Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-05-18
n.EGER's LAST,
The Dead Hickman buried aud
His Alleged Ala3er ia Jail.

The Dead Htacktnau Buried aud
His Alleged Slayer ia J.rI.
The young man Layton Proctor,
implicated in the killing of John
Leger, bad a partial examination yes.
terday before Esquire Egnew. He
was admitted to bail in the sum of
$1,000, Mr.. John Scheibler and Chas
Kuey signing his bond. A bench war
ran issued by Judge Horrigan sub
sequcntly. caused his rearrest, and
consignment to Jail. 1t is claimed by
the friends of Proctor that he is a
quiet and very inoffensive youth, and
that he was not intoxicated at the
time of the %iracas, in which Leger
lost his life SO suddenly and unex
pectedly. In catching the reins ofthe
hack horses, he had no other intent
than to prevent the hack from running
over a drunken comrade lying in the
road, and whom the party with him
we're trying to get out Of the way.
When attacked by the hackman,
Leger, the crowd took the whip he
held, and it is said, beat him with
it after he had been cut.
The weapon vita which Leper
was killed was a small pocket
knife, its largest blade being scant
2inches long. The row occurred zeal
the outer gate of the Leath orphan
asylum grounds, an hour or so after
midnight. The team was driven into
the city after Leger's death by the
young man who had engaged Leger
to convey him and his female COM
paniOn home from the picnic or festi-
val.
The funeral of the dead hackman
took place this forenoon from Holst's
on Main street, a number of the
friends of the deceased attending, and
funeral services were observed at st
Patrick's church on Linden street.
Regarding the character Of the man
there are various opinions. He had
his friends who defend him, or at
tempt to, yet he has figured at various
in broils and other Irregular
ties.
An instance of the various expires
sions is fully illustrated in the morn
ing papers. One says:
ale was well known in Memphis, was
addicted to drink, and was given to loud
and blowing when intoxicated.
He was an u~neducated, rough man, not
especially quarrelsome or dangerous when
in liquor, and when sober he conducted
himself as well as any person of his class
He possessed many good and generouj
qualities, and was quite popular with his
immediate friends. He was unmarried
and has no relatives in the city"
The other remarks
John. or as he was generally called,
Jack Leger, has been a hackman in the
city for many years, and was always well
patr0niZed. He was prompt, attentive,
and regarded as an excellent driver. He
was not a rough, in the acceptation Of the
term, nor IA fighter, and has never had any |
trouble that brought him into the police
court. His body will be buried this NOR
by the hackmen."
The two do not consist. as it were.
Among the police, Leger ranked as an
old style order Of hackman, and was
as rough as the toughest. His name
appears on the police docket in num-
bers of places, and his record is easy
to trace. Once, years ago, Chief
then a patrolman, heard the
noise of a wrangle in a saloon
on his beat, and upon reaching
the door saw saw Leger raise
a heavy decanter other article
of the kind, and bring it down with
terrific force upon the head Of an inof-
fensive countryman who stood near.
The man fell to the floor senseless, the
blood streaming from the wound, and
Leger again raised the glass, when
Davis broke the force of the blow
which might have dashed out his
brains.
Leger was known as a man who bore
the deepest malice, and never missed
an opportunity of showing it. Toward
one police officer who had given testi-
mony against him for one Of his bloody
%reyels, he bore a spite against him
until the dayof his death, and used to
make bin a mark of his malice
whenever he Glanced to meet him.
His name has appearedin this journal
as an offender against peace and
dignity on several occasions within the
last few years.