Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-07-06
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fathers savings-for poor Col White
had died soon after his daughters
elopement, and had bequeathed his
possessions to her. Moreover, both
both wives had been heavily insured
From the other detective I learnt that
he followed no occupation, but fire.
Quented betting clubs and hotel bars
and seemed to be rather deeply in
volved. Moreover, it was popularity
believed that Arthur Wren, as he now
called himself, would soon marry a
lady of supposed wealth, whose ac-
quaintance he had made at local gar
den party. Fagg, the inquiry agent,
had also ascertained that his daughter
Laura had recently been insured for
$500. She had hitherto enjoyed alb
solutely good health, but since the as
surance had been completed she had
suffered from cataleptic fits.
when this last development of the
situation reached me, my smouldering
suspicious of the man blazed into
flame at once. Remembering that
Percival, who had been stationed with
the cavalry brigade at the cantonment,
was then in command at Lichfield, l
wired him to come over at once 'on
a matter of life and death'-as I
really feared it was
Gen. Percival arrived that night.
and we sat up till dawn discussing the
state Of affairs He had remained in
India some years later than l had, and
was able to give me a clew. It seems
that previous to his marriage with the
half-caste woman who was his first
wife, Kerr had been on terms of
friendship with several Brahmin mag
mates.
His most usual associate was a
man named Saga Nuni-and this same
fellow had afterward been convicted
of poisoning his brother and had been
hanged for the crime.
I'VE at last resolved to seek the ad-
vice and assistance of the local police,
that little Laura's life might, at least
be preserved. A consultation with the
chief constable followed, and the
doctor who attended little Laura ar
ranged to telephone the news of her
next attack. His summons came with
IN week, and Kerr, alias Wren, was
arrested at his daughters bedside.
He made most frantic resistance.
crying out that he, and he alone.
could restore the child to conscious
ness, but was at last removed to the
station and searched. A hypodermic
syringe, filed with a dark blood
colored fluid of unknown properties
and a curiously pungent odor, was
found in the room where Laura's ap-
parently dead body lay. This con-
tanned sort Of vivid green matter
quite unknown to European medicine.
and smelling like rotten bananas. Two
peculiarly shaped phials, marked
one and two in Sanscrit characters.
and containing decoctions that cor
responded to the two syringes. were
found in Kerr's bedroom concealed in
an old hat-case.
Laura remained unconscious, and
at last even my hopes of her recovery
faded away, and the corpse of the lit
tie one was laid out to await a post
norton examination.
"SwanstrOm, the local practitioner.
noticed that there were seven punct-
ures made by the syringe on her left
arm and six on the right. On this
slender basis, and on Kerr's excited
declaration that he could save her.
Swanson built up a curious theory. It
was that, as the insurance had not
been in force six months, and, there
tore, had not matured, the man had
no present intention of Staying his
daughter, but was only preparing the
way, and he pointed out that this was
her seventh attack. He therefore
argued that an injection of the blood
colored fluid would restore her to life
and health,
Accordingly, Swanston and I, ac-
companied by the police doctor and the
inspector, returned to the chamber of
death. The injection was made. For
moment there was absolute uuies-
cence, then. by little and little, the
signs of returning animation were
perceived. Gradually life and warmth
and color returned to the wan and
pallid corpse; faint pulsation became
deeper and then sigh told
us that for once the Angel
of Death had yielded up his
prey,
AS the police could not prove that
Kerr had caused the catalepsy the pros
ecution broke down and he was dis
charged. He was Immediately re-
arrested, charged with numbering his
second wife, and remanded
AN order from the Home Secretary
having been obtained, Mrs. Kerr's
body was eXhumed. A most awful
spectacle was revealed; the unhappy
girl-she was only in her 21st year
had been buried alive, or. rather, the
influence Of this horrible invention,
this fiend-wrought catalepsy, had been
exhausted after burial, and-no, no,
can't dwell any more upon it.
Kerr slew himself in prison, while
awaiting his trial. How he procured
the drug l know not, but he took ar
senic and saved the country the hang
mans expenses. He left a sort of
confession scrawIed on the fy-leaves
OF the Bible in his cell. He averred
that he had intended to take little
Laura's supposed body to Che1ten-
ham for burial as soon as the insur-
|ance came in force. and he would have
resuscitated her on the way This I
believe. for his love for the little maid
marked the one soft spot in the de-
mons heart
Laura came TO my house and has
been brought up as my daughter The
brain fever that followed that awful
trance swept away all memory of her