The Murder of James Carr, part 1: His Body is Found

This may well be the saddest and most fascinating story I have ever found through my own research. It is hard for me to stop thinking about it at times and I still want to find out more about it.

For now, I am simply going to reprint the articles I found and add a few comments as I see fit. Maybe one day I'll rewrite it all in my own words, and maybe dig into census records of some of the names mentioned, but for now I will simply let the story tell itself, after a short introduction. I will post other installments every couple of days. 

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James M. Carr served in the 7^th West Virginia Cavalry, which was formed in January 1864 out of the 8th West Virginia Mounted Infantry and participated in battles at Cloyd's Mountain and Lynchburg, both in Virginia, along with other operations. 

The newspaper articles seem to list a wrong middle initial for him. Perhaps multiple Civil War Veterans named "James Carr" lived in this area at the time, but that strikes me as being highly unlikely. The soldiers and sailors system lists the same initial as the headstone pictured above and one of the other articles lists Evergreen Cemetery as his burial place, which is where I found this headstone.

It is sad to think of a Union veteran living as he did (the next article will include more details), but this manner of death is simply tragic. A death-records list I found on a local genealogy site listed "concussion of the brain" as cause of death, which I guess seems a little obvious once you read the story.

Rest in peace, soldier.

Headstone in section 35, Evergreen Cemetery

Kentucky Post February 5, 1915

NEWPORT CIVIL WAR VETERAN IS ROBBED AND MURDERED

Woman Finds Body of James. P Carr in Shack on the Licking Bank

Head Had Been Crushed

Man Had Drawn Pension Thursday – Money Now Missing

Robbery was probably the cause of the murder of James P. Carr, veteran, residing at the foot of Southgate –st., Newport, who was found dead in his bed early Friday morning by Mrs. Samuel Mackkinzie.

The old man had received a pension of $54 Thursday, and, after paying several debts, is thought to have had in the neighborhood of $34 on his person

When the clothing was searched by the police Friday nothing with the exception of a life insurance policy, barely enough to bury him, remained in his pockets.

Expect Arrest

The police are making a thorough investigation, which will probably result in an arrest in the immediate future.

Mysterious Surrounding

Enveloped in a deep, heavy cloud of mystery a poor dingy hovel at the foot of Southgate-st., Newport, rested on the very banks of the rising river Friday morning.

Was Murdered

James P. Carr, 71, rag picker, lay within the hut cold in death. He had been murdered. Some time during the night someone had entered his poor dwelling and beaten his brains out. About 7 o’clock Friday morning, Mrs. Samuel Mackkinzie entered Carr’s hut and found the man lying in a pool of his own blood. Shortly after, she notified the police. Detectives Burnsides and Howe were assigned the case and began an immediate investigation.

Hammer found

A short-handled sledge hammer, clotted with blood, probably the one used in the killing, lay by the side of the bed. A stove lid lay by the side of the hammer.

The upper portion of the man’s body lay on the bed, his feet and legs extended, supported by a broken chair, allowing the body to sag in the middle.

The pattering of rain on the tin roof echoed and re-echoed throughout the cabin. Four dogs lay on the bed by the side of the dead man. One huge white canine lay within a few inches of his master’s shattered skull. The white hair on the dog’s back was dyed to a clotted brown, where his master’s life’s blood had escaped over his back, as it seeped from the ugly wound in his skull

Found by woman

Mrs. Mackkinzie, who lives at 110 West Fourth-st., was closely questioned by the detectives, but she was unable to reveal any new information. She stated that she sometimes came to the man’s hut in the morning, but that she had no particular reason for doing so this morning. She claims that when she entered the house, she saw Carr lying on the bed, apparently asleep. She called him. He failed to answer. Dawn was just breaking, and by closer observation she saw the dried blood on the side of his face. She hung over his lifeless form and cried “Jim, Jim, what’s wrong?”    

He failed to answer and she arrived at the conclusion that he was dead. She then notified the police

Note: the first image below is a Google Earth image of the area where Mr. Carr lived.  The yellow pin marks the current West Southgate St - Carr's home was somewhere near it, probably further north, closer to where the Licking meets the Ohio. The land between that road and the rivers likely looked much different in 1915.

The second photograph is a view from Cincinnati, looking south at where the Licking flows into the Ohio. Carr's house would have been on the left side of the Licking (the smaller river, which flows south to north), in Newport (Campbell County), from this perspective (on the right side in the top view)