The Kelly Family

The Kelly Family was the name given in nineteenth-century accounts to an American family accused of murdering travelers at a tavern near Oak City, in the sparsely settled territory then known as No Man's Land, just south of the Kansas border and within what is now the Oklahoma Panhandle. The family reportedly consisted of William Kelly, approximately 55 years old; his wife, Kate; their son Bill, also known as Billy, about 20; and their daughter Kit, about 18. The group was originally associated with Pennsylvania and later moved westward, eventually establishing itself along the southern frontier. According to William Kelly's reported confession, the family moved from the Pennsylvania mountains to Kansas in 1869 and spent years moving between settlements near the border. They initially worked with cattle before opening a tavern roughly 25 miles from Beaver, Oklahoma. The establishment served cattlemen and other travelers, and the family was described as outwardly ordinary despite being illiterate. The tavern's isolated location and transient clientele allegedly enabled the family to identify wealthy visitors and conceal their crimes. The reported killings came to light in December 1887 after the family abruptly abandoned the tavern. S. T. Gregg, a traveler from St. Louis who had previously visited the establishment, entered the empty building and detected a strong odor coming from a concealed cellar. Three decomposing male bodies were reportedly found there, together with a trapdoor beneath the tavern floor. Searchers subsequently excavated the grounds near the barn and discovered additional bodies, including victims believed to be a cattleman, a Chicago salesman, and a Texas merchant. Contemporary accounts attributed a total of 11 deaths to the family: nine men and two women. An axe bearing what was described as human tissue was also recovered and was treated as a likely murder weapon. The reported method involved seating a guest over or near the trapdoor while one or more family members kept the traveler occupied. After a signal, the trapdoor was opened, causing the victim to fall into the cellar. The victim was allegedly killed in the fall or finished with an axe. This account, which resembles stories associated with the Bender family of Kansas, has contributed to the Kelly Family's place in American frontier crime narratives. After the discovery, the family was traced toward New Mexico and then Texas. A posse of approximately 20 men pursued them toward Palo Duro Creek and Wheeler. Kate reportedly died when her horse stumbled during the pursuit and she suffered a fatal neck injury. Bill and Kit were captured later and hanged by the vigilantes from a tree. William escaped temporarily but was tracked by the distinctive trail of a horse shod only on its front feet. After being surrounded, he initially denied involvement, but reportedly confessed after being threatened with hanging and lowered again. He allegedly stated that every family member had participated and identified the location of money and stolen property, including a watch associated with one victim. He was then hanged without a formal judicial trial. The story remains a frontier-era criminal legend rather than a fully documented modern criminal case. Contemporary reporting also included a theory that the Kellys were actually the previously notorious Bender family, whose fate had long been the subject of speculation. That identification was never established in the available account. The family's historical significance therefore rests on the reported 1887 killings, the vigilante response, and the way the case became linked to broader folklore about murderous frontier households and isolated roadside taverns.

