Randolph County AlArchives News.....Posse in Pursuit of Desperadoes May 10, 1876
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The Weekly Advertiser May 10, 1876
From the Lafayette Clipper: 
Last Monday two gentlemen from Georgia, passed, through this place in pursuit of 
some horse thieves, two were named Kelly and the other Busby. The elder Kelly is 
an escaped convict from the Georgia penitentiary, for whose capture a reward of 
$500 is offered the other two notoriously bad characters, Kelly, the elder, and 
Busby were captured last Tuesday week by the sheriff Randolph, and the deputy 
Sheriff with a large posse of citizens, near Wedowee. The particulars, as we 
gather them from Mr. Robt. Helfin, are about as follows:
On Saturday night the residence of a Mr. Jones living in Randolph County near 
the Georgia line, was broken open, and some flour, a hat, a pair of shoes and a 
gun stolen, on Monday morning a negro boy rode a very fine mare into Wedowee to 
have her shod. From questions asked the boy it was generally believed that she 
was stolen property. He said she belonged to some relatives of his who were from 
Georgia and oh a visit to his father. On being asked what they had with them, he 
said he saw some flour, a hat, a pair of shoes and a gun. This aroused 
suspicion, as it corresponded with the property stolen from Mr. Jones. The 
Deputy Sheriff, McElroy, at once got a warrant, and a good force of men and went 
to arrest the parties. They found them and immediately the ball opened. A 
running fight ensued until night, first on one side of the river and then on the 
other, ending about four miles, from the starting point. During the night 
officers sent for and received reinforcements. About daylight Tuesday morning, a 
negro who went to his fish trap saw one of the desperadoes and was quizzed by 
him as to the news. He reported what he had seen and heard. We forgot to mention 
that the thieves had some dogs trained to run the human track, (for what use 
they intended them we cannot imagine), and they, with the stolen horses, were 
captured Monday evening. The dogs were one on the track of the rascals, their 
former owners, and thus the running fight was kept up Monday. Tuesday the 
officers and force tracked, by the aid of the dogs, the three men to a Mr. 
Kelly's a relative of the pursued, who told them that the two Kellys and Busby 
were in a certain dense thicket, a short distance away. This was surrounded and 
at a given signal the party closed in. In the meantime, the desperadoes 
determined to break through and escape at all hazards. This they attempted to 
do, but the elder Kelly, and Busby were shot and captured, the younger Kelly 
escaping. Kelly was shot in a dozen or more places and is considered mortally 
wounded. Busby is shot in two places in the back, but neither serious. They made 
a brave and stubborn resistance; and fought to the last. During the running 
fights that occurred at various, times many brave deeds were done. The pursued 
would not hesitate to leap off of high bluffs into the river and swim across. 
Kelly who escaped, came near being captured. He was seen running by a house and 
a lady, knowing all the circumstances induced him to go into a box for safety, 
saying she would protect him. As soon as he was safely stored away the party in 
pursuit came up, and the lady informing them of the whereabout of Kelly. He 
heard the conversation and kicked out one end of the box and came out shooting 
anu being shot at, but he got away, and late Tuesday evening had not been 
captured , So ends the story of the capture and probable death of one of the 
most noted desperadoes in the land, and of another was in a fair way to be a 
boon companion. Too much credit cannot be given to the intrepidity of the 
officers and men who were in exciting case and capture. We are glad to say that 
no one was hurt in all the fighting, but the captured prisoners mentioned above.

Bacon Level May 1, 1876:
The people of this, county and especially the citizens of Wedowee, have 
immortalized themselves by the arrest of three of the most daring horse thieves 
that probably now exist anywhere. There are two of them by the name of Kelly the 
other by the name of Busby. They fought to desperation and every one of them 
carries lead in their bodies. One of them is seriously, and may be mortally, 
wounded. They are now in jail at Wedowee. One of the Kellys says that he is an 
escaped convict from the penitentiary for ninety-nine years for murder in 
Georgia. The other Kelly was in jail for breaking open a store house in 
Jefferson County, Ga., and effected his escape through his other brother. They 
had three fine horses and one mule, one buggy, four repeaters, two full sets of 
brace and bitts, one gold watch and considerable paraphernalia. This is only a 
hasty sketch but embodies the main facts in the case. I have not the 
descriptions of the stock, but they are all fine stock. You will greatly oblige 
all law-abiding citizens by giving this notoriety. They say that they have 
frequently defied the laws of Georgia and its officers and thought that they 
would come over here in the "Here we Rest" and continue their depredations but 
recollect that if Randolph is in the hills and looked upon as such, yet justice 
and a deep respect for other men's rights are scrupulously regarded here. The 
people were going strongly for cotton and Houston. The first a curse to any 
People, the latter a blessing to any State.
Yours Respectfully P. G. T.



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