The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-06-17

For HkuIIng Joseph e. Crane OeiO''
m Military Commission.
FOURTH DAY.

10y ny Were YOU acquainted with Col. Crane :
! - Do YOU know his first name!
! x. Joseph g., think. ...,iory
| ~ DO YOU know his rank or stalion
<. He was acting Mayor and called Oolo-
he Is Colonel Crane living or dead9
| < lie was dead the lat time saw hip''
| at least thought he was. -, t.,,,,,
/ ~ DO YOU know anything of the clIeuiH,II
stances attending his death II 30 9'''
So4a ! came out OF tire Clarion office about
/ on. o'clock. probably a little alter, on tues
/ dav last met Col. Crane at the ooot ~
came out; passed MIN Win son NE 80 the
| about the weather; | went around W the
| hank hurriedly left Col. Crane on the street
/ I had been In the bank few minutes wheh
/ heard some one say, =" on are uS Iln's'.
nnnnv- ran out with Mr.. Thomas Green
| aanS Gaor0e q reen saw Col. Crane and r. M
/ Yerger standing near each other, just ABOVE
i Rro1n's store, ten or fifteen feet, / suppose.
/ Inst as got TO the door heard Col. crane
saw, "You are drunk and had peter X
! bcme" Mr.. Yerger said, Il am not drunk,
| and want TO tell you that you arc damned
nunnv.D Col. Crane said, Il don't know
YOU and don't want 70 have anything 70 90
/ with YOU" 1erger said i telegIapheu ~
| Won not to take advantage of me during my
| Absence" at the same time shaking ms nm
| ger In Cranes face. Crane said, Il dld not
! take advantage of you" ana made gesture
with his hand. Nerger SAID take your manu- :,
out OF my face, you damned son Of Bitch
| al tile same time striking Cranes hand down.
! Crane said, Il don't know you' anu uohL
| want 10 have anything TO DO win you eA-
cept officially" and turned on up street.
| had either taken step or was about 70 90 So
| when Mr.. Yerger pushed him by the shoulder
! and said so YOU damned dog" Col Crane
wheeled and struck Mr.. Yerger with a walk
ing stick, on the shoulder when
| glanced up striking 1erger, as
| the neck they then ClluGn
ed, and Mr.. Nerger drew knife ana COM
menced cutting at Col. Crane. MI. crane
| caught Mr.. lerger's arm that held the knife
between wrist and elbow, and held u awhile
they were still struggling. MIR. 1erger jerk
ed his arm away and struck Col. Crane in
the back. Mr.. 1erger pushed Col. Crane
! back into Browns store, cutting At him hs
| he went back; L could see nothing but the
back of Mr.. YeTger, aud the arms of both
parties after they got into the store; after a
| few moments Mr.. Nergel stepped out and
threw the knife at Col. Crane, who could
! then see lying on the floor, saying NOW,
! you damnedmlog, you struck me" or what
what did you strike me for2' / then went
! into the ba.k.
| Cross EXAMINED: II could not have
| sworn to the voice that said 'you damned
| puppy"-I thought after i came out and saw
| Mr.. YergeT and heard him use the same eN-
| preston. that he was the party who had
used it in the first instance. The stick was
| a small one, black or dark color, can't be
! DDslllNts IL W a. "A HulilA W hAhilE FhANh hARAN
the size of my thumb atone end and smaller
| at the other. lie struck MIR. lergsr with the
| small end. This stroke was not given until
after Mr.. Herger had pushed Col. Cranes
| arm down aud Immediately after MIR. YER
ger had pushed him up the street. Col.
