The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-02
KERRG FIRST SPEECH.
From the New York Mercury.1

!. Kerr" has been elected Speaker Of the Fe
eral House of Representatives, it may not
uninteresting to relate the somewhat seps
Z tional affair which first attracted public a
70 tention to his remarkable qualities. It was
= good many years ago. Kerr had just hur
8 out his single Is q lawyer in New Albsn
Indiana, and was waiting for clients. One
y bis first cases was . suit which had to be a
Z gued at Paoli, in Orange county. Paoli vi
! then q wretched little village of hundred il
. habitants, or 50. The only decent buildin
in it besides the courthouse was the Unite
States Hotel. a large frsme-house. of whic
. Mr. Godfrey Harrison was the landlord.
This Harrison was q sort of xdventurel
Although not forty years old he had been il
business all over the country Finally heIhs
opened q grocery store in the thriving rail
= road town of Seymour, and there he ha
taken q leading part in lynching gang 0
outlaws, among whom was the eldest Reno
whose five brothers were afterward snmmaril
executed by a vigilance committee at tn
same place. Harrison was known to tn
Reno boys, as they were called, to have ad
justed the moose round their eldest brother
toners life for it. Mysterious assassins hal
repeatedly fred upon Harrison after dark
and finally, owing to the applications of hi.
wife, he had sold out his store in Seymour
and moved to Paoli, where he had bought the
above mentioned hotel.
When Mike" Kerr arrived there in thu
evening preceding the day on which he wa,
to argue his case, he was the only guest at the
United States Hotel. He went to bed at ar
early hour, and was awakened about mid
night by furious pounding against the front
| door. He listened q few moments and heard
parties in front of the hotel shouting, "Come
out, Harrison! Your hour has come now
The Reno boys are hero. Remember Jake
Reno Come out, or we will burn your house
down !" To these calls were added horrible
oaths, and the pounding was renewed with
redoubled violence. Suddenly Kerr's door
opened, and the landlord, pale as q sheet,
stepptd in: !,
"Mr. Kerr, he said hurriedly, "my deadly
enemies are at the door. They want to re-
venge themselves upon me for participating
in the lynching of Jake Reno at Sey
They have sworn to kill me, and if they get
into the house they will do it."
Z" But will they get in ?" asked Kerr.
They can not very easily" replied Har-
rison; "for the front and back doors are we'll
secured, and it will be very difficult for them
to open the window shutters"
:" What kind of arms have you in the
house ?" asked Kerr.
Ouly uOuOAc. UhTIolcu huu uOuOL
if the people in the village would dare to come
to my assistance. They knew the desperate
character of the Reno boys too we'll.
Humph !! said young Kerr, "then we
are in pretty bad box here %
Yes, we are, replied the landlord. "My
poor wife. who has been ailing for some time,
is now half dead from. terror, and the two
servant girls are on their knees in the kitchen,
praying for help"
Kerr reflected q moment, then he jumped
out Of bed, and hurriedly dressed himself.
What are you going to do?" asked Har-
rison.
- am going out into the yard, and shall
speak to the fellows" replied Kerr, quietly.
For Gods sake, don't p said Harrison.
"They are q desperate crowd. They will
shoot you like dog w
II will risk it," rejoined Kerr, and slipped
out Of the back door. Going round into the
front yard he saw in the dim moonlight four
young fellows busily engaged in building q
fire IN dangerous proximity to the front door.
When they caught sight of his slender,
straight form, one of them shouted to him,
+" Halloo who the deuce are your"
~ am Michael c. Kerr, from New Albany,
md who are you
MY names Billy Reno, and them three is
my brothers"
What are You making so much noise for
1t this unseemly hour ?" asked Kerr, with the
utmost mperturbability.
Stranger" replied Billy Reno, "mind
POUR own business We've come here to
string that internal scoundrel Godfrey Harri- |
ION, who murdered our brother at Seymour;
veil hang him on this ere tree, so we will y
my friend" said Kerr, There are four |
men with wives in the house"
Why don't they show fight, them" yelled |
he Reno boys
II will tell you," replied Kerr; "they have
lot fired upon you yet because have pre- |
allied upon them not to do SO until after I |
lad spoken to YOU"
Kerr's fearless manner had evidently i'm |
pressed the four outlaws.
What do you want to say to US, then, |
tranger?" asked Billy Reno, after pause
THAT you are engaged in very poor bust
less" replied Rerr, bluntly. "An you are
DING to accomplish by your violence is to |
0 death, besides standing good chance to |
ct killed ourselves"
"Stranger," said Billy, after another pause,
you seem to be q man of sense. But
'ould you let your brother be murdered by q
GLOW. and then do nothing to the MUIR
erer?"
"Who murdered your brother" asked
lerr.
"Why, Harrison. He was one of the
7nchers 1t Seymour. We have sworn to kill
i'm"
"Look here" said Kerr, II told you nv
anne. lam lawyer in New Albany. If MI
harrison had hand in putting your brother
legally to death, you come to me, and l
ledge you my word that will prosecute him
u it, and it shall not cost you a cent, either"
The boys we're silent.
"Besides," added Kerr raising his voice,
all OF you are very young men, see. The
orld is open to you. 1t is easy for you to
lake good living. You ought to know
nat violence will sooner or later bring you to
Ill or to the gallows! Don't be FOOLS and,
,stead Of risking your lives in . fruitless and
owardly undertaking, 60 home and behave
ourselves. If you will do so, l, Michael G.
err. will help you whenever You need my
ervices."
He had become quite eloquent BY this time,
nd when be had closed his impressive appeal
he Reno boys shook hands with him and
uietly left the place. We need not say how
ARMY the landlord and his poor frightened
lie thanked tho 10 l