The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-03-26
Escape of VI. E. Yrrger He
f.eayc~ the Jail i'm the Heart of
the City after Daylight and is
mot Detected.

|
We copy as follows from the Eiclzs
burg Herald of the 18th:
JACKSON, March 13, 1S7O.-About
sunrise this morning the news spread
fa- and wide over jackson that ED
Yerger had escaped" Ofcourse, every
body was on the qui uire to learn how
when and by what assistance, for it was
not deemed possible that he could eS-
cape unaided. A brief resume of his
manner of confinement and treatment
will not here be inappropriate.
When Mr.. Yerger Vas first tran ferred
to the civil authorities by the military,
he was wrath that he should be con-
fined in the common cells of the Jail,
and the Sheriff, Capt. Lake. on the prom
isc of Mr. Ycrger aud his friends that
he would not attempt to escape, allowed
him (Yerger) 10 have the freedom OF the
jail-ya~d, and to sleep at night in one
of the rooms fitted up for the attaches
of the Jail. This was pending his ap-
plcation for writ of habcas corpus.
On Yesterday the application for 4 writ
was postponed to I'd Monday i'll April,
as reported by telegraph, and the Sher-
if WIS notified by Mr. Yergcr's friends
that they would no longer pledge their
honor in consideration Of the privileges
heretofore allowed him, but Mr.. Lake
had confidence and sill accorded to the
prisoner privileges as heretofore, not
witllstanding he was heard to say last
evening that he would escape if possible.
He is known to have addressed a note
to an eminent legal gentleman last night
after dark, asking an interview, but the
interview was MOI granted, on the ground
that the gentleman had no connection
with the case up to that time, and it would
be unprofessional to take hold oft at this
late day.
But to the escape, the first publicity
If the matter was an hour after daylight,
when two gentleman coming from mar
ket met the Sheriff on the street, going
TO the Jail, (Which is situated directly
beside and over the market) when he
the Sheriff-remarked, " Yerger had
escaped" Surprise was natural con-
sequence on the part of his auditors,
and naturally caused questioning as to
the facts of the affair the Sheriff had
not the information in. detail himself
and the parties returned TO the Jail to
learn ALL The Sheriff rang the gate
bell of the Jail, when the jailer and two
other white men appeared, perfectly
cuol and collected, not seemingly excited
to the highest degree, and when asked
how long Yerger had been gone, the
iailer replied, "Oh! half an hour, OIL
perhaps an hour" and this was in thirty
feet of the market house,, where there
had been crowds of marketers from
o'clock, aud it was now near c
O'Clock. When asked tor particulars
he show ed where a barrel had been
placed on end close up beside the fence
on the top of which had been placed
box from which it was presumed thai
he had escaped. but when it is knowr
that standing on the box and barrel
and reaching as hiy', as he could, it was
still some three or four feet to the toy
of the fence, the statement will hardly
hold water to say the least, it il rather
threadbare
The public seem little concerned, ex
cept from natural curiosity, at such 6
feat. The jailer and his associates are
recently discharged United States sol
diers, and are in hearty accord will
the men charged with the consolidation
in this State of the work of recon>truc
ton. Several parties are out securing
he surrounding country, with view te
arrestiug Y-rger.
The f,lIowilfg additional particulars
we obtain from the jackson Clarion Of
the 18th:
After the proceedings of Saturday
and the threat of the prisoner to escape
the Sheriff was notified by his c6unse
that they would no longer be re~ponsi
ble for his remaining in confinement
Acting upon this notice. Sheriff Lake
and his deputy visited the Jail about
II o'clock on Saturday night, with a
view of securely locking up the prison.
er They found him insenible from
drink, or feignedly so, and could not
remove him to cell without lifting him
bodily. They very reasonably conclu.
dcd that he would be harmless unit
morning, and SO left him. For all
this, and the general management Of
the jail, Sheriff Lake has been the sub,
iect of much gross and absurd abuse
| We are no champion Of his or of any 9th.
er appointee of the late Gen. Ames, but
occupying an important public Office, as
he does, we are surprised to see such
Wholesale denunciation of him from a
quarter whtre,h his loyalty should have been
better understood and better appr- ciated
The appointment of Mr., Lake to the
office of Sheriff was only one of many
ou,rages perpetratad on our people, bu,
that he has net been efficient and faith
full in the discharge of his duties. has
been first discovered by brethren of hi,
own political household. Incur opinion
Mr Lake did precisely what any other
sheriff would have done with any Other
prisoner alike charged before the law.
when importuned by spectacle and res.
pon>ible consel, and when like pledges fol
good faith ON the part of the prisoner
were made him; but certainly there ap
| ears no ground for erimina! connivance
on the part Of the Sheriff as has been nm.
charitably, and, we believe, unjustly in
81 nuated against him.
The prisoner left the Jail about five
o'clock M, having evidently scaled
the high fence by the aid Of barrel