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Joseph Chesley Kelley

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Birth	:	8 Nov 1877 Chatham County, North Carolina, USA
Death	:	21 Mar 1929 Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, USA
Burial	:	Saint Mary's Cemetery, Sand Lake, Kent County, USA
Coordinate	:	43.2717018, -85.4969025
Description	:	Southern Pines police chief killed on duty. Was the name Kelley or Kelly? The gravestones say Kelley, but the death certificate and most memorial info for slain officers says Kelly. Current police chief and Pilot newspaper staff don't have an answer. On the day of his death 77 years ago, Kelly went to the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and May Street, which was then also the main highway through town. (It was called Highway 50.)The chief went there to direct traffic as school got out. When a car blew through the crossing, Kelly got into his car, gave chase, and pulled... Read More	Southern Pines police chief killed on duty. Was the name Kelley or Kelly? The gravestones say Kelley, but the death certificate and most memorial info for slain officers says Kelly. Current police chief and Pilot newspaper staff don't have an answer. On the day of his death 77 years ago, Kelly went to the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and May Street, which was then also the main highway through town. (It was called Highway 50.)The chief went there to direct traffic as school got out. When a car blew through the crossing, Kelly got into his car, gave chase, and pulled the man over. This occurred during prohibition, and the paper reported that Kelly was suspicious that the car might be involved in bootlegging.He asked the driver to step out of the vehicle so that he could search it. The driver suddenly pulled out a gun and fired. It was not reported where the bullet struck Kelly. He was strong enough to return to his car and drive the few blocks to Dr. W.C. Madgett's office. Kelly collapsed bleeding in the yard in front of the office. An ambulance came and took him to the closest hospital, which was in Fayetteville. He died there the next day. After the shooting, the assailant abandoned his car, ran to a parked car, and tried to start it. The owner of the car, a man named Homer Eckert, approached and asked the man what he was doing. He told Eckert that a man had been shot and he needed to get a doctor. Eckert got in and took the assailant to the Carolina Hotel, where the assailant had said he could find help. He went into the hotel, left through a back door, and headed to the Pinehurst Garage, where he stole a Buick. Eckert waited at the hotel for an hour before heading back to Southern Pines. Only then did he learn who the victim had been. The stolen Buick apparently was spotted in Candor and Monroe and was later discovered abandoned in the woods in Monroe. The new chief, Benjamin Beasley, used letters left in the killer's car to track him to an unknown town in West Virginia. The local police in that state took the man, named Granville Dietz, into custody. Apparently he was not bootlegging, but was a fugitive from a burglary charge. Dietz escaped from the police in West Virginia and fled north. His girl friend sold him out by telling officers that she'd wired him money in Willisocket, Maine. This time officers caught up with him and he was convicted exactly two months to the day after the murder. He was sentenced to serve 25 to 30 years in prison. A few months later, he escaped from Caledonia prison and was never heard from again." Research provided by Matt Moriarty and Intern Kirsten Beattie of the Pilot Newspaper (May 31, 2006)

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Joseph Chesley Kelley's memorial?
Joseph Chesley Kelley's memorial is located at: Saint Mary's Cemetery, Sand Lake, Kent County, USA.
When did Joseph Chesley Kelley death?
Joseph Chesley Kelley death on 21 Mar 1929 in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Joseph Chesley Kelley's memorial?
Latitude: 43.2717018
Longitude: -85.4969025

Family Members:

Parent

Spouse

Leary F. Holland Kelley

(1880 - 1965)

Siblings

Children

William Chyrus Kelly

(1898 - 1967)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Saint Mary's Cemetery
Sand Lake, Kent County, USA
Coordinate: 43.2717018, -85.4969025

2. Sand Lake Cemetery
Sand Lake, Kent County, USA
Coordinate: 43.2861480, -85.5313380

3. Punches Cemetery
Cedar Springs, Kent County, USA
Coordinate: 43.2467003, -85.5317001

4. East Nelson Cemetery
Cedar Springs, Kent County, USA
Coordinate: 43.2355995, -85.4561005

5. Pierson Township Cemetery
Pierson, Montcalm County, USA
Coordinate: 43.3381004, -85.5006027

6. Elmwood Cemetery
Cedar Springs, Kent County, USA
Coordinate: 43.2118988, -85.5532990

7. Crandall Cemetery
Ensley Center, Newaygo County, USA
Coordinate: 43.2938995, -85.5939026

8. DeGraw Family Cemetery
Cedar Springs, Kent County, USA
Coordinate: 43.2066585, -85.4283281

9. Saint Margarets Catholic Cemetery
Spencer Township, Kent County, USA
Coordinate: 43.2063890, -85.4169440

10. Solon Township Cemetery
Cedar Springs, Kent County, USA
Coordinate: 43.2344589, -85.6100235

11. Trufant Cemetery
Maple Valley Township, Montcalm County, USA
Coordinate: 43.3083000, -85.3653030

12. Maple Valley Cemetery
Maple Valley Township, Montcalm County, USA
Coordinate: 43.3358002, -85.3724976

13. Horton Cemetery
Oakfield Township, Kent County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1767006, -85.4111023

14. Spencer Mills Cemetery
Spencer Township, Kent County, USA
Coordinate: 43.2209920, -85.3556680

15. Coral Cemetery
Coral, Montcalm County, USA
Coordinate: 43.3671989, -85.4060974

16. Coady Cemetery
Maple Valley Township, Montcalm County, USA
Coordinate: 43.3540520, -85.3825890

17. North Ensley Cemetery
Ensley Center, Newaygo County, USA
Coordinate: 43.3671989, -85.5935974

18. Saint Johns Catholic Cemetery
Ensley Center, Newaygo County, USA
Coordinate: 43.3664017, -85.5969009

19. Courtland Township Cemetery
Rockford, Kent County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1521988, -85.4897003

20. Oakfield Cemetery
Rockford, Kent County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1693993, -85.3814011

21. Tower Family Cemetery
Rockford, Kent County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1470280, -85.4219210

22. Briggs Family Cemetery
Rockford, Kent County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1391670, -85.5508330

23. White Swan Cemetery
Rockford, Kent County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1474991, -85.4119034

24. Reynolds Township Cemetery
Howard City, Montcalm County, USA
Coordinate: 43.4101300, -85.4767100