Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-15
a ROsTANCE REAI LTrE.

The Knoxville Press and Herald contain
the following interesting account of the ar
rest Of John Kerr for a robbery committed
in November last:
4 The Eerr burglary created intense excite
ment at the time The bold crime was com
mitted, and the arrest Of one Of the grand
sons Of Col. Kerr, charged with being onC
of the burglars, has revived public interest
on the subject.
] Col. Jesse Kerr, grandfather of the pris-
oner, is an old and highly respected citizeI
of Loudon county. The Oldgentleman has
at times been in the possession of large
amounts of money, earned in fortunate
business speeulati0ns, and saved by long
years of hard work and frugal living. ChOos-
ing to keep the money under his own
care in the house, rather than to deposit it
in the strong vaults of banks, the fact be-
CAME known, and several attempts have
been made to fob the old gentleman, two Of
| which were notably successful. About the
close of the war, burglars, supposed to be
Stragglers from returning regiment, broke
| into his house and secured $4,000. Efforts
were made to capture the thieves, and they
were tracked to Michigan, but by some
means obtaining an linking that they were
| pursued by the agents of justice, they fled
! for parts unknown and the clue was never
| regained. 1t seems that Col. Kerr did not
profit by this dear experience, and when,
after time, he began to accumulate more
money, still keeping watch over the treas
uTe, and yielding to the solicitation of his
family so far as to purchase burglar-proof
safe, in which he kept the precious gold and
| greenbaeks.
About O'Clock on the night of Nov. 21,
Mrs. Kerr, wife of Jesse Kerr, was in the
yard Of her residence, near Brick Mill,
| Loudon cOt1nty, when she was seized,
gagged aad bound by two disguised men
who threatened her with death if she at
tempted to release herself or made any
noise. The men knocked at the front door,
which was bolted after dark. To the ques-
ton asked by Col. Kerr: Who is there?
One of the men, imi. ating the voice of a
woman, answered "Phoebe." This was the
name of the old gentleman's wife,
and unsuspecting evil, the door was
unbarred and the men rushed in. There
were in the house at the time, Col. Kerr
and two grandsOns, each about twelve
years old. The men, after locking the front
door and taking possession of the key, Or
dered Col. Kerr to give them the key of the
door of an adjoining room, the one in
which stood the safe. Upon being refused,
they said they would break the door down.
One of the boys, David Wilson, although
but twelve wears old, told them that if they
attempted to break in the door, he would
shoot them. The men paid no attention
to the boy, and proceeded to Daster down
the door, David was as good as his worG,
and Selling gun which stood In The cor
ner, he fired it at Che men and shot one Of
them in the hand. They, however, broke into
the room, and after attempting to open The
safe with a key which one ofthem produced,
broke open the safe, and secured some
$2,400 in gold coin, $1,000 in greenbacks,
and about $1,000 in Confederate money.
There wab no light in the house at the
time, and is supposed they did not reeOg-
nize the worthless paper. Running out into
the front room, the man who had been
shot, held up bis right hand from which his
bloody fingers were dangling, swOre at Da-
vid, calling him by his name, and rushed at
him with q knife, cutting a severe cash in
the boys arm. They then precipitately fled
from the house, and escaped in the dark
ness. Next day it was found that John
and Leonard Kerr were missing. A hat
found in the road in front of Col. Kerr's
house, was recognized as one that had been
worn by John Kerr. Two horses were
found about daybreak in field at LenOir's
Station, on the E. T., Va. and Ga. r. r.,
II miles from Brick Mil. The horses were
known to have been the animals belonging
to John and Leonard Kerr. The move
ments of two suspicious looking men who
had got on q freight train at Lenoir's
late on the night of the 2lst of
November, were traced for some
time, but they were finally lost sight of until
a few days ago a telegram was received
from BardstOwn, H., notifying Mr.. Kerr
that two suspicious individuals answering
the description published of the robber.
Before they could be arrested they had made
their escape. They were subsequently
heard from, but managed to elude the vigil
anCe of the law officers. Saturday morn
ing last, 10th inst, John Kerr arrived in
Loudon by the passenger train from the
west. He was not recognized until he
walked into the residence of Mr.. Hiram
Hambnsht. Mrs. Hambright was at home
and her brother-in-law, Mr.. Benjamin
Hambright, was also in the house,
Mr.. Hiram Hambright not being in. Mrs.
II. recognized Kerr and spoke to him. Aft
er a short conversation Kerr said that he
had helped to rob his grandfather, last fall,
and intended going on TO rob the sold
man"-COl. Jesse Kerr-again. Mrs. II.
said to him, "You should not act so badly"
Kerr replied that he was implicated in the
robbery of his grandfather and there was a
FaWard offered for his arrest. Mrs. II. i'm
mediately requested Mr.. Benz. Hambrlght
to go for an officer, which he did, and Kerr
vas r.,-.,,, -. into custody. The above is a
correct account of the way in which Kerr
caiIie to be arrested.
Upon being arrested Kerr feignsd the
greatest surprise and Indignation. He first
said his name was John Long; and that he
was born and raised III Csntralia, H., and
had never been in East Tennessee before.
Then he said his name was Glenn, from II
linois. He insisted that his name was not
John Kerr, and that be did not know such
a man. Soon after his being placed in con-
finement, brother of the prisoner, living
near the town and having been apprised of
his arrest, called ON him and recognized
him. But the prisoner insisted that he was
not John Kerr and refused to acknowledge
the visitor as his brother.
Upon being searched the sum of twelve
dollars #as found in one Of his pockets, and
sixty dollars in one of his boots. Nothing
else of importance was found on his person.
Then his mood changed and he admitted
that he Was John Kerr. His father, Mr..
VIM. Kerr, arriving soon after, had an in
terview with his imprisoned son, and then
telegraphed to Judge George Brown, Of
this city, who went down to LOudOn on the
midnight train. On SSliiiussyy morning the
prisoner was brought before Justice Harri-
son, but an examination was waived, and
the prisoner remanded to await trial.
His appearance indicates that he has been
on prolonged spree, in fact, that he is yet
suffering from its effects. Dissipation, long
continued, is marked in his face, his eyes
are bloodshot, and his whole appearance
haggard in the extreme. His counsel and
friends are positive thai he is deranged,
'crazy as bedbug," as one Of them re-
marked to our reporter. On the other hand,
the guards who brought him from Loudon
assert that he is not out of his mind, but
fully sensible of his actions. His course in
going to Loudon and allowing himself to be