Kelley, Henry S.

Date of Death: 1 Feb 1911
Subject: Henry S. Kelley
Source: Holt County Sentinel, 10 Feb 1911, p. 3

Judge Henry S. Kelly [sic], one of the state’s foremost jurists, died of pneumonia at his home in St. Joseph on Wednesday of last week, February 1, 1911, aged 78 years. He was born in Ohio and when a mere lad moved to Grant county, Indiana, with his parents, and worked on the farm, and had but little schooling. He read law with Judge Brownell, of Marion, Ind., and at the age of 21 was prosecuting attorney, and at 23 was elected common pleas judge of that county.

During the war he was engaged in the newspaper business in Wabash, Ind., and later went to Dakota, leaving there he came to Andrew county, Missouri, in 1866. In 1872 he was chosen circuit judge of this circuit, and served for sixteen consecutive years. He moved to St. Joseph in 1887, and continued the practice of law. In 1884 he was a candidate for congress against James N. Burnes.

Judge Kelly for many years was a contributor and associate editor of the Central Law Journal. He held the chair of lecturer of criminal law and practice in the Missouri State university for ten years.

Judge Kelly was the author of three law books, Kelly’s Treatise, Kelly’s Probate Guide and Kelly’s Criminal Law.

When the Japanese-Chinese war was ended and Japan revised its code of criminal procedure, it sent to this country for Kelly’s Criminal Law, which was used as a guide in revising the Japanese laws.

Judge Kelly was married in 1855 to Adelia Harlan. She was the daughter of Judge Andrew J. Harlan, who recently died in Savannah. Mrs. Kelley died several years ago.

The surviving children are Mrs. S. M. Marshall, San Diego, Cal.; Sam H. Kelly, of Lansing, Mich., secretary of the Michigan state railroad and warehouse commission; Dr. H. R. [sic] Kelly, of Amazonia, and D. B. Kelly, of St. Joseph.