The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-07-29

cences OF his Youth. his Crime and Pos
sible Insanity-The Military Commas
sfon-Letter from an Old Friend Of the
Family.
A decision has been rendered by the military
commission at Jackson. Mississippi, in tie
Yerger case; but the finding and sentence are
to be kept secret until after the approval Of the
proceedings of the commission by the authori-
ties at Washington. Colonel Barr, assistant
Judge advocate, has returned tn Washington
with the papers, and the commission has sd-
journed to the 21 of August. A Vlcksburg let
ter to the Cincinnati Commercial gives the
following interesting review OF this e1traor-
1 d,na1y case:
Allow Mssissippian, who knows something
of the facts OF the case, and good deal OF the
Yereer family aud the antecedents OF Edward
NJ. Yerger, to tell you a few things that will go
! to show
First. That the homicide hal not the slight
est political or sectional significance.
Secondly. TIat 1t is not CRIME to be pun
ished !; and
| Lastly. That 1t is a calamity which ought to
have been prevented.
The Yerger family is numerous one, OF the
| best standing, and more than usually inteill-
gent. The madness Of Colonel Yerger and this
eliminating trouble will not eclipse 1t. Ed
wards father was, without exception, one OF
the best Of men. II be had fault, it was
indulgence OF this youth Inc boy was Drignt;
and 10 make and department. such as would
delight fathers heart and grs tify his pride.
From % to Is Ed. Ysrger was the Chester
| field OF Mississippi, and in dress Beau Brum-
| nell. Those who remember him will admit
that, if not the handsomest, he was the best
aud most exquisitely dressed man in M'ssls-
sIppl. His fine person, bearing and style we're
| lust sufficiently tempered with a love OF ao-
probation to tone down the imperiousness OF
40 almost overpoRerIng vanity. Yet he was
not q fair representative OF our Southern
youth; he had vastly too much concelt. IL
fills me with something akin to scurn for this
man, when think or the thousands on thou
sands Of our youth, with his graces OF per
son, with more than his culture. and thou
sand fold more honor aud courage, las after
events proved,) tie PRIDE OF our homes. the
hope of our hearts, who were literally swept
from the earth III their devotion to the South
erp cause during our .alamitous struggle; but
Ihare promised you facts, not sentiments.
Before the war Colonel Yerger conducted
things IN great state. The turnout he provld-
ed for Mrs. Yerger was finely appointed. He
was never to be seen in my lady's carriage.
He hlmself drove splendid team, with live
rled servants and appointments TO match.
HIS house, still standing. is hne ope, per-
haps the largest, excepting the executive man;
SION. that Grant and Sherman left. 1t ls sad
for me to visit Jackson now and behold the
wreck that is OF its former self. Before the
war it was whal it now processes to be. bot 1t
it is not, the capital of the State. Then our
richer planters often settled here for the sake
OF society and the education OF their daugh-
ters Jackson and The e!ghborhood contained
many beautiful residences. homes Of wealth
nil
to an order OF thugs now past, but that seem
from this distance to have had halo OF grace
and beauty peculiarly their own.
look in vain for those fine homes eads
now. The chimney stacks OF many OF them
still stand, IN GRIM mockery, amid the desola-
| tion Of their once charming grounds. So nu-
| merous we're our chimney stacks OF ono time,
that at Vicksbprg We spoke OF jackson as
Chimneyvil'e.
Colonel Yerger's family. in wealth and posi-
ton, was among tho fret. How, kno not,
| whether tho war or his newspaper enterprises,
| or both combined, but certain 1t ia that this
| branch of the Yerger family is now poor. Yerger
has. until this trouble, lived in his fine home;
"1es Sus .raas Ses fpem Pensys saer sal inab
may have been said with truth that before this
unfortunate occurrence Colonel Yerger's family
was the poorest and proudest in Jackson. Ot
course I mean relatively. man VINO needs
fifteen thousand dollars year to keep up his
establishment, and who could only, with the
most stingy economy. do 1t on ten thou and,
but who has TO do it in come way or another on
| Ave Thousand or less, is poor indeed. This
| uas Yereer's condition.
Now recall the instances attending the
seizure of the piano. A respectable and lead
ing family, with their just pride and assoca-
tions, owing some three or iour hundred DOL
lars delinauent taxes, but believing in coun-
| Ter claim ofat least doutle the amount. Tor
damages done their property by an overflow,
| for which the elty was supposed to be respon-
sible. TO satisfy the city's claim levy is or
dered. The sheriff and officers OF the law, arm
ed With the Mayors authority, with an express
cart and q. sufficient number OF aids hired tor
the occasion, force an entrance to the house.
The household Is frightened, the piano;
cherished instrument, owned by the wife be-
fore her marriage, is seized, and for the trst
time in the history Of Jackson a respectable
family is SEEMINGLY insulted, outraged and dis
rraced. C,lonel Yerger was in Memphis at
the time. To man OF ordinary type .ucn
proceeding would have been deep, bitter,
nerament it WIS not merely maddening-lt
made him mad-aud the result is what wo now
deplore.
I have inquired of many persons why Colo
mel Craue. q man uniformly well spoken OF,
conld have acted in this unfeeiing WOW, when
Yerger had bona fine claim against the CITY
for at least twice the amount OF these taxes. L
nm told that Colonel Crane was urged to 90 It,
some saw by those high IN authority here; that
he was fwitted with cowardice, that he feared
to do his duty &c. My own opinion Ia that
some base souls here. obvious aud craven
hearted. sought the humiliation OF this family,
and lested not till it was acconT llshed through
official interference. but in su;h way as to
save their own skins. The trouble was pro-
yoked: a worthy man and good officer has lost
his life. Why think il calamity, and no CRIME
punishable by law, can tell in few sen.
fences.
Dnr ne o recent visit made to Jackson. 1
spent Que dav at the barracks. where the mill
tary commission is being nell, and listened to
the testimony Of one OF the medical experts. 9
physician Of ability and good standing. and
who had for many years known Colonel Yer
ger and his kindred. The physician detailed
sorna Of the hallucinations he had himself wit
messed, and gave his opinion of others that had
been deposed to by Others. He expressed his
conviction that thera was but one. rational
explanat,on that it was case OF moral
mania. derangement OF the moral faHulties,
but where the intellectual fa.ulties we're in
great measure uudisturbed. 80
I confess that the testimony OF this ysi-
clan let considerable hight into my own mind
had AGAIN ond again heard OF 1erger's eccen-
trlcities, but I had not heard of many OF tho
absolutely crazy acts detailed in the testlmo-
nv. and which, occurriog for the most part in
his own house. had been kept from the public.
had known OF many of his unparal eled coz
ceits aud as supposed, supera bounding vapi-
tv. used to laugh when my friend, the edl.