Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-24
Yerger's Freaks and FOllieS :
"reminiscences OF His Youth.
Morally and Legally lrreSpOnSi-
BILE for the Crime Committed.
Yerger not q Type Of a South
ern Man.
Letter from an Old Friend OF
the Family.

Il
| VIcKsBURG, July Is, 1SG9.-Will you
allow a Missssippian, who knows some
thing of the facts OF the case, and good
deal of the Yerger family and the ante
cedents of Edward NJ. Yerger, to tell
you few things that will go to show
First, That the homicide had not
the slightest political or sectional signif,
canoe.
Secondly, That it is not crime to be
punished; and --.
Lastly, That it is calamity which
ought to have been prevented.
The Yerger family is numerous one,
of the best standing and more than
usually intelligent. The madness Of
Colonel Yerger and this eliminating
trouble will not eclipse it. Edwards
father was, without exception, one of the
best of men. If he had fault, it was
indulgence of this youth. The boy was
bright, and in make and department such
as would delight fathers heart and
crafty his pride.
From twenty to twenty-five Ed. Yer
ger was the Chesterfield Of Mississippi,
and in dress a Beau Brummell. Those
who remember him will readily admit,
that, if not the handsomest, he was the
best and most exquisitely dressed man
in Mississippi. His fine person, bearing
and style were just sufficiently temper
ed with a love of appreciation, to tone
down the imperiousness of an almost
overpowing vanity. Yet he was not
fair representative of our Southern youth;
he had vastly too much conceit. 1t fills
me with something akin to scorn for the
man, when | think of the thousands Of
thousands of our youth, with his graces
Of person, with more than his culture, and
a thousand fold more honor and courage
| Gas after events proved,) the pride of
our homes, the hope Of our heats, who
were literally swept from the earth in
! their devotion to the Southern cause,
during our calamitous struggle; but l
have promised you facts, not sentiments.
Before the war Col. Yerger conducted
things in great state. The turn>out he
provided for Mrs. Yerger was finely ap.
pointed. lie was never to be seen in
nv lady's carriage. He himself drove a
| splendid team, with liveried servants
| and appointments to match. His house,
still standing, is fine one, perhaps the
largest, except the executive mansion,
that Grant and Sherman left.
Colonel Yerger's family, in wealth and
position, was among the first. How, |
know not, whether the war, or his news
paper enterprises, or both combined, but
| certain it is that this branch of the \ er-
ger family is now poor. Herger has, till
| this trouble, lived in his fine home, but
| | verify believe that his refusal 70 pay
his taxes arose from sheer inability. |
think that it may have been said with
| truth that, before the unfortunate occur
renee, Colonel erger's family was the
poorest and proudest in Jackson. OF
course, mean relatively. A man who
needs fifteen thousand dollars year &c
keep up his establishment, and who
could only, with the most stingy econO~
nv. do it on ten thousand, but who has to
do it in some way or other on five thou
sand or less, is poor indeed. This was
Yerger's condition.
Now secall the circumstances attending
the seizure of the piano. A respectable
and leading family, with their just pride
and associations, owing some three or four
hundred dollars delinquent taxes, but
believing in a counter claim ofat least the
amount, for damages done their property
by an overflow, for which the city was
supposed to be responsible. The Sheriff
and officers of the law, armed with the
Mayors authority, with an express cart
and a sufficient number of aids hired for
the occasion, force an entrance to the
house. The household is heightened, the
piano, q cherished instrument, owned by
the wife before her marriage, is seized
and for the first time in the history o
Jackson respectable family is seemingly
insulted, outraged and disgraced. Col
Yerger was in Memphis at the time. IL
a man Of ordinary type such a proceed
ing would have been a deep, bitter
calling humiliation; to a man OF erger':
temperament it was not merely madden
| ing-it made him mac, and the result i
what we now deplore.
| have inquired of many persons VIII y
Col. Crane, a man uniformly well Spoken
of could have acted in this unfeelinl
way. when Y erger had n bona .fde CLAIM
against the city for at least twice tn
! amount of these taxes. | am told tina
Col. Crane was urged to do it, some sa.
by those high in authority here; that h
was twitted with cOwardice, that h
! fea ed TO do his duty, etc. My Owl
opinion is that some base souls here
: envious and craven hearted, sought th
humiliation of this family, and rested no
till it was accomplished through Otlicia
interference, but in such way as TO say
their own skins. The trouble was pro
= voked; a worthy man and good office
: has lost his life. Why ! think it
J calamity, and no crime punishable b.
law, can tellin few sentences.
!; During a recent visit | made to Jack
, son, | spent one day at the barrack
~ where the military commission is beip
= held, and listened to the testimony I
. | one Of the medical experts, a physical
of ability and good standing, and who ha
for MANY years known Colonel Verge
a and his kindred. The physician detaile
. some Of the hallucinatiOns he had hin
: self witnessed, and gave his opinion
! others that had been deposed to b
q others. He expressed his conviction tn:
- there WIS but one rational explanation
;, that it was case of moral mlnia, de
# rangement of the moral faculties, b,
- where the intellectual faculties were in
great measure undisturbed.
confess that the testimony OF tn
II physician let considerable light into n
re own mind. had again and again heal
:, of Y erger's eccentricities, bul | had M
n | boor1 IF ruonv oc the Absolutely Graz
IS acts, detailed in the testimony, an
m which, occurring for the most part in h
], own house, had been kept from Il
ne public. had known of many OF his u
ID psralleled cOnceits, and, as | suppos
superabounding vanity. | used to laus
when my friend, the editor of he Mel
t. mis-, would repeat to me dispatch'
ye he occasionally received from this genlu
re The usual strain ran thus: Colonel
IN NJ. Yerger, the undoubted leader OF L
in Mississippi press, has announced his i
d. tenti,n." etc. "Colonel Z. M. Verge
in of Jackson, whose position is head OF
party, and whose unquestoned ability
etc. Poor Yerger .
oc At the time the Democratic convent
of was held in New York, heard OF sou
&c of the unaccountable concerts OF i
IA Yerger, concerts now solved, but II
I'm came ve,y near breeding grave dE"U
Mt hances at the time. Gen. Freeman, r
ne other delegates from this State, felt sol
ostouishment and no little annoya1