Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-06-22
JACKSON. June 10th. 1865

JACKSON, June 10th, 1863.
The Commission met pursuant TO
adjournment.
Present, all the court, prisoner and
counsel.
Proceedings Of yesterday read and
no objection made.
Mr.. Pittman, one Of the brothers
who invented photography was sworn.
to give proceedings Of the court.
Geo. $. DOnReU, sUOJn.-Did not
know Col. Crane personally; worked
in the Office above his; know Col. Z.
NJ. Terger; witnessed a difficulty on
State street, when it started, about
half-past one o'clock, was in the ice
cream saloon, Col. Nerger said you
took advantage of me in my absence;
Crane said he thought not, he waited
two weeks or twenty days; Yerger
denounced him as a damned cow
ardly puppy" Crane stated he want
ed nothing to do with him except Off
cially, and that at his Office, and
started up the street; Yerger said, " l
want to denounce you again as a
damned dOg;" Crane said, Il want
nothing to do with you, except Off
cially, and at my Office. n Yerger
caught hold of Crane and showed his
hand down, saying; take your
damned hand out of my face" when
Crane drew up his little cane-abOut
the size of my little fiEger-aWi struck
or caught Yerger by the arm; Yerger
pulled Crane around, drew a knife
and struck him Crane two or three
time1; Crane backed to Browns store.
At this point in the testimony the
witness was too rapid for any one to
report correctly, and there are some
omissions.
Yerger struck Mt Crane with the
knife five times; would not recognize
the knife; did not see the handle
when used by Yerger; do not recOl-
lect of seeing others than Mr.. ThOs.
Green, Geo. Green and Geo. Nerger.
Mr.. Crane seemed to be very cool and
wished to avoid a difficulty; Crane
put up his finger, not threatingly,
when the conversation was in course;
the knife came from under his Yer
GERS coat, near the bOsOm-might
have been as low down as the waist.
CroSS-erdm31ed By dJeRSe.-When
Col. Crane started to leave, Nerger
put his left hand on his bosom and
caught Crane with his right hand,
when Crane wheeled and caught Yer
ger by the arms; when Crane wheeled
he struck and caught at Herger AT the
same time.
John Adams StcOfR.-I was on the
street when Mr.. Nerger accOsted
Crane ia a low voice, and l did not
pay much attention, Mr., Yerger
said: ~ denounced YOU down yOn-
der this morning, sent you word l
did 50, and wish to do it again, you
damned scOundrel and cOw2gdIy pup
py. Crane said something about
arms. Crane raised his finger to Yer
gers face and made some remark,
when Yerger told him not to put his
damned hand in his face, put it down
and struck it down with his hands;
Crane tai@aG It ne more and started
off; Nerger caught him eud pushed
him, which caused Crane to take one
step; Crane wheeled around and
caught Yerger by the shoulders; they
then kept their arms working as they
fell back towards Browns store, when
Yerger caught Cranes wrist, holding
up Cranes arm, and struck at Crane
with the knife, and they continued
to Scuffie until Crane fell back into the
store, Yerger all the time striking at
Crane with the knife; Yerger
to be angry, and
told Crane not to put his hand
in his (Yerger's) face; this occurred
Immediately before using the knife;
did not see any inclination on Cranes
part 10 make fight, or on the part of
Yerger at first, considering the Gig
did not think Herger was
going to use the knife at first; at one
time Crane turned round aS If going
up the street.
Judge VIM. Yerger, one of the
counsel for prisoner, addressed the
Commission, protesting against the
mode of taking and recording the tes-
timOny as practiced this morning. He
did not think it gave fair and literal
meaning to the evidence, which Is to
go on the record. The President re-
piled that it was the design to give
testimony literally, and embrace its
full meaning. With some eXplana-
tions on the part of the Judge AdYO-
cate and the witness on the stand, the
NOllAllAiNolOu w llAC lNcIA-
mony, but your reporter cannot say
whether the explanations were satis-
factory to counsel for the accused or
otherWise.)
John II. EchOlS, tate State Treasurer,
SbcOJn.-On the day of the death of
Crane | was standing in Nirden's
store; saw Yerger and Or. Cabiness
and Crane going up street; Crane was
behind and walked faster than Yerger
and DR.. Cabiness; Yerger stopped and
looked around at Crane; l had a con-
Yersation with Virden and went up
street; saw Yerger come out Of
Browns store with a knife in his hand;
the knife looked bloody; think that is
it (the knife being produeed); it look
ed more bloody then; the cane Of
Crane was half or fve-eighths of an
inch in diameter, / should think;
could not hear conversation, was too
far off; saw no strokes of the parties;
don't know how knife came on the
floor; cannot say it was the knife
Yerger had in his hand.
Adjourned until tomorrow at ten
O'Clock.