Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-06-17
TRIAL or EN-. YERGER
Testimony Of Harris Barksdaie and Thomas
and Geo. S. Green.

/ From -he jackson Tri-Weekly Clarion o.
/ Tuesday,
MONDAY, june 4. 1863.
+ TESTIMONY or HARRIS BARKsDALE.
/ BY Prosecution-Q. Were you ae-
. quainted with Col. Crane?
/ y. was.\
q. DO YOU Know his first name?
4 4. Joseph G., l think.
Q. Do you know his rank or stat-
ton?
\. lie was acting Mayor and called
/ Colonel.
. Q. Is Col. Crane living or dead?
4. He was dead the last time | saw
/ him, at least / thought he was.
Q. Do you know anything Of the
circumstances attending his death? if
50, state all you know.
A. ! came out Of the Clarion office
about one o'clock, probably a little
after. on Tuesday last; l met Col.
Crane at the door as | came out;
passed him with some remarks about
the weather; ! went around in the
bank hurriedly; left Col. Crane on the
street; | had been in the bank Q few
minutes when | heard some one say,
" You are a ID puppy;" ran out
with Mr.. Thomas Green and George
Green; saw Col. Crane and Z. VI.
Yergcr standing near each other, just
above Browns store, ten or fifteen
feet, ] suppose; just rs / got to the
door / heard Col Crane say, You
are drunk and had better 90 hOme.'
Mr.. Ncrgcr said, . am not drunk.
and want to tell you that you are n
id puppy" Col. Crane said, -
don't know you, and don't want to
have anything 10 do with YOU"
Yerger said, q, tclegraphed to you
not to take advantage of me during
my Absence" at the same time shak-
ing his finger in Cranes face, Crane
said, 81 did not take advantage
Of YOU" and made gesture
with his hand. Nerger said, take
your hand out Of my face, you id
son OF a b-h," at the same time strik-
ing Cranes hand down; Crane said,
- don't know you, and don't want
TO have anything to do with YOU eX-
cept officially" and turned off up
street; had either taken a step or Wns
about to do so, when Mr.. Yerger
pushed him by the shoulder and said,
Go, you id dOg;" Col. Crane
wheeled and struck Mr.. YeTger with
q walking stick on the shoulder, which
glanced up striking Yerger, as / sup
pose, on the neck; they then clinched,
ana Mr.. Nerger drew a knife and
commenced cutting at Col. Crane;
Mr.. Crane caught Mr.. Yerger's arm
that held the knife, between the wrist
and elbow, and held it awhile; they
were still struggling; Mr.. Yerger
jerked his arm away and struck Col.
Crane i'm the back; Mr.. Yerger pushed
Col. Crane back into Browns store,
cutting at him as he went back; |
could see nothing but the back of Mr..
Nerger, and the arms of both parties
after they got into the store; after a
few moments Mr.. Ycrger stepped out
and threw the knife at Col. Crane,
who | could then see lying on the
floor, saying, Now, you id dog,
you struck me-" or "what did you
strike me for?'' I then went into the
bank.
CroSs-crdmRed.-I could not have
sworn TO the voice that said "you
damned puppy" ] thought, after /
came out and saw Mr.. Yerger, and
heard him use the same expression,
that he was the party who had used it
in the first instance. The stick was
small one, black or dark color, can't
be positive; ii was small walking
stick about the size Of my thumb at
one end and smaller at the other; he
struck Mr.. Yerger with the small end;
this stroke was not given until after
Mr.. Yerger had pushed Col. Cranes
arm down, and Immediately after Mr..
Yerger had pushed him up the street;
Col. Crane was wheeling around when
the blow was struck. I only saw the
knife while in his hand and passing
through the air as he threw it at Col.
Crane; after the knife was drawn
saw Mr.. Yerger make three or four
licks at Col. Crane before Crane caught
his arm; he made equally as many
attempts, If not more, while Col.
Crane held his arm; after he ierked
loose he then closed up to Col. Crane
and struck him in the back: they
then scuffled into Browns store; after
they were in there saw Mr.. Yerger's
arm come out once or twice. Did not
see any blows in the breast; saw him
cutting at him; think the first blow
was in the back; If there was any lick
in the breast did not see it; ii must
have been while they were in Browns
store. When the knife was drawn
Mr.. Yerger was half between me and
Col. Crane, and l could see Cranes
side and front, and Yerger's back;
after Col. Crane caught Mr.. Yerger's
arm they came toward me each with
side to me, until Mr.. Yesger ierked
away. ] think that saw all that oc-
CURED while the parties were elenched.