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

oou MiSS' Ct9tV" ~ oiio AoeAi Aii'e'
which gives a full account Of th'
killing of Col. Joseph G. Crane, 0
our army, at that place, on the stl
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
mcnt from the military commandan
and that he had ardered tho dis
traint of ,ne Yergcr's property, il
the following
NOTICE
BY virtue offs Warrant of Distress, dated thi.
4th day of June, 1860, to thetndersigned, Mar
shall of the city of Jackson, directed by thu
Honorable, the Mayor Of said city, have dis
trained and levied upon the hereinafter de
taxes due and in arrears by him to said city
and will proceed to sell In front of Broom'
store, in the city of jackson, Mississippi, o.
ON oae the hek sth DAY lo Of June, June A. d. is Within e
gal hours, the following described persona
property, levied on to satisfy the amount o
Stltl GtxeS. ana all coSts.
ONE PIAND.
w. s. FREEMAN, Marshal
Jackson, Miss, June 4th 1853.
The Clarion says:
When this property was attached
d. M. 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 arc in.
formed that DR.. Harrington, who,
after repeated solicitations, bore one
of these communications, finally con.
sented to do SO, with aspurpose in bis
mind, when explaining to Col. Crane
the intent Of Ycrger, 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, III prove it in
Court" recognized as Il. M. Yerger's
voice. Went TO the door. Yerger
and Crane were standing in front OF
w. J. 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
gor said want to3ell you one thing:
. you are God damned cowardly
puppy" Crane said: IL don't want
to have anything to do with you ex-
copt officially" and with a gesture of
his hand, started to walk off. Yer
ger struck his hand rudely and said:
stake 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, "go, 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 inhict inju-
ry on anything. When Crane struck
Yerger his (Cranc's) hat fell down
over his face. Yergcr 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 damned puppy" ran
out with Mr.. Thomas Green and
George Green; saw Col. Crane and
e. M. Yerger standing near each
othor. Col. Crane said, "You are
drunk and had better go home.f-
Mr.. Yerger said, 81 am not drunk
and to tell you that you are a damned
puppy" Crane said, II don't care
for you and will not have anything
to do with you." Yerger said, 81
telegraphed to you not to take ad
vantage of me during my absence,
at the samc time shaking his finger
don't know which hand, IN Cranes
face. Crane said, 81 did not take
advantage of you," and made a ges
ture with his hand. Yerger said
"take your hand out Of my face yor
damned cowardly son OF a bitch, a
tho same time striking Cranes hanC
down. Crane said, 81 don't know
you and don't want to have anything
to do with you except officially
At this time witness noticed that Mr.
Yerger had his right hand in his bo
som. Crane turned his back to MI
Yerger and took one step up street
Yerger pushed him and said, "Go
you damned dog" Crane wheelet
round and struck Yerger with
" alking stick, they then chnched
and Yerger drew u 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 partie.
Crane fell and Yerger stepped ou
| and threw the knife at Crane, say
| ing, "Now, you damned dog, yo
| struck me, or, "what did you striI1
me for Witness could not idcntif
the knife--did not see it except i
Yereers hands, -at the time though
it was "thug" kniie. .
In connection with the foregoin;
| we will reproduce tho following Q:
| tract from an article in the Pill
| newspaper, relating TO the affair: