Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-06-29

not occur 10 me that IS was abSOlutel
an ALTERATION Ofmind of any sort. II
was a believer in mesmerisIn; he prC
fessed to belieye-aud he was aiWay
a conscientious man-that he coul,
read the contents Of a letter he ha.
never seen by Placing it upon his fore
/ head; an instance of that Kind occur
red with him in my house tha
rather staggered me too. / con
fess | do not think | am sat
istied that he did not know the
contents Of the letter, vet he cave
! some of the contents of it with a de.
! gree of accuracy that astOnished me
saw him try the same thing after.
wards, but never with the success that
/ happened in that case. He would I'M
dertake to tell the character of the
writer Of letters by placing them upon
ms forehead. ! have written them
down for him and may have some of
them now. ! kept them, for they
We're some little vagaries I indulge1
in with him. I am satisfied that the
impression wds fixed in his mind that
he could do these things. He believed
that he could converse at anv time
with deceased friends, and frequently
spoke of the fact that be had done so.
lie told me frequently that he had
conversations with his deceased wife
not by table-tapping, etc, but that
her spirit spoke 10 him. | think than
he did not hear an audible voice. but
that 1t was spiritual communication
that he had with her. At Onetime he
had very fine pair of Derringer pis-
tols made, and heehabitually wore
them IN his pantalOons pockets. |
objected to his doing SO, telling him
there was no necessity in cucumber
ing himself with those pistols, but he
said he didn't know the moment that
any more powerful person than him
sell might assault him, and he wished
10 be prepared. | thought it strange
that with his natural Kindness and
geHtieness OF character that he should
wear the pistols, and | tried to pre-
vent him from doing 50. / do not |
think he had an enemy, he was 50 !
kind and gentlein his intercourse with /
lll men. He was Chancellor of this |
state previous to his removal to Mem /
Dhls, and discharged his duties As SAT
Sfactorily as Judges generally do.
Mr.. Alexander VI. CLAYTON Ieyam-
ned by the defense) said: I reside IN
Marshal county, Miss; I gas at tbp
Memphis Commercial Convention. If
commenced, 1 think, on the nth of
Way; l met the accused frequently
Turing the sessions. but was not
truck by anything unusual in his
manner, till, | believe, the day of its
lose; about the close, ! saw him ia
he public r0omS-Of tile OvertOn HO-
FL H'ith his hand placed to his fore
-ead. lie walked up to ne and said
e was suffering very much, that his
cad was almost bursting opcn:I adj
ised him to go to sleep and stay there
III me got better Tie turned away
'ltnout replying, AID from MS. man
ef ! was not sure that he took what
s'tid IN good part; in q very short
M" he returned 30 me and said he :
at gotten his key and was going,
nd would take my advice and was J
1lng 10 his room; he passed ON, and
do not remember to have seen him
ny mora, Ills manner was excited I
some extent; the impression made ;
. my mind was that hphad been in
llging in drink excessively, | did !
)t think him drunk, hat that his sys-
ltt,if tut ne was ina Stiit0 bordering j
l phrenZy, ia which his reason l
Ould have u very imperfect control 9
,er his passions. The Interview was 4
very brief one, but baVe stated the q
.bstanoo.
FHIDAN, June p, 1869.
MIR. :. X. S0OSby (eNamiued by the
afense) said: | reside about a mile i
id half from Jackson. | have /
lOWn Mr. +. NJ. Nefger a number +
years. In the latter part of Janua-
r, or early in February, 1867, | no.
,ed what to me indicated Il derange-
ent Of his mind. | went TO Col.
ewart's place i'm Rankin county, and
ought lot of stock there. \ few
lys afterward | went after the stock,
cOmpanied by George Merger, !
other of accused, While there he l
1t IN my possession a couple ofmules,
king me to take them to my place
I'd take care of them; to sell them if !.
could get good price. / sold one of =
my possession for George Nerger, q
ld one day i came to town to pay e
m the money; | learned that he :
ld gone up to HaZOO; | met the ac- G.
Ised on State street, near Angeles Il
loon; ! told him l had $50 for n
aGrgei he said give the money to f
IN, and he would give it to George a
l his return; l handed him the &
Oney; he then said, "COme this way, O
d fellow, | want to see you;" we v
alked up the street a little, and he a
id, | want that 500 you owe me; | ;
id him he was mistaken, ] didn't t
We him $500; that there was no TN y
tiled business between uS. He said
was f0r getting me out of a Yankee ,
'isOn, l told him he had never seen
e in a Yankee prison, or any other >
risOn. | noticed his condition, and =
reached my hand and took hold of =
S hand, or the money, intending TO +
It hold of the money or have Il re-
.ipt; ne drew back and drawing a I
nall Stilletto he said, are You going d
rob me in 6ayhght9 / said no, but /
wanted a receipt for the money. |
dn't want George to call on me
gain for it, | then thought it would
; the best thing for me to get away
ON him, and | trusted he would
ny George. In few days received !
Dte from him requesting me to call;
went up the first opportunity l had;
found him at home, but 1 now dis ;
the business; It was moth
g however, in relation to the $500 or
.e $50; he treated me very kindly; I
Ivited me into his sitting room, and J
e took drink together. After trans
ting the business, and as | was leav-
lg told him he had treated me very
in thestreet. found him
a good humOr, and I thought l
Ould mention the matter to him,
nd found out what he meant. He
new nothing of it all; didn't recog-
ize me as the prisoner whom he
ad released, and didn't recollect
~ paying him the $50, but if
said so, it was all right, he would ;
ay George. When George came {
ONE, l told him that | had paid his
rother, and George recognized it as a :
| think the prisoner :
new me well at the second inter-
lew; in fact | thought he knew me
ell all the time; our acquaintance 1
ad been long enough. At the first I
as / walked off, l remem-
L % 4 ]