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043

A Dastardly Outrage.

To the Editor of the Chronicle

On Friday evening a party of three roughs, supposed to be from this city, were driving down the Baltimore pike, near the depot of Bladensburg, when, being drunk, they drove upon the side of the road and upset the buggy, throwing the whole party out. A negro who was at the depot and saw the accident went to their assistance, and helped them to repair damages, which being done one of them seized the negro and demanded why he upset the buggy, and upon the negro denying the charge he drew a pistol and pointed it at his head. One of his comrades struck down his hand, but the fellow fired and the ball passed through the negro's thigh.

This being done the party got into the buggy and drove toward Washington without an effort being made to arrest him. The negro, severely wounded and bleeding profusely, limped down to the village of Bladensburg, where his wound was dressed by a physician.

The agent of the Freedmen's Bureau made but little effort to have the men arrested, and is blamed for allowing them to escape, as he was informed of the outrage soon after it occurred, as it is thought he could have followed them and had them arrested upon their entry into the city. It is to be hoped the authorities will have the matter investigated, as they can probably obtain information who the men were by questioning Duffy, who supplied them with the liquor, or from some of the inhabitants of Bladensburg, where one or more of the men are known.

[The writer of the above communication signed his name to it in full, but as he holds an office we suppress it for his sake, lest his exposure of the outrageous conduct of these men, who were doubtless friends of the Administration, should draw down upon him the resentment of the latter.]