Viewing page 15 of 304

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

2

the facts of which was detailed to me by an Eye witness and is as follows  There is still lingering in this County a set of desperadoes that have never yet submitted to the Civil Authorities armed to the hilt who are still the Terror to the freedmen, urged up no doubt By the Citizens Here it so hapened that a freedman had done some Work for a Bar Keeper in Vernon in this County for which he applied for a settlement, and while in the house, 3 of these Outlaws entered and commenced up on the Black man.
Also to abuse them, first with words, the freedman made no resistance and started to leave  Whereupon they drew their Side arms and deliberately presented at his head fortunate it failed fire where upon he sezsed a butcher knife and ran after him the Negro being the stonghtes [[strongest]] Seazed him and threw him to the ground and held him untill Some one interfeared, and made a settlement of the dificulty as all though but he was no sooner released, when a gathered an axe and made after him again this time the negro ran some 2 or three hundred yards and kept out of the way. But succeded in bring the boys back that he had no thig [[thing]] against him.  When he got him back he comenced the 3rd time with Bricks and Rocks succeeded in striking him Several times, bruseing him up Severely. I attempted to have this matter thourougly investigated but could get no body or persons to arrest the parties