The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-07-08
TRIAL OLE. YERGER.
Before a Military Commission, for
the KILLING OF Joseph 6. Crane.
SIXTEENTH DAY.
MONDAY, June n, 1859.

SIXTEENTH DAY.
MoSDAY, June n, 1859.
TESTIMONY OF cHAs E HOOKER.
reside in Jackson; have known prisoner
for about fifteen or twenty years l was IN at
tenda nee on the late Commercial Convention at
two Memphis When / reached there we
stopped at the same hotel, the OvertoR House
He was appointed Chairman of the Committee
on Immigration. He had gone there in that
particular interest, | understood. The report
on that subject was not made till the night of
the adjournment of the Convention. After the
adjournment of the Convention 1 was at the
Hotel about II O'Clock at night, when the sc-
eused came in accompanied by Mr.. Ierger Of
Memphis, and Col. Sale | was about obtaining
my key from the office to retire for the night
he threw up his arms in a very excited manner
and said to me, stop a moment, stay and see
me cane that man, let come in at that door
way, pointing to the front door of the hotel;
his manner unusually excited and his eye
flashing as he spoke. | spoke 10 him, endea-
yoring to paeify him, and said if there was any
difficulty between himself and that person, he
had better defer it till the morning remained
a few moments in the office and then retired
to my room. The next morning L met BIN In
the office still laboring under the same excite
ment, with two letters in his hand one of which
was "A letter sent about II or o clock to this
gentleman and the other his reply Previous
to going TO the Convention, / encountered the
accused at the corner of State street just oppo-
site the Capitol it was probably three or four
weeks before the assemblage of this Conven-
ton. He said to me, holding letter IN has
hand that he had lust received information
that million of dollars had been placed to his
credit in New Y ork and that he could command,
but for the unsettled condition of the country,
"a millions of dollars IN aid of this enterprises
he had repeatedly said that he would be able
TO make the fortunes of himselfand his friends,
and he wished me TO take an interest IN the
scheme which he never explained to me, but
spoke of it in general terms. am notaware
that he developed his scheme at Memphis; he
made his report on the night the Convention
adjourned. stating that II was In the hand
writing of Mr.. Clapp; he read the report with
some difficulty, and made a few remarks to
the Convention in support of it said to him
that morning that unless his report was made
the Convention would probable adjourn that
day | was astonished at his dilatoriness, for
knew ii was matter in which he took great
interest and feeling some interest In II my SELL
| was anxious to have the report made; he had
evidently drank some but he was not drunk
thought his excitement to be attributed
TO his aroused angry feeling toward the person
he expected to cane in the hotel; L saw him
probably daily during the sitting of the Con-
ventiOn he not intoxicated at any time
saw him; have had occasion from my knowl-
edge of and acquaintance with him, to know
that he has 4 very great proneness TO get INTO
personal difficulties when he thinks his rights
aer invaded or in vindication of his honor; he has
one or two occasions sent for me when en-
gagged in personal difficulties, and found some
four or five gentlemen there, and suppose for
letters 10 the person with whom he had the dlth-
Guilty; he would write letter and then destroy
ir he seemed engrOssed in the verbiage and
would lose sight of the gravity of the difficulty
which was about to occur between himself and
the person with whom he was holding the cor
respondence; this manner has been noted by
me frequently. 1t was certainly more than
ordinary constituencies that had ever seen in
other persons; l have observed a very great
tendency TO exaggeratiOn in connection with
this immigration scheme which seemed to
engross his attention for some time; | have
noticed very great tendency to magnify caus-
of offense and TO create difficulties out of
trivial causes that ordinary persons would
pass by, and the frequency of these difficulties
have led to this opinion in my mind from my
knowledge of the numerous difficulties he had
with various persons, and from my intercourse
with him pending those difficulties, / have
looked upon him in reference to matters of
that sort man not of sound mind. He
creates difficulties about matters that ordinary
persons would not, and pursues them with
good deal of vehemenee, not called for by the
occasion. | have frequently endeavOred TO
restrain him when engaged in such difficult
ties.
By Judge Advocate:
never examined the immigration scheme
| never read the letter referred to- received
two or three weeks before the sitting of the
Convention; he held the letter in his hand and
the remarks he made were addressed to some
half dozen other persons; i know of no offer
of money contained in the letter think when
a very trivial cause will excite him; when
aroused and under the impression that his
rights arc invaded or his honor assail he is
"A man of considerable violence; he is a man
that lives freely; he not what you would
term drunk the occasion at Memphis; he
walked erect, and there were none of the indi-
cations of drunken man about his carriage,
his language or his demeanor; L think he
drinks literally In my opinion man may be
considered drunk who waivers in his walk, or
by wildness and incoherency in his speech, L
should recognize him as a drunken man |
think in many cases it is hard to tell when
man is under the influence of liquor there
may be peculiar temperments or constitutions
when the brain would be excited by liquor,
and it would not be shown by staggering; l
should think that turbulent, bullying, vio-
lent disposition mig ht exist without unsound-
ness of mind.
Col Yerger was an editor at one time; his
articles written as an editor not superior
to those of other persons engaged in that pur-
suit or calling; he was diffuse writer rather
than otherwise, at least so regarded him.
By the Commission:
A person may be very much under the in
fiuence of liquor and have his actions affected
by it without necessarily, in all cases, evinc-
ing it by staggering or being what you call
drunk.
TESTIMONY OF D. p. PORTER.
l reside near Jackson; am acquainted with
the accused; l have known him terms of
more or less intimacy, since 1856; served
with him on the Democratic Central Executive
Committee, last summer. In political matters
the Committee would be discussing the best
line of policy for the success of the party, and
if he was opposed by the Committee, he would
take exceptions as though the opposition was
aimed personally at HIMSELF some members
of the Committee, he thought were personally
opposed to him, and when they opposed his
views on some point, he expressed himself to
me if it done in order to keep him I'M
der, politically, and he thought other members
of the Committee were under the influence of
those who irving q keen him down L
believe he made a very strong effort to have
an electoral ticket nominated by this Commit
tee; he would call a convention for that pur-
pose; there were several who opposed it, and
he thought the opposition was personal against
himself; he thought that he would probably be
an elector- He was of opinion that they de-
clined to put an electoral ticket in the field
because they did Mt wish to put him on it his
views in reference to the action of the Com
mittee in shaping the policy of the party,
whether it had direct bearing upon him or
upon general matters, he always construed as
having direct bearing on him. l have heard
him speak of this scheme Of his immigration,
IN very extravagant terms. He invited
me to go to his house and he would explain it
all TO me, but never went, however. My re-
collection now is, that he had two or three mil
lions of dollars, forget which, offered him by
different parties to carry ont the scheme, and
that he was told by other parties that 1t was the
most magnificent affair that had ever been
contemplated by man. His language was as
extrayagant as that, but do not now remem-
Der MS exact words; and ne SAID ne had Deen
told by one individual that it bespoke him TO
be the greatest man of his name that was the
purport of it. In speaking of his political sa
gacity and his requirements, his tendency was
to greatly exaggerate; inferred from his con-
versation with time and again, that he
thought he was the greatest man in the country.
He had number Of conversations with me IN
reference to the action of the Convention last
summer in New York; the burden of il all was,
as 1 can best remember, that he was good
deal elated at having received more attention,
both private and public, than any delegate
from Mississippi, or probably than all the dele
gates put together, and he thought the atten-
ton paid him was enyied by those who were