Kerrigan's confession was handwritten by Daniel Shepp & signed with an X
by Kerrigan since he was illiterate.
MAUCH CHUNK, January 28, 1876
James Kerrigan voluntarily makes the following statement and says he will
reveal all he knows in regard to the murder of B. F. Yost and John P.
Jones and says Hugh McGehan of Summit Hill and James Boyle works at No. 5
are the men that murdered B. F. Yost on the night of the fifth of July,
1875. James Boyle is a man not much taller than I am, wears a dark
mustache. Hugh McGehan keeps a saloon in Summit Hill. I did not see the
shooting but those men told me themselves. Thomas Duffy was to pay Boyle
and McGehan for shooting B. F. Yost. James Carroll gave the pistol to
shoot Yost with. Thomas Duffy stayed all night at James Carroll's house
you mind the time B. F. Yost prosecuted Duffy. I told him I did. Well,
John Slattery came to you to settle it. I told him yes; well, Slattery is
one of them. I thought when I joined them that it was some benevolent
society but after I belonged, I found out it was for killing men and I
got sorry and commenced drinking. I could no more belong to the church.
The priest would not allow it.
I worked to September 1st. I was coming home from my work. I went to
James Carroll's to get a drink. Kelly, Doyle, and Esquire I. H. Lutz were
in the saloon. I was in my working clothes. I did not speak to the men. I
did not know them. As I was going out, James Carroll called me back and
introduced me to them. James Carroll had showed them the route around
Tamaqua and Carroll wanted me to show them the road to Alexander
Campbell's. I went with them to Campbell's and Campbell went along with
us to Hugh McGehan's. Hugh McGehan oiled and loaded the revolvers and
gave them to Doyle and Kelly. We were drinking away at McGehan's on
Wednesday night until nearly morning. Then on Thursday morning I was sent
over to show them the coal works. On Thursday night we stayed at Alex
Campbell's. Goslee, the storekeeper, was in Campbell's until nearly
midnight. Campbell wanted me to go along to shoot Jones. I told them I
would not do it. Kelly and Doyle then went. Kelly told me when he came
back that he had been at a house next to Jones. Thinks it was George
Holvey's and asked them whether Jones was home. He got answered he was
not in. They came back to Alex Campbell's at about 8 or 9 o'clock. They
told me they slept all night in the bar room. I started home from
Campbell's between 2 and 3 o'clock on Friday morning. Campbell made me go
on my knees and promise that I would never tell anything about the murder
of Jones and gave me five dollars to but whiskey for them when they would
reach Tamaqua after shooting Jones. I met Kelly and Doyle at the shaft
below Tamaqua and went up with them to the corner of Hunter and
Orwigsburg Street. We met M. W. Parkerson. Kelly and Doyle went on out
Orwigsburg Street and I went down Hunter to Penn; up Penn to First Alley
and from that alley, across to Peter Huish's and from there home.
Cornelius Davis was at my house. I gave my wife the five dollars to go to
Mrs. Clark's for whiskey. Mrs. Clark could not change the bill but she
got the whiskey. I went out to the spring and took the whiskey to Kelly
and Doyle. The arrangement was Kelly and Doyle were to stay at the spring
all day and after dark, go to James Carroll's. Then, stay at Carroll's
all night. Alex Campbell cautioned them not to go to James Carroll's
before dark. Kelly and Doyle were to take the cars the next morning.
Campbell told Kelly and Doyle not to be affeared of anybody following
them as Jones had no enemies.
A Poem Purportedly Composed by Kerrigan while in prison.