The Kelly Family case belongs to the crime legends of the late nineteenth-century American frontier. The family was said to have originated in Pennsylvania and to have moved west during the period of rapid settlement around the Great Plains. William Kelly later stated that the family had relocated from the Pennsylvania mountains to Kansas in 1869. They reportedly moved among communities along the southern Kansas border before establishing themselves in the region then called No Man's Land, an unorganized strip south of Kansas that is now part of the Oklahoma Panhandle. The Kellys initially worked in cattle-related activities. They later opened a tavern near the road used by cattlemen, merchants, and other travelers. The establishment was reportedly located about 25 miles from Beaver, Oklahoma. Because the region was thinly populated and travel was difficult, a roadside tavern could serve as both a social center and a place where strangers might disappear without immediate suspicion. Accounts described the family as ordinary and poor, with no obvious warning signs. Their lack of literacy did not prevent them from operating the business or interacting with travelers. The alleged criminal pattern was based on the travelers' perceived wealth. A visitor would be observed and questioned to determine whether he appeared to have money or valuable property. William, Bill, or Kit would reportedly engage the guest in conversation while Kate prepared food. The traveler's chair was positioned over a trapdoor. Once the visitor was distracted, a signal allegedly caused the door to open, dropping the victim into a hidden space. The victim might die from the fall or be attacked afterward, reportedly with an axe. The bodies were then concealed in or around the tavern. The case surfaced after the family left suddenly in December 1887. S. T. Gregg, a traveler from St. Louis who had previously stopped at the establishment, reportedly entered the vacant premises and noticed a strong smell coming from below. A concealed cellar contained three badly decomposed male bodies. Searchers also found a trapdoor beneath the floor. A larger investigation followed, with local men excavating the barn area after noticing disturbed soil. They reportedly recovered eight more bodies, including two women. Identification was difficult because of decomposition, but some victims were associated with clothing and personal details. Names connected with the discoveries included Jim Coven, a cattleman; J. T. Taylor, a wealthy traveling salesman from Chicago; and a Texas merchant identified as Johnson. An old axe with material believed to be human tissue was also found. Authorities and local residents soon learned that the four Kellys had recently passed through Beaver while traveling toward New Mexico. They appeared to possess several horses and an unusual amount of money. A posse of roughly 20 men followed the trail toward Palo Duro Creek and then toward Wheeler, Texas. The pursuit reportedly lasted for several hours. Kate's horse fell, causing a fatal neck injury. Bill and Kit were captured afterward and hanged from a nearby tree. William continued fleeing, but his horse left a recognizable track because only its front feet had been shod. When the posse caught William, he initially denied direct involvement and claimed that the family had moved toward Texas because of crimes committed in the earlier area. The vigilantes reportedly subjected him to a mock or partial hanging and demanded a confession. He eventually admitted that the entire family had taken part and stated that the victims included nine men and two women. He also reportedly disclosed the location of money and property, including a gold watch associated with J. T. Taylor. William was then hanged, and the family ceased to exist as an active group. The reported number of victims, the hidden cellar, the trapdoor, and the family-based method made the story comparable to the better-known Bender murders in Kansas. A contemporary account included a theory that the Kellys and Benders were the same family and that reports of the Benders' fate had been fabricated. No definitive evidence in the cited material resolves that question. The Kelly case is therefore best treated as a historical crime narrative whose details derive substantially from period reporting and later retellings, rather than as a conventional corporate or consumer brand history.

• 1887

  Tavern established in No Man's Land

  [1]The Kelly Family (serial killers)en.wikipedia.org

  The family reportedly settled near the southern Kansas border, where they operated a tavern serving cattlemen and travelers.

• 1887

  Bodies discovered at the tavern

  [1]The Kelly Family (serial killers)en.wikipedia.org

  The abandoned tavern was searched after a foul odor led to the discovery of bodies in a concealed cellar and beneath disturbed ground near the barn.

• 1887

  Family captured and executed by vigilantes

  [1]The Kelly Family (serial killers)en.wikipedia.org

  Kate died during the pursuit, while Bill, Kit, and William were captured and hanged by the posse.

• 1869

  Reported move from Pennsylvania to Kansas

  [1]The Kelly Family (serial killers)en.wikipedia.org

  William Kelly reportedly stated that the family moved from the Pennsylvania mountains to Kansas and later traveled through settlements along the southern border.

• 1887

  Alleged serial murders at the Kelly tavern

  The family was accused of murdering 11 travelers, allegedly selecting wealthy visitors, killing them through a trapdoor-and-axe method, and hiding their bodies near the tavern.

  Source

• 1887

  Vigilante executions without trial

  After the alleged murders were discovered, a local posse pursued the family and executed the surviving members without a documented judicial trial.

  Source

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• 1887

  The family reportedly abandoned the tavernOther

  Background

  The Kellys reportedly left the property suddenly in December 1887, shortly before the hidden bodies were discovered.

  Action taken

  They traveled through Beaver toward New Mexico and later changed direction toward Texas.

  Aftermath

  Their departure led to the investigation, the discovery of the alleged victims, and the subsequent posse pursuit.

  Source

1. 1The Kelly Family (serial killers)en.wikipedia.org