The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-06-24
CROSS EXAMINED.

was covered with blood. L do not know
what became of the knife; don't know that
| would recognize it if ] saw it again. /
don't think Col. Crane lived two minutes af-
ter the parties entered my store. | first saw
the knife in Col. Yerger's hand as he became
diSengaged from Col. Crane. Col. Yerger
seemed to be very much excited. Col. Crane
very cool and inclined to leave. l cannot
describe the nature of the excitement,
whether from passion or otherwise. Col.
Crane told Mr.. Yerger that he was drinking
or drunk. The difficulty commenced ten or
fifteen feet from my store. Can't be positive
that there was blow struck by Col. Crane,
he threw up his right arm. but whether as
blow or an effort to disengage himself l
don't know.
BY defense:
Col. Crane was going North. He did not
pass Col. Yerger, / think. but stopped as he
got nearly opposite to him. Think at this
point the party who was in conversation
with Col. 1erger, spoke to Col. Crane. Don't
know who Col 1erger was talking 10; don't
know where Col. Crane resided have heard
since. Col. Yerger resides on State street,
North. from where the difficulty occurred.
By the Commission:
L have known Col. Gerger about 20 or p
years. l am not prepared to say whether his
anger was caused from passion or otherwise.
TEsTIM oNY OF GABRIEL j. BECK.
By the prosecution:
Q. Do you know the prisoner?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. State his name.
A. Edward NJ. Yerger.
Q. Did you know Col. Crane?
A. L did not know him personally, I was
only told that it was Col. Crane sometime
before the occurrence, that is, the difficulty
between Col. 1erger and Col. Crane.
Q. Did you see that occurrence?
A. Yes, sir.
q. State all you know in reference to it.
a. went to the bank, as / usually do at
that time of day, for the purpose of making
a deposit and buying little exchange. On
entering the bank, my attention was called
to the excited conversation between Col.
Yerger and Col. Crane. | saw Col. Crane
put his finger to face of Col. Aerger which
Col. Yerger struck off and said don't put
your finger into my face, or words to that
effect. Col. Crane again raised his hand and
said ''yOu are a man that have no regard
for, and only know you as an official" AT
ter making that remark, Col Crane started
up street. Col. Crane had his finger to Col.
Yerger's face when Col. Yerger struck it
down and got hold of Col. Cranes right
hand. Col. Crane was trying 10 relieve
himself and to the best of my recollection,
| think Col. Yerger got around him imme-
diately. Upon this Col. Crane raised his
cane. and whether he attempted to strike or
not, am not positive. Immediately after
this | saw Col. Yerger raising his hand up
and the next second or two | saw the knife
out and he had Col. Crane to his breast. but
I Il
on. As soon as | saw them falling into rhe
store of Mr.. Brown didn't wish to witness
the scene further, and went Into the bank.
| saw Col. Ierger, to the best of my recol-
lection, putting up his hand this way, (de-
scribing the motiOn) which led me to believe
at the time that he had a pistol or knife in
his hand; but a second after | saw the knife
in Col. Herger's hand.
CROSS EXAMINED.
BY the prosecution:
Col. Yeger had Col. Cranes breast to him.
| don't know positively which side the knife
was on. / was so excited at the time that
couldn't tell anything particularly. l did
not see the parties more than a second or
two after the knife was drawn. Col. Crane
had his finger to Col. Yerger's face gesticu-
lating as is done sometimes in conversation.
My attention was first drawn by the excited
and profane language OF Col. YeIger; heard
| the terms ''cowardly Iuppy," 'son of a
bitch" etc. The words referred to were
! from Col. Ierger, Col. Cranes manner was
cool, and he appeared to want to avoid a
difficulty.
l believe he drew the knife from his right
| side and with his right hand. When the
| first thrust was made l could not tell their
exact position. but probably Col. Crane
! might have had his arm around Col. Y erger.
L was laboring under good deal of excite
ment. As went to dinner / saw Col. Crane
at the drug store of Ash & Lemley, next
| door to my store. 1t must have been half
! hour previous to the difficulty. Ash s. Lem
/ ly's store is on State street between Capitol
| and Pearl, seven doors south of the bank.
BY Commission
The parties stood breast 20 breast. and Col.
erger reached around the back of Col.
/ Crane.