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single Magistrate. Finding that this would be the case, I advised the freedman to see the Attorney for the Commonwealth, and ask him to be also present, and if he refused, to endeavor to himself employ a Lawyer; since, if this were not done, the chances were Defendant would be discharged. The Commonwealth's Attorney seemingly not intending to attend, the freedman tried to have Lawyer "Irvine" of this place take the case in hand; but "Mr Irvine" replied that he had never yet prosecuted a man, and therefore did not like to do so now.  

When the case opened I was present, of course, and I then found that the Commonwealth Attorney was also in attendance. This Gentleman did not however bring out all the points, as to the conduct and language of "Greer", for instance, in the presence of the Justice of the Peace before whom he had been at first taken, &c. A strong effort was made to have Defendant discharged; and I feel persuaded in my own mind that had no outside supervision existed, the case would hardly have come up at all. As it was, the accused was sent on for further hearing, to the County Court, this month. It came up before that tribunal  on the 6th inst. The evidence was very clear. The freedman swore that the ball whistled by him. That the distance at which "Greer" fired was not over one hundred and ten yards, and that at the time of shooting, Deft. swore he meant to kill him. "Mr Wade, J.P" before whom he was first taken, said he acknowledged to him that he had shot at the Negro. Another witness - a colored girl - testified to having heard "Greer" tell his wife, the next day, that he meant to shoot the man, and he would have hit him had he not run &c. An effort was made to prove Plaintif of bad character; but he sustained himself. It was next endeavored to be proved that he had 

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