LEONIDAS HAMMAN KELLY

The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 344-345

LEONIDAS HAMMAN KELLY, former United States dis-
trict attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia,
has been engaged in his profession nearly thirty years, and
his experience as a lawyer has always been accompanied
with such foreefulness of character that account for his
leadership in the bar of the state. His career as a lawyer
has been steady and of substantial merit, whether as an
attorney for an individual client or as prosecutor for the
Federal Government.  He is careful, clear-headed, syste-
matic and thorough in his work, prepares his cases carefully
and without undue haste, and has a record of many most
effective and vigorous prosecutions. His history as a citizen
and as a lawyer is a record of manliness in every detail.

Mr. Kelly was born at Sutton in Braxton County, Janu-
ary 28, 1871, son of John McH. and Alzira Virginia (Ham-
man) Kelly. He acquired his early education in the public
schools of his native county, and in 1887, at the age of six-
teen, he was at Charleston as mailing and banking page
of the Senate. In 1893 he graduated LL. B. from Wash-
ington and Lee University at Lexington, Virginia, and
several of his classmates are now prominent in Charleston,
including Capt. S. B. Avis, Herbert Fitzpatrick, Jake Fisher
and Wells Goodykoontz. Mr. Kelly was deputy circuit and
county clerk of Braxton County, was mayor of Sutton, and
for four years was prosecuting attorney, at which time he
exhibited his qualifications as a strong and vigorous admin-
istrator of this office. He has been a member of the law
firm Hines & Kelly at Sutton since 1894. He was mayor of
Sutton in 1896, and his term as prosecuting attorney was
from 1897 to 1900, inclusive.

In 1916 Mr. Kelly was appointed assistant United States
attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, and
in the official work of that position he moved his head-
quarters to Charleston, though he retained his residence at
Sutton. In 1917, by appointment of President Wilson, he
was advanced to the office of United States district attorney,
and served from October, 1917, until January 31, 1922. Mr.
Kelly in 1914 became secretary of the Democratic State
Executive Committee of West Virginia. He was grand
master workman of the Ancient Order of United Workmen
in 1910-12, and is now a member of the law committee of
the Supreme Lodge.

Prior to the conclusion of his term as district attorney,
Mr. Kelly was appointed attorney for the Law and Order
League of Kanawha County, and from January 1, 1922, has
devoted practically his entire time to this office. The Law
and Order League of Kanawha County was organized in
Charleston in the fall of 1921 for the purpose of combatting
and prosecuting crime and disorder of every nature in the
county. It was brought into being through the necessities
of the times, and was organized and is sponsored by the
best and most substantial citizens. It was his highly spe-
cialized attainments as district attorney that caused Mr.
Kelly to be considered as the one best fitted for the work
of attorney and prosecutor for the organization. He has
always been outspoken in his advocacy of civic righteous-
ness and the maintenance of law and order. Commenting
upon his selection, John B. White, superintendent of the
Law and Order League, said:  "Mr. Kelly has been a
vigorous prosecutor and is regarded as one of the ablest
lawyers of this part of the state. He is a man of wonderful
enersy and one whose integrity is unquestionable. Since Mr.
Kelly came to this city several years ago his entire time has
been occupied with the arduous duties of the United States
district attorney's office, and as a result he is not identified
with any particular interests or class in Kanawha County
and is on this account particularly acceptable to those
citizens of Kanawha County desiring a vigorous enforcement
of the laws without fear or favor. His long and varied
experience as prosecuting officer both as prosecuting attor-
ney of Braxton County and then as assistant district at-
torney and district attorney for the United States for five
years render him especially well qualified for this position
as chief counsel for the league in co-operation, with the
county and state authorities."

Mr. Kelly is a member of the Presbyterian Church and
is affiliated with the Masonic Order and Knights of Pythias.
March 3, 1897, he married Miss Bertha Gorrell, of Sutton,
who died in 1904. On June 19. 1907, he married Nellie
Kiddy, of Buckharnon, West Virginia. Mr. Kelly has the
following named children: Robert G., born April 30, 1889,
attended West Virginia University, and also Washington
and Lee University, spent two years in France and is now
taking his second year of the law course in the University
of West Virginia; Janet, born April 10. 1900, graduated
from Goucher College at Baltimore, in 1922; Virginia, born
March 5, 1910, now a student in the Public schools of
Charleston, to which city Mr. Kelly removed in November,
1921.


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