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4.

his wrongs, The civil authorities will give him no relief, and this Department, up to this writing has been powerless.
Of the offenses reported, there has been but one arrest, by the civil authorities, and that was a case of murder; the murderer released on light bail, and now at large; no effort having been made to bring him to trial.
The arm of the civil law has however, been brought in requisition quite recently, to protect and release offenders.
On the night of the 16th of Feby. 1866, a gang of white men residents of Bath County, entered the house of Joseph Ralls, a person who had been a Freedman for several years, humble and inoffensive, and much respected, the owner of forty acres of land,- and beat and most terribly mangled him - his body was burst open, his intestines protruding.
He lingered two days in agony and died. At the same time, they set upon another old colored man, named Thacker who was at the house of Ralls,