Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-08-21
DEATH OF SPEAKER KERR,
THE Last SAD SCENES.
sketch OF His Life and Services

Speaker Kerr died at 7:2o O'Clock Saturday
evening, at Rockbridge Alum Springs, Va
calmly and without pain. At the setti az OF
the sun he went quietly to rest; SO quietly,
indeed. that Dr. Pope, who was noting every
change, had hardly time TO summon the
anxious watchers In the room to the bedside
OF his patient. Though 1t had long been
evident that the only relief from his sui
ferlnes would be death, his noble wife, who
through his long illness had tended him with
untirlng love and devotion, could not real
ize that the awful moment OF arting hai
inevitably come; but, with streaming eyes
and breaking heart, besought him, not TO
leave her. The Speakers son, a yoHng man
OF some twenty one years, who're affection
or his father has always been H@4f ked chung
TO the cold hand of the dyingIman With the
silent anguish OF despair.
THE DEATH sCENa
was one Of peculiar psthos and soIemulty.
The eyes Of the Speaker rested with a look
Of yearniDg tenderness upon his stric ZEN
family, and then wand cred slowly around
the room as II with last farewell to those
present Hon. y. ). Cox stood at the head OF
The bed, and was deeply affected. me
Scudder, his CLERK, were also with him.
DETAILS OF HIS ILLNESS.
The condition of emaciation to which the
Speaker was reduced by the ravages OF his
disease can only be expressed by saying that
his body presented the appearance of skele-
ton. Every bone was distinctly perceptiole
under the thin, tightly-drawn skin, while
even The line of the spinal column was visi-
BILE through the collapsed walls OF the abdo-
men. For more than sixty hours before
death he took no nourishment. The dis ease
that ba flied the medical skill of the country
the bowels.
lethargic condition, with eyes somewhat in
troverted and half covered by the lids, ooca-
siOnally varied by sudden start, as Ii from
sleep, at which time the intellect would be
again thoroughly aroused. He suffered par
oxy SIMS OF Intense pain, which were rendered
visible by the knOtLed cords OF the muscles
OF the neck and limbs and contraction OF the
nerves OF the face and eyes, though there
was but little audible indication of his suf
fering except an occasional hollow groan.
he seemed at times to make painful at
tempts to express himself audlbly without
success, and could only indicate by gestures
or an occasional spasmodic whisper bis
wishes. His mind was clear to the last. He
recc gniZed Hon. Montgomery Blair and
others who spoke to him, aud Shortly before
death indicated to DR.. Harris, of the Metho-
dist church, his readiness to die and hopes
Of future life OF happiness. About noon
his son read q telegram from q friend in In
diana. He listened intently, and his mind
evidently wandered for time to the past.
De made faint gesture OF pleasure wnen
allusiOn was made to his vindication from
the cruel charge recently male against his
honor and the handsome tribute paid to his
sterling integrity In Mr.. Carpenters late
speech before the Senate.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE FUNERAL.
An embalmer was sent from here to Rock
bridge Alum Springs Saturday night to EN-.
balm the body, and last night the ca sket for
the remains was forwarded. The party &C.
companying 1t included Representatives.
Sayler and IL. Casey Young, together with
Colonel Adams, the Clerk of the House,
under whose direction, in the absence OF au-
thOTiZed agencies, the preparations were
made. Ex-Speaker Banks was invited TO
60, but he was obliged to decline owing to
lngton last night for the east. AIthOug3
Presidents and Vice Presidents nave died
Gti.e in ofice, this is the only case where
Speaker of the House has died while occupy
Ing that position. The party which left last
night for the springs were to arrive tuera
this morning at O'Clock, when 1t was to %
deter miped whether the Iemains will be con-
veyed TO New Albany by the Chesapeake
and Ohio railroad and the Ohio river or oy
continuous railroad to New Albany by way
Of Washington.
The following was received this afteraoo n
from Hon. q. 8. Cox:
RoCKBRIDGE ALUM SPRINGS, VA, Au-
gust 2.-Mr. Adams and Mr.. Sayler arrived
here this morning with the casket. The re-
mains are embalmed, and the escort will
leave for Washington this evening and ar
rive there at in the morning, and thence
Ls
Sergeant alarms Thompson arrived here
this morning, and sent several kilograms to
Rock Alum Springs stating that he was
to Transport the remains to N Nav aihsnv
About noon he received Q telegram from Mr.
Cox saying :-"Arrive at Washington at 7
10 morrow morning, and then leave as soon
as possible for the west. Nothing TO be dcae
until We arrive"
When the remains arrive In Washing
ton Sergeant alarms Thompson will take
NJ 60 in Pa <,F I,nx
them lie In state one day In the rotunda OF
the Capitol. Speaker Ssyler, before leaving
last light for Rockbridge Alum Springs, also
depend very much on the feelings OF Mrs.
Kerr in this respect, and until the funeral
party arrive here no one can tell what the
programme will be.
HIS LIFE AND SERVICES.
Michael Crawford Kerr was born March
IS, 1897, on his fathers farm at Titusville,
Pa. His twin brother, Marshall, who sur
wives him, In a farmer In Western PennsyI-
vanta. His father was Scotch Irish, aud his
mother OF German origin. Until the age of
eighteen he wor ked on his fathers farm, and
subsequently taught school for several
years. Without fortune or the aid OF friends
ne ACQUIRED . good education, prosecuting
his studies in the most secluded manner.
AT the death OF his father, in 1899, he formed
the design, from which he never variei, of
acquiring position in society by the aid of
Knowledge. In 1917 he was pursuing his
academic studies at Erie, Penns ylvania,
but, impairing a constitution never strong,
was forced TO seek q mider climate farlner
south. He accordingly removed to Ken
lucky, studied law, and graduated In the
law department OF the universally OF that
state In 1851. The same year he settled in
New Albany In the practice of his profess
sion. In 1854 he was elected city attorney,
and prosecuting attorney of Floyd county
in 1875. He served in the legislature In 1856
and 1881, and was elected supreme court re-
porter in 1861. He was q member Of the
Thirty-ninth, F0rtieth, Forty-first, Forty
second and Forty fourth Congresses. His
political career Is q part Of the history OF
bis country. Mr.. Kerr protested no religious
creed. He was q Mason and an Odd Fell
low.
OWING TO TIE ILLNESS to-day of Secre