Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-06-29
THE CRANE HOMICIDE.
Witnesses Examined on Twelfth and
Thirteenth Days.
From the Jackson Miss rri-Weekly

Judge L. V. Dixon said: I reside /
Memphis, Tenn; a lawyer by profes
sion; resided in Jackson a number {
years: I moved from here to Memphi
. in the fall of 1857. ! knew the pris
Oner; have known him since 1S45.
knew Charles Scott, formerly Chan
o cellOr of this State and uncle to ac
2 cllsed; he was my law partner from
: 1851 to the winter of 1860; | was ae
: quainted with the mental character 0
Judge Scott; Early in my acquaint
ance with him | was aware that he
was guilty of some eccentrieities Ot
manner, but | paid no attention to it:
did not think at the first observation
that there was anything in it but ec-
centricity of character: / had no
ticed from that time until 1853. |
think, Il am unable to state date pre-
cisely), when his wife died; from that
time forward ! observed it more than
| had before; my attention was then
directed toward it, for it became to be
OF a character to present itself to OBJ
servatiOn; he had fits of depression
in consequence of the death of his
wife, rs | supposed, and he had cor
responding periods of undue eXhilera-
NACAA VI AAAttAAAANA tlA HkNll-
| tai character; that continued. and
seemed to increase, and it oppressed
nm SO that he demanded a cancelling
OF our agreement of partnership,
Which objected to, but he insisted
upon it upon the ground that his men,
tai depression and the condition of
his mind was such that he could not
be Of any use to me and was but an
encumbrance, and it was his request
that our partnership should cease; /
objected to it, and said it did not make
any difference. In the fall or winter
OF 1860, he put an end to it absolutely
himself; said he could not submit to
II any longer; that he was an encum-
brance to me; that his mind was in
such condition that he could not la
bor protitably, though he remained i'm |
the Office with me till the time of his |
removal, in fact, till just before his !
delth. That fall he had a disease |
called break-bOne fever; he had |
that in my house, and was |
convalescing from it at the time |
l came home from my trip to Nir /
ginia. He was nj that time in con
siderable state Of depression. His
physical health grew better, but his
mind continued to be interrupted, un-
til, / think, about the middle or last
of January, 1861, his mind seemed alb
10 yield \ friend, Judge
Hill, found him one day in a cellar,
in state of perfect alteration of
mind, making violent geSticulatiOns,
and making q speech, as it We're, to
bis deceased wife. Judge Hill brought |
him out of the cellar, and whispered
10 me he was i'm terrible state, and
ought to be taken home. | was, at
the moment, engaged, and ! asked
Judge Hill To take him home, which
he did, and | followed as soon rs ]
,ould, and when | got there, l found
he was in Il state of maniacy. He.had
IN attendant on bimx DR.. Robert |
but l think ne only called | {
Is 4 friend. DIR. Shanks was the regu-
ar physician. | Ehund DR.. Shanks {
md DIR, Mitchell both with him when {
got there. He was raving some !
INES, and f2lnetimeS sgefRlfa faf
Hen he would groan, then jump up {
md wanted to go to town, desiring TO
cave the house; that increased upon {
lim. had to get up with him six or i
light times in the night, aSthe re- :
luest of his son, and go to where he
vas to be found on the street, with
nothing perhaps but an mdershirt ,
m, and his drawers, his feet naked; !
md one night particularly, when the /
srOund was frOZeIf<@fle was III the !
treet and refused to come into the ,
house at all until | induced him to T
ONE. He was led by me almost like ;
child; he oheyed me in almost {
| suggested to him. /
When he was first taken In this way, 4
md i'm the presence of those two 4
loctorS, one of whom is dead-Dr. 7
took up the impression !
hat he was in some way an aid to, Z
II belonged to, the staff If Gen. Win 4
ieid Scott, and that number of per- /
Ons, who We're in the rebellion against +
he Government, were surrounding /
he house, intending to burn il. and =
,urn him in it, and insisted on that !
dea, and nothing could withdraw !
lin from ii. | thought it was better g
o guide him. l saw il was maniacy 5
hat was on him; whether it was tenn {
,Orary or otherwise, | cannot sayS ! I
attempted rather to guide him in II {
han TO oppose him, aS he had been I
" his family before. | admitted to :
lin that he was then an aid to Gen. \
,cOtt, and that Gen. Scott had the !
,Ower to relieve him; and that all +
hat he had to do was to communicate :
o the General that he was in distress, !
md he would be relieved. | then i
vent into another room and wrote 2 ,
communication, and signed it "Gen-
raj Winfield Scott,n and addressing !
t 10 him, | took it into the room
Yhere he was, telling him to remain !
quiet, and that Gen. Scott Q
would send him a force that wOulNl 6
elieve him. He said he was satisfeA 5
hat would be so. fHe laid down con- t
ent for a time, ana slept, l suppose,
or a quarter or half an hour quietly. {
lie was in this condition of rather J
'iOlent maniacy from ten to fifteen |
LAYS; | cannot tell exactly how long; f
le was so until the physicians attend |
ng on him, by repeating medicines, In
i'm reducing his physical i
rame to quietneSs, at the expense of
lis strength; and he continued after 7
yetting up from that in a very weak !
tate, both physically and mentally, I
Until in April he remQYed Daok to /
his State, Shortly afterward, per- !
laps the first of June, heard he was !
lead / am not positive as to the j
precise time Judge Scott was Union |
nan, but like a great many Others, he |
yielded to the pressure of public Opin- ,
on; but l think he occupied the posi- Z
ion of resistance at the time, as Tar i
Is he hecOmprehended it. When he was !
n this condition Of violence, and an /
attempt was made to restrain him, he !
would make efforts u escape. On one ]
If these occasions a negro boy by the !
name of Charles, a house servant, re-
sisted his efforts to get out, he got to !
he front door and the boy resisted !
him by gentle force, and l think he j
Judge Scott got a hatehet and threat :,
Aned to kill the boy unless he got out ,
IF the way, and he was forced to let !
him pass. l got into the house about
he time he got out; he hadn't got /
Down the steps before I came through ,
rom the rear of the house; called to j
him and he Immediately came back, /
and for a time he lay on the bed. At !
another time he took up the idea that /
here was a number of persons about |