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confirm from it. It is certain that he walked five or six miles that evening and was up in a day or two afterwards. That using Oscar met a gentleman named Brasfield and told him that he had him shot, but said he does not know who had done it. This occurred Saturday between 12 and one o clock and that night these young men were arrested by a Federal guard and taken to Demopolis and have been in to custody ever since No proceedings have been instituted which would inform them of the nature of the charge against them nor do they know by whom, or when or when they are to be tried or whither indeed they are to be tried at all. The object of this communication is to ascertain these facts and to induce you to turn this matter over to the civil authorities for investigation and prosecution I represent the prisoners as their counsel and will consent or procure their written consent and pledge of honor if you think proper to require it that they will make no object to the testimony of any one on account of color for the prosecution in the case against them and that they will surrender themselves at once to the civil authorities for a trial The enclosed letter explains itself and will show that there has been no intentional unscrupulessness by the civil authorities in not prosecuting the case These young me are respectable and behaved and of good moral character. No quarrell has occurred between them and Oscar nor is there any evidence of premeditated malice. There is nothing in the case which should make it one of signal adjudication or many punishment The injury done was slight and the risks not formidable (indeed it was the merest accident that Oscar was hit no other shot struck him or the mule he was riding) and the ordinary tribunals are sufficient for the punishment of whatever offence was committed The source thus becomes the only

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2-23-2021: Transcribed with many undeciphered words [[?]] remaining; Please do NOT mark for review or complete until all [[?]]s are resolved