New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-03-18
THE ESCAPE OF YERGEKs.
H,a Iunecnra Cnstody.

The Vicksburg Herald of the fifteenth
instant furnishes this report of the escape of.
Z. III. Yerger, which has previously been
mentioned by telegraph: 's
JACKSON, March Is, 1s70.-About sunrise
this morning the news spread far and wide
over jackson that ED. Yerger had escaped
OF course, everybody was On the qua Care TO
learn how, when and by what assistance,
for it was not deemed possible that he could
escape unaided. A brief resume OF his man
ner of confinement and treatment will not
here be inappropriate.
When Mr.. Yerger was first transferred to-
the civil authorities by the military, he was
wrathy that he should be confined in the
common cells of the jail, and the Sheriff,
Captain Lake, on the promise of Mr.. Yerger
and his friends that he would not attempt TO
escape, allowed him (Yerger) to have the
freedom of the Jail yard, and to sleep at
night in one of the rooms fitted up for at
taches of the jail. This was pending his
application for a writ of habeas corpus.
On yesterday the application for a.writ
was postponed to second Monday in April,
as reported by telegraph, and the Sheria
was notified by Yerger's friends that they
, would no longer pledge their honor in con-
siderati11 or the privileges heretofore
allowed him. but Mr. Lake had confidence,
and still accorded to the prisoner privileges
I as heretofore, notwithstanding he was heard
TO say last evening that he would escape il
possible. He is known to have addressed q
note to an eminent legal gentleman last
night, after dark, asking an interview, but
the interview was not granted, on the
ground that the gentleman had no connec-
tion with the case up to that time, and it
would be uDprotessional to take hold of it
at this late day.
But to the escape, the first publicity OF
the matter was an hour after daylight, when
two gentlemen coming from market met the
Sheriff on The street, going to the Jail (Which
is situated directly beside and over the mar
ket), when he, the Sheriff, remarked, "Yer-
ger has escaped Surprise was natural.
consequence on the part of his auditors,
and naturally caused questioning as to the
facts of the affair; the Sheriff had not the in
formation 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 cool and collected, not seemingly
excited to the highest degree, and when
asked how long Yerger had been gone, the
jailer replied, 'Oh! half an hour, or perhaps
an hour" and this within thirty feet of the
markethouse, where there had been crowds.
of marketers from three o'clock, and it was
row near six O'Clock. When asked for
particulars, he showed where barrel had
been placed on end close up behind the.
fence, on top of which had been placed
box from which it was presumed that he
escaped, but when it is known that standing
on the box and barrel, and reaching as high
as he could, it was still some three or four
feet to the top of the fence, the statement
VIII hardly hold water; to say the least, it is
rather thread bare
The public seem little concerned, except
from natural curiosity at such feat. The
jailer and his associates are recently dis
charged United States soldiers, and are in
hearty accord with the men charged with
the consolidation, in this State, of the work
OF reconstruction. Several parties are ont
securing the surrounding country with q
view to arresting Yerger.