous method was as cunning as it was cruel. When a traveler arrived at the tavern, the family assessed their wealth. If deemed lucrative, William, Bill, or Kit engaged them in conversation while Kate prepared a meal. The victim's chair was strategically placed over a trap door. At a signal, the door would spring open, sending the unsuspecting guest plummeting below, where they either died from the fall or met their end with the ominous axe.

Connection to the Benders

In a twist of intrigue, a contemporary news report suggested a connection between the Kellys and the notorious Bender Family. An unnamed investigator from Kansas City, familiar with the Bender case, posited that the Kellys were, in fact, the Benders. He argued that tales of the Benders’ capture were fabrications by accomplices who aided in disposing of victims’ belongings. The similarities in their methods and family dynamics fueled speculation that these two families were one and the same.

Sources

For further reading and verification, the following sources provide additional details on the Kelly Family and their crimes:

• "Justice Overtakes the Kellys," The Sun, January 3, 1888.
• "Crimes of the Kellys," The Memphis Appeal, December 26, 1887.
• "The Bender Horror Repeated," The Morning News, December 29, 1887.
• "The Kelly Fiends," The Butler Weekly Times, December 28, 1887.
• "A Ghastly Discovery," Alexandria Gazette, December 24, 1887.
• "A Horrible Story," Staunton Spectator, December 28, 1887.
• "The Fiends Caught," Hillsborough Recorder, January 12, 1888.
• "Are They The Benders?" St. Paul Daily Globe, January 11, 1888.

For more information, visit the original Wikipedia article: The Kelly Family (serial killers).

In this tale of deception and brutality, the Kelly Family's legacy remains a haunting reminder of the darkness that can lurk behind the most ordinary of facades.