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Cassaday. I immediately suspended operations in the court and called upon Evans for a detail of soldiers, and placed them under the control of the Sheriff and had the grocery searched from the garrett to the cellar. Finally, the Freedman who raised the alarm saw the man whom he had taken for the murderers and acknowledged that he was not the man.
I had all the witnesses whom I learned knew anything about the murder brought before the grand jury, (and I assure you that I was diligent in my effort to collect the facts connected with the murder - but the evidence of the witnesses (Freedmen) was so vague, uncertain, and contradictory that it was impossible to find a bill against any one for the murder. The grand jury investigated the case as thoroughly as they could. They were instructed both by Judge Harrison and myself to receive and credit the testimony of the Freedmen which they did, but they found it impossible under the evidence to find a bill.
How the agent of the Freedman's Bureau could have thought for a moment that the grand jury notified the party is a great mystery to me. I fear that in this Maj. Manning suffered his prejudices to overcome his convictions of truth and justice. I do know that the citizens of the community are desirous that the laws shall be enforced, and that all persons regardless of color condition or position shall be protected in the enjoyment of life prosperity and liberty and that all persons who violate the law shall be punished