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

60
cenoes OF his Youth, ms Crime ana Pos
sable Insanity he Military Commits
s1on-Lctter from an Old Friend OF the
Family.
! decision has been rendered by the military
commission at Jackson. Mississippi, in the
Yerger case; but the finding and sentence are
to be kept secret until after tho approval Of the
proceedings OF the commission by the authori-
ties at Washington Colonel Barr, assistans
judge advocate, has returned to Washington
with the papers, and the commission has ad-
journed to the II of August. A vlcksburg let
ter to the Cincinnati Commercial gives the
| following interesting review of this extraor-
dInary case:
Allow Mississippian, who knows something
| Of the facts Of the case, and good deal Of the
| Yerger family aud the antecedents of Edward
NJ. Yerger. to tell you few things that will go
! to show
FIRST That the homi icidc haa not the slight
| est political or section al Significance.
Secondly. Toat 1t ls not crime to be pun
| ished and
Lastly. That 1t is a calamity which ought to
have been prevented.
The Yerger family is a numerous one. of the
best standing, and more than usually intelli-
gent The madness OF Colonel Yerger and this
wards father was, without exception one of
| the best OF men. IT he had fault, it was
| indulgence of this youth. The boy was bright
| and in make and department such as wou,G
delight fathers heart and gr tify his % pride.
From 20 to 25 Ed. YerRer was the Chester
| field of Mississippi, and in dress Beau Brum-
nell. Those who remember HIM will admit
that, if not the handsomost he was the best
| and most exqu'stely dressed man in Misss-
| slppl. HIS tine person, tearing and style were
just sufficiently tempered with love of ap-
probation to tone down the imperousness of
an almost overpowering vanity. Yet he was
| not q fair representative of our Southern
youth; he had vastly too much conceit. It
| fills me with somethinr akin to scOrn for this
man, when think OF the thousands on thou
sands Of our youth, with Ills graces of per-
| son, with more than his culture. aud thou
sand fold more honor and courage, (as after
events proved,) t,.e PRIDE Of our homes. the
| hope OF our hearts, who were literally swept
from the earth IN their devotion to the South
ern cause during our 'alamitOus struggle; but
have promised you facts, not sentiments.
1 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 ladys carriage
he himself drove splepdid team. with live
red servants and appointments to match.
HIS house, still standing. is fine ore, per-
SION, that Grant and Sherman left. It is sad
Tor me to visit Jackson now and behold the
wreck that is OF its former self. Before the
war 1t was what it now processes to be. but it
| 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 he neighborhood contained
many beautiful residences homes of wealth
and refinement, with surroundings belonging
| to an order OF things now past, but that seem
from this distance to have had halo Of grace
| and beauty peculiarly their own.
| 1 look in vain for those fine homes eads
| now. The chimney stacks OF many Of them
stil stand, In grim mockery. amid the desola-
tion OF their once charming grounds So nu-
| merous were our chimney stacks at one time.
that at vlcksburg we spoke OF Jackson as
Chimneyville.
Colonel Yergers family, in wealth and posi-
| tion, was among the first. How kno not.
whether the war or his newspaper enterprises
or both combined, but certain 1t is that this
branch OF the Yereer family is now poor. Yerger
but I verify believe that his refusal to pay his
I taxes arose from sheer inability. think it
| may nave been said with truth that before this
unfortunate occurrence Colonel Yerger's family
course mean relatively. A man who needs
| fifteen thousand dollars year to keep up his
establishment. and who could only, with the
most stngy economy. do 1t on ten thou and,
but who has to do it in some way or another on
! FIVE thousand or less, is poor indeed. This
| vas Yergers condition
| seizure OF the piano. A respectable and lead
| ing family, with their just pride ana associa-
tions, owing some three or four hundred dol
lars delinquent taxes, but believing in g coun-
! ter claim Of at least double the amount, for
damages done their property by an overflow,
| for which the city was supposed to be respon-
sible. To sat sfy the cty's claim levy is or
dered. The sheriff and officers OF the law, arm.
ed with the Mayors authority, with an express
cart and sufficient number of aids hired for
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 first
time in the hist ory of Jackson respectable
family is seemingly insulted, outraged and dis
graced. Colonel Yerger was in Memphis at
proceeding would have been o Deep bitter,
CALLING humiliation; to man Of Yerger's tenn
perament it was not merely maddening-it
| deplOre.
I have inquired Of many persons why Colo
mel Crane man uniformly we'll spoken OF.
could have acted in q tn this q Annfeeiins way, when
| for at least twice the amount Of these taxes.
am told that Colenel Crane was urged to do it.,
some say by those high in authority here; that
he was twitted with cowardice, that lac feared
to do his duty. &c. My own opinioa ia that
some base souls here enyious and crayen-
hearted sought the humiliation Of this family,
and ested not till it was accomplished through
official interference. but in su,h 4 way as to
save their own skins. The trouble was pro-
voked; worthy man and good officer has lost
his life. Why ] think it calamity, and no crime
punishable by law, I can tell in few sen-
during q recent visit made to jackson. ]
spent one dav at the barracks, where the 1iili
tnry commission is being held, and iistened to
pny y sio,ah ~ Or aSiity and GOOD standine1 and
who had for Inany years known Colonel Yer
some of the Authorizations he had bilnself WIT
messed and gave his opinion OF others that had
been deposed to by Others. He expressed his
conviction that there was but one rational
EXPLANATION: that it was case OF moral
mania. o arrangement Of the moral fannities,
but where the intellectual fa ,ulties were in d
4 great measure undsturhedss
i I confess that the testimony of this phys-
clan LET considerable light into my own mind
Iihad again and again heard of Yerger's ecce,,-
tr'ctties, but had not heard Of many OF the
nv. and which. occurring for the most part 10
his own house. had been kept from he public.
had known Of many Of his unpara' eled con-
ty.. used to laugh when my friend the ai1i.