The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-06-24
A Southern Homicide.

son MlSS.) CtuftOU VI tHo 1Otit iuSe.
which gives q full account of th,
killing of Col. Joseph G. Crane, Q
our army, at that place, on the 8tl
instant. .
1t seems that Col. Crane, Commits
sary of Subsistence of tho 4th Mill
tary District, was acting Mayor o
Jackson, by virtue Of an appoint
mont from the military commandan
and that he had ardered tho dis
traint of one Yergcr's property, il
the following
By virtue of Warrant ofDistress, dated thi
18th day Of June, 1869, to theundersigned, Mar
Honorable, the Mayor ofsaid city, 1 have dis
trained and levied upon the hereinafter de
scribed personal property Of Z. NJ. Yerger, To-
and will proceed to sell in front of Broom
store, in the city of jackson, Mississippi. q
public cutlery, for cash, to the highest bidder
gal hours, the following described persona
property, levied on to satisfy the amount o
said taxes. and all costs:
ONE PIANO.
w. s. FREEMAN, Marshal.
Jackson. Miss, June 4th 1869.
The Clarion says:
When this property was attached
Il. NJ. Yerger was in Memphis. Or
his return, Tuesday morning, he sent
several messages to Col. Crane, the
purport of which was an invitation
to meet him on the street, Invested
Of his official character, in order to
give him satisfaction fol- what he es
teemed to be an affront. We are in.
formed that DR.. Harrington, who
after repeated solicitations, bore one
of these communications, finally con.
scented to do SO, with apurpose in his
mind, when explaining to Col. Crane
the intent Of Yerger, to advise him
not to go upon the streets, and that
he did SO, stating that Yerger was
armed and that his passions were
greatly intensified by liquor.
The following, from one of the
witnesses, will give fair idea of the
particulars OF the brutal murder:
THOMAS GREEN, SWORN.
Was in the bank--heard angry
words and the expression "God damn
ed cowardly puppy, I'll prove il in
Court" recognized as E. M. Yerger's
voice. Went to the door. Yerger
and Crane were standing in front OF
w. ]. Browns grocery store. Yer
ger was abusing Cranes using very
hard language said Crane had taken
advantage Of his absence. Yerger
was standing with his hands on his
breast under his coat. Crane said he
had not taken advantage Of him he
had waited reasonable time. Yer
gcr said I want tosell you one thing:
Z you are God damned cowardly
puppy" Crane said: ~ don't want
to have anything to do with you ex.
cept officially" and with a gesture of
his hand, started to walk off. Yer
ger struck his hand rudely and said:
'stako your damned hand out of my
face. Yerger then used other hard
language, when Crane again said
II don't want anything to do with
you, Col. Yerger, except officially"
and turned and started off. Ycrger
caught hold of his arm, gave him a
shove and said, ego, you damned
dog. Crane struck back with the
small cane he carried, with the small
end, striking Yerger on the neck
cane not large enough to infict inju-
ry on anything. When Crane struck
Ycrger his (Crane's) hat fell down
over his face. 1erger Immediately
struck him with . knife--thinks he
struck Crane in the back or side,
then put his arm around Crane and
was trying to cut him in the back,
about the small part of the back
Saw that Yerger was going to cut
him all to pieces--did not want to
see it done, so went back into the
bank.
Another witness, Barksdale, swore
as follows:
Came out of Clarion office and met
Col. Crane, passed him with usual
salutations, and went into Green's
bank; while there heard some one
say, aYou are a damned puppy" ran
out with Mr.. Thomas Green and
George Green; saw Col. Crane and
II. NJ. Yerger standing near each
othor. Col. Crane said, "You are
drunk and had better go home.''-
Mr.. Yerger said, II am not drunk
and to tell you that you are damned
puppy" Crane said, II don't care
for you and will not have anything
to do with you" Yerger said, 81
telegraphcd to you not to take ad
vantage of me during my absence,
at tho Same time shaking his finger
don't know which hand, IN Cranes
face. Crane said, IL did not take
advantage of you" and made q ges
ture with his hand. Yerger said
"take your hand out of my face yor
damned cowardly son OF a bitch, a
the Same time striking Cranes hant
down. Crane said, II don't know
you and don't want to have anythin.
to do with you except officially" >
At this time witness noticed that Mr.
Yerger had his right hand in his BIO
som. Crane turned his back to Nh
Ycrger and took one step up street
Yerger pushed him and said, "Go
you damned dog" Crane wheolet
round and struck Yerger with
alking stick, they then chnched
and Yerger drew knife and com
menced cutting at Col. Crane. Gran
caught Yerger's arm and held i
awhile: they were still struggling
Yerger jerked his arm away an'
struck Crane in the back at thi
time Crane backed into Brown
store; the parties struggled just ii
side of the door. Witness could sc
nothing but the arms of the parties
Crane fell and lerger stepped GU
and threw the knife at Crane, say
ing, "Now, you damned dog, 70
struck me, or, "what did you strik
me for" Witness could not identif
the knife-did not see ii except i
Yereer's hands, at the time though
| it was thug" knife. .
In connection with the foregoin!
we win reproduce the following g:
tract from an article in the Pl
newspaper, relating 10 the affair: