| MISSISSIPPI MURDER The killing of Colonel Crane, by Colonel Yerger, in Jackson, Mississippi, according to the evidence taken on the Coroner's inquest, seems to have been a cold-blooded, deliberate murder. It has nothing whatever of the political element in it, except what may grow out of the fact that the murdered man was a Northern man, in the discharge of his duty as an officer of the federal army, and that his murderer was a hot-tempered, ex-officer of the rebel army. The political differences which had existed between them had not led to any personal difficulties or open feuds, indeed, the two men were unknown to each other. Yerger, though repeatedly called on to pay his taxes, had as steadily refused to do so; and, when Col. Crane, as was his duty, took steps to collect them by law, Yerger resented this as a personal insult and took steps to avenge it by murdering Crane. He traveled from Memphis to Jackson, armed himself with a thug-knife, sought Crane in the public street, and endeavored by the use of the most insulting language to provoke him to a fight. Failing in this, and having heard him declare that he was unarmed, he drew his knife and deliberately killed him. There can be no doubt of the nature of the act, and there seems to be no doubt that it will be punished as it deserves. So far as reports have reached us, the public sentiment of the locality, while naturally sympathizing with the family of the murderer as well as with that of his victim, makes no attempt to palliate his crime or to screen him from its just penalty. Yerger is in custody of the military authorities and will be tried, we presume, by a military commission, as the civil authorities have not yet resumed their ascendancy in the State. New York Times, June 15, 1869 |
| The Killing of Colonel Crane |
