Wade Wages. Sworn. I have no personal knowledge of the negro here lying dead. Says he discovered the body on last Saturday afternoon. He was lying near a log in the branch known as Old House or Hunter's Branch. I did not touch him; was hunting my cattle at the time. I went immediately to Mr. N.A. Black's and informed him of it. He came with me to the spot. It was then dark and we brought a torch with us. From the signs we have seen I have reason to suspect Isaac Boatwright of having shot him from the fact that he shot one David Scott, a free man of color, and have heard of his threatening to shoot some of Mr. English's negroes. Never heard him myself make any threats against any one. I was among the party who came to the spot yesterday, and upon examination saw what I supposed to be shot holes in the body of the negro. I saw horse tracks between forty & fifty yards from the spot. I believe them to be the tracks of a horse owned by Isaac Boatwright. Saw some short marks in two or three trees in the line of where the negro was lying and cut one of the shot from a tree. They seemed to be about the size of large duck or squirrel shot. I saw buzzards in the trees near, and thought it might be a cow I had lost, and when I came to the spot found it was a negro. I told Boatwright on Saturday morning that I had seen buzzards flying across the swamp; the horse tracks I saw looked as if the rider was going by instead of coming to the spot near where the negro was shot or lying when I saw him, there had been so much raid that I could say at what speed the rider was going. I am of opinion that some one rode the horse at the time the tracks were made. I was not with those who found the clothes and hat of the negro. The negro was almost naked at the time I found him. The horse was not shod; the horse rode by Boatwright is not shod; thinks the tracks I saw though in different directions were made by the same horse. The tracks of the horse are grounds of my suspecting Boatwright. The farthest truck from this spot is about four hundred yards more or less. The best riding from Boatwright's house to this spot is around the head of the branch where I saw the last track. I think Boatwright's house is not more than a mile from here. Knows the horse of Boatwright from the left hind foot (I think) having a twist when he steps on it. Wade Wages.

N.A. Black sworn. It was about a half hour or an hour before dark on last Saturday when Mr. Wages called on me; he said he had found the body of some one dead but could not recognize who it was. After Mr. Wages called, I went immediately with him to the spot and found the body lying in the branch with the head up the branch. I then took a stick and felt the body with the end of it and then examined in the mud for the clothing and found his coat. We then left together, did not see any marks of shot on the trees then, but did when I went back yesterday (Sunday). I went to the spot with S.P. Thompson on Sunday morning. No one else was with us; we looked about the trees near the body for shot, but found none then. After other persons got there we continued looking and did find shot in the trees. Among the persons who came there during the day were Joseph Newsom, John English, I.I. Lucius & Wade Wages. I saw horse's tracks; I believe that the tracks might have been made by a horse of Isaac Boatwright's. I examined the tracks and rode with Boatwright about a mile during which time I observed the tracks and feet of the horse he road as well as I could without exciting his suspicious. Myself and other went to the house of Boatwright for him and in returning with us to the spot he had his brother Cesley Boatwright on behind him which made the horse place his hind feet in the tracks of the forefeet so that they did not have the same appearance which they otherwise would have, or as the forefeet would have appeared, had they not been spoiled by the tracks of the hind feet. When we got to Boatwright's house Col. English said to him that they had found a dead negro or dead man, and wanted to hold an inquest, and wanted one or two to make out the number and wanted him to go with us. Boatwright said he had to help his brother butcher, that there was his father, take him, he had nothing to do. Col. English rather insisted on him going, that he would not be gone more than half an hour. Boatwright then consented to go and went to the stable and got his horse and was ready to go directly. I could see nothing in the appearance of Boatwright, os far as I am able to judge that indicated any alarm. We all then went to where the body was lying. When we got there Col. English asked him what he thought of it. He replied that he thought it was a bad-looking sight. Col. English asked him if he thought those were shot holes in the body. He said they were little holes. The questions was repeated and he made the same answer. I do not know the negro. From the general character of Isaac Boatwright I believe he would do such an act. I do not remember hearing him express any opinion as to how the negro came to his death. Boatwright was standing over the body, looking at it when Col. English asked him whose hog bed that was on the hill. He said he did not know. Col. English then asked him if he did not keep hogs in those woods. He said he used to keep hogs there but that he did not have any there now. Col English then asked him if he had been there lately. He said he had not been to that spot, but that he had rode alone the big rode about two weeks ago. I saw the clothing. . .the hat was found afterwards. I saw a bag with some clothing which looked as if they might have belonged to a negro. I was in a different part of the woods when the bag and hat were found and can't say how near they were to the body. I have heard that a negro named William belonging to Col. English was a runaway. The horse's tracks that I saw were some fifteen yards from where the body was found. The tracks we first saw were coming towards where the body was lying. We followed, and found the same tracks at the head of the branch and near to or through a hogbed which was about fifty yards from where the body lay, on tracks which might have been the same.

S.P. Thompson sworn.... I know Isaac Boatwright when I see him. Am not intimately acquainted with him. When Boatwright came to the spot where the body was he said "I never saw such a sight in my life." I could perceive no indication of alarm in him. His general character is bad as every body gives him a bad name. I have heard him accused of stealing, of negro trading, shooting a free negro at his own house &c. From what I have heard I believe him capable of such an act as shooting a negro and worse than that....

John English. Sworn. The body of the negro is so mutilated, and my vision so bad, that from an examination of the body, I could not swear to his being my negro. From his hat and the gunny bag which I gave him the Sunday before he ran off, and the declarations of the other negroes, I believe him to be mine. My mother told me that Isaac Boatwright had threatened to shoot her negroes if they did not keep away from that place and had shot a god of one of the negroes who was marking. . .ails in the woods. His general character is bad, and just the man that I would think capable of such an act and I have reason to believe that he harbours my negroes when they run away.

Thos. J. Workman, M.D. Sworn. I have examined the body of the boy William which I found in an advanced stage of decomposition. There are two small holes near the right shoulder joint, and thirteen others on the left side of the back scattered between the hit and left shoulder apparently made by shot. On examination a shot was found martially imbedded in one fo the ribs, and another lying on the right shoulder blade Several of the ribs on the left side show marks of injury from shot. I think the boy came to his death from a gun shot wound. T.J. Workman, M.D.