, 1870-03-31
.MlsSISSIPPI.>
Yerger not q Political Martyr.
The Reason for His Voluntary
Retxl1:u to Jail.
The Comforts OF u Fclon's
Prison,

Htica1 history OF the country s1nce hne "a1~
With the particulars counectcd w:ah the killing
of JOSEPH @. C5ane, Of the United States
Army, 1t his hsnds, the public are fazni1iaz. It
has also watched With Intense interest the
progress OF the case, through ite. va1ious
phases from the verdict Of the CoEoner's jury
to the prisoners condemnation By : military
tribunal, the srrest Of Judgment thereon, and
the return Of the case To the civil courts OF
mississippi
From first to last, it would seem as thorgh
the caso had been adroitly managed, 10 30 keep
the prisoner before the public as sort II
representative man, hu embodiment, in fact,
of that fell spirit OF hatred aud malevolence
supposed to exist in the hearts Of tho clivalry
for those who wore the National blue, ~ to
eventually create sympathy III his behalf, ~
more political prisoner thar criminal, IN
fact That such has been the undeniabIs re-
suit, al least to much extent, in the manage
1nent Of his case, is evident to any discrimi-
nating mind.
To the public at home, in fact, the Ec,y prom
inence given the case al one Of nstioual im-
port, hid the actual criminal in the political
martyr. II WAS never, until his rendition to
the civil authorities, and his confinement in tho
County jail aa an ordinary felon, that the po-
ltical Prisoner WAS merged into the crimiual.
Thas the change il seriously felt, even by
tie prisoner himself, have renson to believe.
OF course your readers has hare heard OF his
escape from Jail, and Of his subsequent return
AID voluntary surrender OF himself aa rris-
one1 again. That he serioualy meditatel m
actual tiight from the country have not the
turn and present himself for tria1 At tho next
regular term OF court I can well belieTe. That
he iii. not intend to retuEn before TINT time
have reason to know, and have it from him
self, in fact, that at the time of his escape,
the arrangements were al perfected for hia
with those arrangements al completed aud
h:mself at perfect Freedom he returned TO bis
jail, after but few days absence, is matter
upon which 10 p1eva1icates and shows al eyi-
dent icsire to eya4le tho t1lth-
Nor do hia friends show any more readiness
to account for such a freak on his part tllan
liEu4cH. OF cou1ae, e1cuses are plenty, but {
common sense explanation il What the{ can
not OF will not afford. Ny own version OF tho
natter is that the explanation il founl IN the
following:
PnOCL TIOy.
*l,8aa REWARD.
WHEREAS, It appears by information received BY
IA, se y az we
Joseph G. Crane; and whereas, thr said Ed~Rrd
u, IerEer escaped from The jail OF Hln,1s County,
In the city Of jackson, On the 18th OF March, lsio
Now. taerciort:, i, James I. A1corn, Governor OF
Mississippi, do oer the above reward for the ar
s ,s sos 81 1as q eoap kn
require all of1cers Of his state to BE- .ilgen1 In
their efforts to arrest said fugitive.
Ssi i IF "ss: the s4at;. a. arixesi, n q. JACKSON,
! SEAL. thts 18th day of March, 1e;O, aud OF the
J sovereignty Of the sia,c, the ---.
t~--~ B5 the Governor:
JAxn LYNCH, Secretary Of State,
DsJ. .. "ERIfs, s,,.sE:,,,.,ox j.:
The atoyc naned Edward N. ferser ls about 6
feet HIGH weighs about It's pounds, Is muscular
IN appearance, tut nol hsoutiy hpt: Is Of q hand-
SINE Nfton: has daTk-bFnwnt curly hair, nearly
biaek; riustachc and Euatet slightly Frey, but
cvlGEc,l bsacE: has grey eycs; Is sehei!cnt anu
sttnewssa impressive In conversation; excessively
vain: i1riuIges freely in profanity. and is abou,
Il SeaEe Of age
Now, ut tho tituo OF the publication Of the
Above, }erger was without doubt in = noun
tam retreat, surrounded by tIusty friends;
and therefore comparatively FREQ from all
danger Of arrest. That in q proper disg1iise
he could have carried ont his original design
Of trip to New York, there is little doubt.
Had he been escaping from tic military il
would haye given him a certain eclat, that TO q
man OF his evident disposition would have
been rather gratifying than otherwise e;
IL "pulNs III AaCk1 nave NINEtA VI
sympathy in Lis behalf, and he would have
been looked upon. in tho main, ~ fleeing frou
political persecution. The publication Of the
Governors proclamation. however, brought tht
matter ho,ne to himself and friends in quite !
different light. A light from military tyrann!
Of his nntivc State wss one thing. Beius;t1unt
ed down by the agents Of those sell same laws
AZ 20 many bloo4lhnunds upon bis track, IL q
fugitive from justice, vas quite another affair
| II mas evident that j Hefious hlundcT Ind heer
made, and ferger FASTENED torcmedy the SAM
| as Lest he might, a,y u return and Toluntar,
surrender Of himself to the jailcr again.
Yesterday, for the g1ssiacation Of . natura
| curiueitx, 1sititcd him in tho County jail Ih
latter consists Of ti,npl, two-atory h11cl
| building OF ordinary strength, and pcthap
forty feet square. This Is surrounded by
fe,.vc OF. say eight feet in height, A glanc
ut The latter, With the reelection that tic prisone
was allowed the liberty Of the yafl, nnd tler
was no need Of wonder 1t his escape.
Our ticket admitted uH into what might NOR
propcrly be termed q comfortable room, Of
o}d-fsshioned fireplace impaired genis
warmth, while two farge Window, which, "
noticed, wc1e entirely free from those custom
atY appendsges 10 euggestvc OF an unwho!t
some restraint, AFFORDED an amount Of Ish
entirely oppossd to all cur precoucsised iiea
u D lE1ou CtAs ~ q CNAAN4 0kOt4 a LoA2AV4
able, wel-dreAsod bed; near by, \. stand coy
cred with looks and writing materials; sea-
tered about the rooru were several chairs, II
cluling courlc Of largo rockers; while At th
opposite end from tic bed was good -aize
table. Upon the eane Was basket we'll t1llc
With eoodly etore OF comforts for tho inns
man, a. we'll Is several glaasca, and. what Al
pcarcd from the variety Of bottles. fair Al
eortment Of Equors That the latter wero {
acceptable quality We were frequently assure
BY the prisoner, Il an itsdlcencnt to psttak
AZ we sat down the 1ailer closed tho door II
turning the key upon us,. Shortly alter
elderly uncle came IN, bringing with him Sc
his h2nds.
i little later. and a srriehtly eon Of II
bearing smother wcl1-dlle<l ,.ssket, and lott
Of line old sherry vine. Tho boy announce
his mother ~ soon 10 make her dai1y yiht,
also several other visitors for the Afternoon
amouE whom We noticed the name of Nj
l1ice, leading actress nuW here. ana cla1i
ing, with apparent pride, to be daughter
Missiseipli.
II is ttus secn that, barring little unwhot
: pcme restraint, the prisoner has little Of viii
to ccmrlain, in the way Of the comforts,
, least, if rot the Injuries Of lie.
We were received with the utmost coriialit
; ned an crident desire to create As favorable
| ard the surroundings would afford OF t
; general appearance Of the prisoner, it wou,
, he hatd, perhaps, to give 4 more correct d
! sctiption in = condemned form than that .
pended By the Secretary OF State 70 t
'.rroclanaiop' promulgated at The time
| the late escape
I The imrutation Of being Excessively vai1
however, IVES 1augllng1y alluded to vii
well. damn that jim Lynch, don't he kn
that vanity aud pride 60 hand in hand As l
cesea1y in making M ! mani"
q We could not. in view Of Al the cl1cu
: s:apceF, hut be fotei!ly struck with the peri,
ease anil geullemanly bearing 81 tho N:
r One could hnt forget the cell, and its conn
h tionf, and enter 1Eto the spirit OF s3cial int
= cou1sc with highly cultivated snd mast
mind. With the certain evidences Of m
, tensely nervous temperament; Of volcA
n ccn.1ol. had been rather forced to truition
C having heen retted and spoiled fsum fufaz
y to mature manhocd, Is child Of fortune, a
Of 4 family that assumed TO be Of right
!. ruling bfints Of Mississippi, it ~As easy
Il imagine the influences that prompted The II
:. ahot. Il..t hc is naturally Of cruel vins
tive uattlse no one at nj vetsed IN physyog'
?. nv will for 4 moment believe. His is si1o
~ y retzesent.ti~e csfe Of the fruition OF I
= sy,tem OF training and moral education
While naturally disposed to represent
a. hearings Of his case in As favorable Light
c, POSSIBLE, We found him disroeed, At the ).
i. trnc, to talk freely Of all that had occu1ed
mr. connection with himself.
J., :. ~ might be expected, WEle ho adrnlts
Killing, and tho circumstances in the u1aln
= tlaitei il, tbs Testimony, he Indignantly
" u 1:ies al i1nrut1tions Of intentional murder,
IL scouts tho itc& Of personal malice to*Ar
III mAn he had neyer previously met lie ciA;,
in fact, that he hal, since the Killing. been
he u to the world 1s representative man,
u cmlod;ment Of that fell spirit Of fsodish
ID tied supposed to exist in the heAtts ot tha L
inC men ot tho South for The agents Of
At euvernment; 70, therefose: be alone 1as sint
Si ! Gs,t ~ the one to he hn1nlilAtea, and force
S hoT IN abicrt submission to the illegal ba}
i. of m .rtoc1at'a vii. He insists that fro !
= | 6sts he has constantly been abused " Ii
~ s1.- -1Sr }n7 hE thx