Individual Details
Kirk FURR
(10 Sep 1895 - )
Grandnephew William Thomas Linebarrier writes, at this time I have no record of Kirk Furr's history. When he married, who he married, if in fact he was married. The only information I have as of now was that sometime around the early 1930's Kirk killed a policeman named Snuggs in Albemarle. He was later captured, tried, convicted and sentenced to prison. While serving his time he escaped by sliding down a storm drain and to freedom. It was a known fact that he often met with one of his brothers at selected places but was never recaptured. Kirk's nephew, Carl Baldwin, was living in High Point, NC at the time. During the summer months, he took his children to the local swimming pool every weekend. During these times while the kids were swimming Carl keep noticing a man that he thought looked a lot like his uncle Kirk. Not being sure and knowing the circumstances of Kirk's past he was always hesitant about approaching the man. After so many weeks of seeing the stranger, he finally got the nerve to speak to him and start a conversation. He eventually ask him if he knew any of the Furr boys of Albemarle. The man denied ever having heard of them. The next week the man did not show up at the pool and was never seen again. Carl always did believe the stranger was his uncle Kirk Furr.
NORWOOD CHIEF KILLED
Posse With Bloodhounds Scouring County For Assailant -- Lynching Threatened.
Norwood, Jan. 22. -- The streets of this usually quiet town were thrown in an uproar this afternoon when Chief of Police W. G. Snuggs, age 45, one of the best known officers in Stanly county, was foully murdered in the business section of the town, at point almost in front of the postoffice, as the result of bad blood that had existed for some time, it is alleged, between the Furr brothers, one of whom is alleged to have threatened his life at various times. Chief Snuggs was shot twice by Kirk Furr, once in the stomach and the second in the right leg. The bullet that punctured his intestines probably causing death.
Chief Snuggs died at 6:30, in an ambulance, near Wadesboro to which point doctors were taking him for an operation. A row started near the postoffice, during which Keithen and Karl Furr were conspicuous, and one of them drew a knife. The chief interfered and threatened both with arrest, whereupon Kirk Furr ran up and shouting a warning to the crowd to step aside, pulled out a revolver, and said "Lemme at him." He shot three times at the officer, two of the shots taking effect, and Snuggs fell to the ground mortally wounded. The Furr brothers ran for the outskirts of town, but Keither Furr was soon caught.
A posse was formed and Karl Furr was apprehended some two hours later on the outskirts of town. Kirk is still at large and indignation is so high that if caught, there is a strong likelihood of his being lynched on the spot. As he is armed, members of the posse will take no chances and, expect to shoot on the slightest show of resistance. Bloodhounds have been sent for to trail the fugitive.
The town authorities immediately assembled and offered $100 reward for Kirk Furr's capture. The assailant is about twenty-one years of age, blind in one eye, five feet, seven inches in height and wore a yellow suit. He has given the authorities trouble before and was commonly regarded as a "bad man".
Chief Snuggs is survived by a wife and six or seven children. He was a native of this county and was regarded as a fearless officer, his record having been remarkable in the activities he has conducted against crime of all sorts.
The Monroe Journal, January 23, 1917
Slayer of Norwood Police Chief Still at Liberty.
Wadesboro, Jan. 23. -- The last reports from Norwood are to the effect that Kirk Furr, who is said to have killed W. C. Snuggs, chief of police of that place, is still at large. The bloodhounds, put on his trail, are said to have trailed him to Rocky River and he is supposed to have crossed over into this county. Officers of the county have been unable to locate him up to this time.
A man answering the description of Furr was seen near Troy yesterday. About two years ago Furr is alleged to have hit Mr. Snuggs over the head with a bottle. At that time he was arrested and placed in Jail, but soon escaped and was never captured. When the time for the trial arrived Furr appear voluntarily and paid his fine his fine.
The Monroe Journal, January 26, 1917
Albemarle, Feb. 3.— Sheriff G D Blalock wired a deputy in Albemarle yesterday from Claxton, Ga., that he captured Kirk Furr in that town this morning and would be home tomorrow at 1:48 p. m. with his prisoner.
It is not known how the sheriff learned that the alleged slayer of Policeman W G Snuggs was at Claxton, Ga., but he left yesterday for that point, with the result as above stated.
Sheriff Blalock has made an exceedingly creditable effort since the murder of Policeman Snuggs to apprehend and arrest Furr, and much credit is due him for his untiring and ceaseless efforts to locate this party.
Carolina Watchman, February 7, 1917
Kirk Furr Has Been Sentenced.
Albemarle, April 5. The case of State against Kirk Furr, Carl Furr and Keithan Furr, in which these Furr boys have been on trial for their lives In the Superior court here, came to a rather sudden conclusion today, when, after all evidence had been offered and counsel had argued the side of both State and defendants to the jury, a compromise was reached, whereby the case was disposed of without the jury deliberating on the issue involved.
The proposition was made by the State through Solicitor Brock that the State would withdraw its demand for murder in the first degree if Kirk Furr would submit to the charge of murder in the second degree and that Kelthan and Carl Furr would submit to manslaughter After some deliberation on the part of the defendants' attorneys, the State's proposition was accepted and a plea of murder in the second degree was entered by Kirk Furr through his counsel, G. D. B. Reynolds and A.F. Seawell, and a plea of guilty to man slaughter was entered by Keithan and Carl Furr by their counsel, A. C. Huneycutt and H. C. Turner.
Judge Webb allowed this arrangement and thereupon promptly sentenced Kirk Furr to imprisonment at hard labor in the State penitentiary for a term of 20 years. Keithan Furr and Carl Furr were each sentenced to seven years. This case consumed about two days in the hearing and as hotly contested on both sides all the way through.
The Monroe Journal, April 10, 1917
NORWOOD CHIEF KILLED
Posse With Bloodhounds Scouring County For Assailant -- Lynching Threatened.
Norwood, Jan. 22. -- The streets of this usually quiet town were thrown in an uproar this afternoon when Chief of Police W. G. Snuggs, age 45, one of the best known officers in Stanly county, was foully murdered in the business section of the town, at point almost in front of the postoffice, as the result of bad blood that had existed for some time, it is alleged, between the Furr brothers, one of whom is alleged to have threatened his life at various times. Chief Snuggs was shot twice by Kirk Furr, once in the stomach and the second in the right leg. The bullet that punctured his intestines probably causing death.
Chief Snuggs died at 6:30, in an ambulance, near Wadesboro to which point doctors were taking him for an operation. A row started near the postoffice, during which Keithen and Karl Furr were conspicuous, and one of them drew a knife. The chief interfered and threatened both with arrest, whereupon Kirk Furr ran up and shouting a warning to the crowd to step aside, pulled out a revolver, and said "Lemme at him." He shot three times at the officer, two of the shots taking effect, and Snuggs fell to the ground mortally wounded. The Furr brothers ran for the outskirts of town, but Keither Furr was soon caught.
A posse was formed and Karl Furr was apprehended some two hours later on the outskirts of town. Kirk is still at large and indignation is so high that if caught, there is a strong likelihood of his being lynched on the spot. As he is armed, members of the posse will take no chances and, expect to shoot on the slightest show of resistance. Bloodhounds have been sent for to trail the fugitive.
The town authorities immediately assembled and offered $100 reward for Kirk Furr's capture. The assailant is about twenty-one years of age, blind in one eye, five feet, seven inches in height and wore a yellow suit. He has given the authorities trouble before and was commonly regarded as a "bad man".
Chief Snuggs is survived by a wife and six or seven children. He was a native of this county and was regarded as a fearless officer, his record having been remarkable in the activities he has conducted against crime of all sorts.
The Monroe Journal, January 23, 1917
Slayer of Norwood Police Chief Still at Liberty.
Wadesboro, Jan. 23. -- The last reports from Norwood are to the effect that Kirk Furr, who is said to have killed W. C. Snuggs, chief of police of that place, is still at large. The bloodhounds, put on his trail, are said to have trailed him to Rocky River and he is supposed to have crossed over into this county. Officers of the county have been unable to locate him up to this time.
A man answering the description of Furr was seen near Troy yesterday. About two years ago Furr is alleged to have hit Mr. Snuggs over the head with a bottle. At that time he was arrested and placed in Jail, but soon escaped and was never captured. When the time for the trial arrived Furr appear voluntarily and paid his fine his fine.
The Monroe Journal, January 26, 1917
Albemarle, Feb. 3.— Sheriff G D Blalock wired a deputy in Albemarle yesterday from Claxton, Ga., that he captured Kirk Furr in that town this morning and would be home tomorrow at 1:48 p. m. with his prisoner.
It is not known how the sheriff learned that the alleged slayer of Policeman W G Snuggs was at Claxton, Ga., but he left yesterday for that point, with the result as above stated.
Sheriff Blalock has made an exceedingly creditable effort since the murder of Policeman Snuggs to apprehend and arrest Furr, and much credit is due him for his untiring and ceaseless efforts to locate this party.
Carolina Watchman, February 7, 1917
Kirk Furr Has Been Sentenced.
Albemarle, April 5. The case of State against Kirk Furr, Carl Furr and Keithan Furr, in which these Furr boys have been on trial for their lives In the Superior court here, came to a rather sudden conclusion today, when, after all evidence had been offered and counsel had argued the side of both State and defendants to the jury, a compromise was reached, whereby the case was disposed of without the jury deliberating on the issue involved.
The proposition was made by the State through Solicitor Brock that the State would withdraw its demand for murder in the first degree if Kirk Furr would submit to the charge of murder in the second degree and that Kelthan and Carl Furr would submit to manslaughter After some deliberation on the part of the defendants' attorneys, the State's proposition was accepted and a plea of murder in the second degree was entered by Kirk Furr through his counsel, G. D. B. Reynolds and A.F. Seawell, and a plea of guilty to man slaughter was entered by Keithan and Carl Furr by their counsel, A. C. Huneycutt and H. C. Turner.
Judge Webb allowed this arrangement and thereupon promptly sentenced Kirk Furr to imprisonment at hard labor in the State penitentiary for a term of 20 years. Keithan Furr and Carl Furr were each sentenced to seven years. This case consumed about two days in the hearing and as hotly contested on both sides all the way through.
The Monroe Journal, April 10, 1917
Events
| Birth | 10 Sep 1895 | Stanly County, NC |  |
Families
| Father | Wiley Kether FURR (1860 - 1929) |
| Mother | Varina "Vine" WHITLEY (1862 - 1900) |
| Sibling | Dora Lee FURR (1886 - 1950) |
| Sibling | Davidson Clyde "Dace" FURR (1897 - 1949) |
| Sibling | George Henry FURR (1888 - 1957) |
| Sibling | Carl Hezekiah FURR (1891 - 1919) |
| Sibling | Edward Karl "Eddie" FURR (1894 - 1953) |
| Sibling | Wiley Kether FURR Jr. (1897 - 1965) |
Endnotes
1. Ancestry.com. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 2002. National Archives and Records Administration. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. M1509, 20,243 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration..