Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-11-17
KILLS AGAIN BROUGHT TO
GREEF.
something Aeou, sh. j. sasss-.f"' an


Something Aboutshis Saceessful and
Notorious Foreer.
Our readers no doubt have lively re-
collection of one John NJ Kills, who was
arrested in this city for forging Govern-
Springfield, Ohio, and at the breaking out
OF the war, joined regiment IN that State,
and was made captain OF his company.
The regiment was sent to this city, where
Kills was detached IA quaftelmaster.
While acting in that position he commit
ted foreeries of Government vouchers TO
the amount Of nearly $4,000, during the
winter of 1862 and 1863 The papers were
all signed "JohnM Kills, First Lieutenant
3lst o. v. l. and A. A. Q. NJ, with the
forged approval of Gen. A. Schoen. VI
these, sec, $50 was ON behalf of citizens Of
Nashville and vicinity, for horses ana
mules. which he claims were purchased
nnder special order from Gen hosecrans
for the use Of tho United States army.
Before he was dishonorably discharged
from the service in 1863, be failed TO make
snv retRrn OF the above accounts, bnt sub
saanently forwarded supplementary re-
turn of these fraudulent vouchers eseIu-
sfcelg. They were forwarded TO Washing
ton for collection the 27th of Marchy 1857,
by Gen John O'Neill, claim agent at Nash
Vile. lie states in letter 10 Quartermas-
ter General Meigs that they we're taken
frem Kills returns froa November and
December. 1862
In the FALL Of 1867 he was awarded con-
tract forearrying the mailsff0m Nashville 20
Liberty This was annulledin two or three
months by the Government. In the Nash
Vile posiofiiee register is kept of the ar
rival and departure Of mailr. Abont q
month orvtwo after Kills had taken the con-
tract, aud after he had failed 10 carry any
mail whatever. he watched his opportunity
and wrote on the register the arrival and
departure of his mails for the time he did
no service in the hope that the register
wonld be copied by the clerk and sent to
Washington without noticing the swindle,
and he would thus make good thing ont
of it.
There is good reason 10 believe that
frau Is 10 the amount of $4,000 in Chi
cago. and $50, 900 in New York, were CON-
nlitted by parties with whom Kills was in
connection, and his Chicago partner is now
enjoying a brief respite in the Penilen-
tiary Ms n reward for his enterprise in that
line. -rs-
After the frauds were discovered, Kills
waa arraigned before Judge Trigg of the
United States District Court in this city,
who after hearing the prisoners statement
that he was the tool Of another sharper,
sentenced him TO one years imprisonment
in the Penitentiary, but before the expira-
lion of the term ne was pardoned by the
President. After his pardon he proceeded
TO Louisville, and on the first night of his
arrival he assisted in getting up disturb
ance with the police, and drew his pistol
ON one of them, but the officer fired first,
hitting Kills in the hand, the ball passing
through the hand, striking a nib, which it
followed around TO the spine. He recov-
cred, and left that place rather suddenly.
The next account we have of him, says
the Indianapolis Journal, is in that city,
in his old business Of swindling. The par
ticular job that brought him to grief
was swindling w. w. Leathers ont of 500
by swearing that he was possessed of IN
limited land in Iowa. He skipped out to
Louisville again, that place seeming to
have fascination for him, where he was
captured on Friday night last on a requi-
sition from Gov. Baker In his posses
sion we're found from $50, 900 TO $50, 900
of the forged vouchers spoken of, or prob
ably others: vast number of deeds and
mortgages to property, all filed save the
name, and abstracts of titles. These, it is
supposed, are his ready aids in the art of
swindling. An envelope found marked
Private John NJ Kills, Nov. 4, 1870"
This contained cuttings from papers MOTTO
ing his different acts, and portions of his
history He stated that he would die be-
fore giving it up, but made a slight mis-
take in the assertion.
Kills is rather handsome man, thirty
three years old, or thereabouts, dark hair,
long beard and gray eyes. His family
live in Springfield, Ohio, and are in good
standing. He has neither wife nor chill
dren.