New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-02
KA~r,a Eirst Speech.

Kerr's First Speech.
Now that Hon. Michael G. Kerr, or as
+bev call him in his own HOOsier state
sMike Kerr" has been elected Speaker Oh
the federal House Of RepresentaIives, :"
NAV not be uninteresting to relate inc so
what sensational affair which nrst a0trac:eu
rnhtc attention to his remarkable quail ties:
II was q good many years ago. herr nao
lust hung out his single as lawyer IN
New Albany, Indiana, and was waiting 1or
clients. One of his first cases was sui
which had to be argued at Paoli, ID orange
county. Paoli was then wretcheo lille
village of 100 inhabitants, or so. ne
only decent building in it besides Inc
courthouse was the United states n at,
a large frame house, of which MI GooIrey
Harrison was the landlord. This Har-
riaon was q sort Of adventurer. Although
not forty wears old, he had been in busl.
ness all over the country. Finally ne ha1
0nened grocery store in the thriving rail-,
road town of Seymour, and there ne naI
taken leading part in lynchlng gang OF
outlaws, among whom was the eluesI neno'
whose i've brothers were sfterward sum
marily executed by a vigilance committee
at the same place. Harrison was known TO
the Reno boys, a. they were called, to have
adiusted the moose round their eldest
brothers neck, and they had sworn to take
the executioner's life for it. Mysterious as
sassins had repeatedly fired upon Harrison
as; DARK and ID finally R. v is'0s he TO ha as
sold ont his store in Seymour and
moved to PaOli, where he had
boue ht the above-me ntioned hotel. When
ssMiken Kerr arrived there in the evening
preceding the day on which he was to argue
Ills case, he was the only guest at the United
States Hotel. He went to bed at sn early
hour. and was awakened about midnight Dy
= furious pounding against the front door.
He Iistened a few moments and heard par
ties in front of the hotel shouting "Come
ont. Harrison! Your hour has come now
The Reno boys are here! Remember Jake
Reno! Come out, or We Will Durn your
house DOWN. To these calls were added
horrible oaths, and the pounding was re-
newed with redoubled violence. Suddenly
Kerr's door opened, and, and the i sMr
Kerr he said hrrriedly, my deadly
enemies are at the door. They want to re-
yepqe themselves upon me for participating
in the lynching of Jake Reno at Seymour.
They have sworn to kill me, and, if they get
into the house they will do it." But will
they get int" asked Kerr. "They can not
very easily" replied Harrison, for the front
and back doors are well secured, and it " II
be very difficult for them t. open the win
dow-s6utters." "What kind Of arms have
Won IN the housei" asked Kerr. "Only Q
double barreled rife, and I doubt If the
people n tn. vnss w1nd df tSe tG
character Of the Reno boys too we'll "
Hump. ,sid yoopPg Il. Ker w.. .shen We srs
replied the landlord. my poor wife, |
Who has been ailing for some time, is
now half dead from terror, and the two SER
want girls are on their knees in the Kitchen,
praying for help" Kerr reflected q mo-
ment, then he jumped out of bed, and
hurriedly dressed himself. What are you
going to do?" asked Harrison. l am going
out into the yard, and shall speak. to the
fellows" replied Kerr, quietly. For Gods
sake, don'i!" said Harrison. "They are q
desperate crowd. They will shoot yon like
slipped out of the back door. Going round
into the front yard, he saw in the dim moon
light four young fellows busily engaged in
the front door. When they caught
sight OF his slender, straight form,
one of them shouted to him: "Halloo,
who the duce are .yous" II am
who are youl" my name is Billy Reno, and
them three is my brothers." What are you
making so much noise for at this unseemly
hOur?" asked Kerr with the utmost imper-
durability. Stranger" replied Billy
Reno, mind your own business. We've
come here to string that internal scoundrel
Godfrey Harrison, who murdered our
this ere tree, 60 we w;llv' my friend"
said Kerr. "there are four men with wives
in the house." "Why don't they show fight
them" yelled the other Reno boys. II will
tell you," replied Kerr; ''they have not
fred upon you yet because l have pre-
vailed upon them not to do so until
after l had spoken to you Kerr's
pressed the four outlaws. "What do you
want to say to US then, stranger !" asked |
Billy Reno, after a pause. THAT you are |
engaged in a very poor business, replied |
Kerr, bluntly. "All you are going to &C.
compli,h by your violence is to friehten
sick lady, who is in the house, half to death,
beside standing good chance to get killed
yourselves" stranger" said Billy, after
sense. But would you let your brother be
murdered by fellow, and then do nothing
to the murderer" "Who murdered your
brother 2" asked Kerr. "Why, Harrison
He was one of the lynchers at Seymour
We have. sworn to kill him." Look here"
said Kerr, II told you my name. 1 am q
lawyer in New Albany. 1t Mr.. Harrison had
hand in putting your brother illegally to
my word that l will prosecute, him
for it, and it shall not cost you cent
sither." The boys were silent. Besides"
added Kerr, raising his voice, "all of you
are very young men, l see. The world is
open to you. 1t is easy tor You to make |
good living. You ought to know that VIC
ence will sooner or later bring you to Jail
or to the gallows! Don't be fools, and, in
'tead Of ritking your lives in fruitless and
'owardly undertaking, 60 home and behave
yourselves. II you will do go, I, Michael
;. Kerr, will help you whe never you need
ny services" He bad become quite elo-
'losed his impressive appeal the Reno
'Oys shook hands with him and quietly left
he place. We need not say how warmly
he landlord and his poor frightened wife {
banked the courageous young lawyer for
he important service he had rendered
hem. When Kerr on the following even
pg, left for home, Godfrey Harrison insist 1
d upon accompanying him to New Albany. {
ghele he told q number of citizens ell ]
bout Mike Kerr's plucky speech to tho
outlaws. The sffair became the town talk 1
Kerr got plenty of clients in consequence, {
md few months afterwards be was Y
elected prosecuting attorney for Floyd | 9
Ounty-tbe first step on the ladder to dis '
inctiOn and fsme.-Ne,c York Mercury. c
Miss Mary Clark, of Monticello, plays
hree tunes on the piano and sings fourth y
II at the same time. And Miss Effie Dick. !,
,son, OF Shellaburg, does the same thing !,
18th accuracy, and the local papers vouch 81
n the truth of those etatem ente. We see :,
Burlington, Mr. Jabez s Derrickson, who y y
Dgs beautiful quartette all by himself,
ID has been engaged by q church in v
hica 90 for a chorus choir BRING on vOilr | "