Crane was wheeling around when the blow
was struck. 1 only saw the knife while Ia
his. hand and passing through the air as lac
| threw IL nc Col. Crane. Alter the knife was
drawn | saw MI. \ erger make three or four
| licks at Col. Crane before Crane caught his
| arm. He made equally as many attempts II
not more, while Col. Crane held his
arm. After he jerked loose he then
closed up to Col. Crane and struck him Ia
the back; they then scuilied into Browns
store after they were In there / saw Mr..
| Herger's arm come out once or twice. Did
not see any blows Ia the breast, saw him
! cutting at him, think the first blow was In
the back. If there was any lick In the
! breast / did not see il, IL must have been /
while they were inBrOwn's store. When the /
| knife was drawn Mr. Herger was half between /
| me and Col. Crane, and 1 could see (rane's /
| side and front, and Ierger's back-after /
| Col. Crane caught Mr.. 1erger's arm they |
came toward me each with side 10 me, un- \
til Mr.. Yerger jerked away. | think that !
saw all that occurred while the parties were |
clenched. The first stroke of the knife did |
not take effect but glanced down by Col.
Cranes side. | observed that the, knife /
looked bright prior TO the stabbing, looked
dark afterwards, This all occurred on
city ofJackson, County of Kinds, State Of
Mississippi.
To Question by defense:
The Clarion office Is on the corner Of Cap
itol and President streets; the next street
east Is State street, running parallel with
President street. The difficulty occurred on
State street south OF Capitol; commenced
about 20 feet from the corner. Col. Crane
was going east when | saw him on Capitol
stree, and did not see him again tell came
out of the bank. went directly 20 the bank
after passing Col. Crane, and IL could not
have been exceeding ten minutes until
heard the words "yOu are a damned puppy
To Questions by Commission:
When l saw Col. Crane lying In Browns
store after Mr.. Ierger threw the knife did
not know whether he was alive or dead, did
not look into his face. but he was motions
less he might have been breathing
/ have no idea what kind Of wood
walking canes are usually made Of. When
the scutile was going on In Browns store i
saw Mr.. Nerger's arm come out once or twice
and the knife was In his hand
TESTIMONY OF THOMAS GREEN.
By prosecutions
q. DO You know the prisoners
A. Yes, sir.
q. State his name.
a. +. NJ. Yerger.
q. Were you present at any difficulty ~
which he was engaged during the present
month";
A. was not, at least not at the beginning.
q. State all you know In reference TO the
case.
A. was sitting at my desk In our bank
ing Office, when | heard angry words, and
the ex pression "you damned cOwardly pup
py." / then went 10 the north front door Of
our Office and saw Mr.. T.. NJ Yerger and Col.
Crane standing very close together. Mr..
Yerger was talking very excitedly 70 Col.
Crane, and with my construction of the Ian
guage IL was very abusive. / think the
only remark heard Col. Crane make was
that he did not regard Mr.. Yerger at all.
After some talk by both parties Col Crane
turned around TO leave, as / thought, when
Mr. Yerger took him by the right arm aud
showed him and said Ego, Cd d-n you"
Col. Crane had small bambOobriar, think /
it was for walking stick, and turned aud
struck Mr.. Yerger one lick across the shout
der or neck with the stick-the effort caused
Col. Cranes hat TO fall over his eyes. Mr..
Yerger then drew his knife and struck at
Col. Crane the blows took effect just Ia left
OF back below the shoulder blade. saw
two or three other blows made. and as
thought, an effort TO get the knife into MS
back just about the small Of his back and |
not being able to prevent the fatal result OF
the difficulty, turned around and walked
back into the office, not wishing 70 witness
It further.
Cross ExAMnED.-When first observed
the parties Mr.. Yerger stood with his back
TO the curb-stone, Mr. Crane with his back
to Browns store. When Mr.. 1erger ad-
dressed Col. Crane he had his right hand la
his bosom and was ReStlculatlnR WIN ms
Left hand. He drew the knife from his DO
som. The words, ~danned cowardly pup
py,"were repeated, l think, after got 20 the
door. do not think the parties had touch
ed each other until Mr.. Herger pushed Coi.
Crane; saw Col. Crane gesticulating win
his left hand; the position of the partles 10
each other were, Crane, north-"ssL 1erker