The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-17
KERLIN TO BE TRIED MONDAY.
THE ALLEGED SLAYER OF PEARL
KNOTT TO FACE JURY.

WeIIknOvn Fayette County Farm
er. who Is Charged With Helm
ous Crime-ProsecutiOn Has "A
strong Case of CircumstantiaI Evil
dence-The Body of the Victim
Was Found in Flint River With "A
Heavy weight Tied to 1t.
Atlanta. Sept 1.-the trial Of George
W. Kerlin of Woolseyville, Fayette coun-
Is. for the murder Of Miss Pearl Knott
H. June viii come up Monday at Fayette.
vile. when the Superior Court Of that
county convenes.
Kerlin is charged with one Of the most
diaboIical crimes in the annals Of Geor-
gas criminal courts. opinion in Fayette
county seems to be against him. The
prosecution has secured. in addition to the
solicitor general, Hon. T. a. Atkinson and
Judge r. T. Dorsey OF Atlanta to con-
duct the case against him.
The prosecution has a strong case of
circumstantial evidence. The young wo-
man lived with her father and mother
on Kerlins place, a few miles west of
Woolseyvine They had been living there
for several years and Kerlin, it is charg-
cd. was quite intimate with her. One
afternoon, about the first of June. Mss
Knott was at her sisters home, short
distance from her fathers. About dark
a man drove up to the gate In a buggy,
and she went out and talked to him for
a short time, and then came back into the
house and told her sister that she was go
ing off with the man in the buggy, whom
she said was Kerlin. She said she was
going with MIN to marry his son. This
was the last seen of her until she was
found four or five days later weighted
down with $50 pounds of iron plows in
Flint river, several miles from her home.
Two or three days after she went off
with this man her father had Kerlin ar
rested for kidnapping her, and the trial
came off In the Ordlnary's Court al Fay
efteville where nothing could be proven,
and he was discharged for want of evil
dence.
Evidence Against KerIin.
After the finding Of the body in the river,
an inquest was held over 1t, and several
men testified that they had seen Kerlin
measuring the water with a pole a little
distance from where the body was found
on the day before the disappearance of the
woman. Others testified to lending Kerlin
a buggy on that day.
One other claims to have met the buggy
with the girl and a man in it the same
night, and says he identified Kerlin. The
coroner's jury returned a verdict of muir
der, and charged Kerlin with the crime.
Crowds collected in various parts of
Fayette and neighboring counties, and 1t
was feared that the officials would not be
able to take care of him in that county
and he was removed TO Fulton county jail
where he has been confined since.
Since the arrest of Kerlin there have
been many sensational developments In
the case. and several prominent men In
the county are involved in the rumors.
At the time Of her death Miss Knott was
prosecuting DR.. ]. +. II. Ware, a prom
inent physician, and at one time a well
known politician In the Popuist party, for
seduction. He had managed to have the
case put off at the last term of court and
at several former terms, but he was told
by the court that it would be tried at the
next term. A rumor was circulated short
~ after the disappearance OF the woman
that Dr. Ware was concerned in II, and
since that time It IS said that he had Of
fered 500 to get rid Of her
Most Sensational Feature.
The most sensational report of all, how
ever, Is, that Ware had drawn check in
Kerlin's favor on the Bank of Senoia for
$500. 1t is said that this check has been
paid The prosecution claim to have sew
eral other strong points against him, and
that there is not any doubt of his convic-
ton.
Kerlin maintains his innocence, and SAYS
that all he asks is a fair trial. and he can
prove he Is not guilty. He has made no
statement further than this since his ar
rest. So no one knows what his defense
will be. He will be represented by Hon.
A. o. Blalock and Hon. Walter Wise of
Fayetteville and Hon. Thomas E. Wat
son of Thomson. He seems confident of
acquttal.
Public interest in Fayette county Is
great Excitement has cooled down Ia
some extent, but is still high, and it may
be that jury cannot be secured In that
county.
Several weeks ago a petition was gotten
up and presented to Judge Harris of the
Coweta circuit, asking for a special term
of court to try the case The petition en-
braces "a clause declaring a belief in his
guilt Judge Harris did not deem it adj
visable at that time and declined to order
a special term. A change of venue may
be asked, but it is not known precisely
what viii be done along this line, as the
counsel for the defendant nor the de
PENDANT himself win talk about IL.
Judge John S. Gambler of the Stone
Mountain circuit will preside in place Of
Judge Harris. All parties are preparing
10 fight the case hard, and the trial will
certainly attract widespread attention or
account many t1n11sual faat,Yoo