Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-12-27


The following has been adopted by the Legislature
of Georgia:
An Act to make free persons of color competent wit
nesseS in the courts of this State in certain cases
therein mentioned, and to authorize the making
and declaring OF force afildaVis by them i'll certain
eases
The Seote and House of Representatives. Of the State
Of Georgia. IN General Assepbh met do enact That
from and after the passage of this Act free persons of
color shall be competent witnessesn all the courts of
this State, in civil whereo free persons of color
are party, and IN all criminal cases wherein free
person OF color is defendant wherever the offence
charged is crime misdemeanor against the person
or property OF free person OF color, any law, usage
or custom to the contrary Notwithstanding.
SEC. > And be dJufher enacted, That in all cases
hereafter pending, about to be instituted wherein
free person OF color is party, plaintiff or defend
ant it shall be competent for such free person of
color to make and file any affidavit by law al
lowed and tending to advance the remedy aid the
defendant as if the said affidavit had been made and
filed by any other tigant.
All of the Southern States, with the exception of
Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia. have now
opened the courts to the black man a witness.
IN ALABAMA.
The Legislature of Alabama has passed. tho follow
An act protect freedmen in their rights of person
and property in this State.
BE ii enaced de-, That all freedmen, free negroes
and mulattoes shall have the right to and be sued
plead and be lmpleadcd i'll all different and various
courts OF this State, to the extent that white per-
sons now have by law and they shall be competent
testify only in open court, and only in cases in
which freedmen, free negroes, and mulattoes are
parties, either plaintiff defendant and in civil and
criminal cases for injuries i'll the persons and prop
erty OF freedmen free negroes and muattoes, and in
all cases. civil or criminal, in which, under this act
freedmen, free negro, ormuato is witness against
muatto the parties shall be competent witnesses
and neither interest IN the question or suit
rlaSe, shall dsqualify any person from testifyipg in
open court.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
. At meeting of the planters Of Marlboro district
South Carolina, the following, among other resolu
tons, were adopted:
ResDtced, That we, the planters of the district
pledge ourselves not to contract with any freed an
unless he can produce certificate Of discharge from
his former owner.
ResolUed. That under no circumstances whatsoever
will we rent land to any freedmen, will permit
them to live on our premises as employees.
We are iorcibly reminded of the satirst's line.
From Marlboro's eyes the tears of dotage flow"
And we might add
And slavery dies driveler and show
MISSOURI.
We have the following account from ST. Joseph
Missouri, through special to the Democrat dated
Dee. -.
Much excitement prevails here to-day over the
discovery of the murderers of two citizens of this
county, whose untimely deaths have hitherto been
Six weeks since Mr.. Kuhn, arespectable German
farmer, was murdered near the roadside as he was
returning home in the evening from the CITY, His
body was found next day, bearing the evidence of
horrible treatment. Three weeks later another cit
lien. named LOhr living in the same region was
murdered while returning home from the city.
To-day. two negroes, named Green Willis and
Charles Clarke, arrested, and charged with the
murder of Kuhn and Lohr. Before the examining
court Clarke made confession of guilt, saying he
and Willis murdered Lohr. and detailed the creum-
stances under which the foul deed was committed
He stated also that Willis murdered Kuhn.
The discovery of these murdererS has produced a
profound sensation. An excited crowd around the
courtroom during the examination made violent
attempt to take the nee away from the officers
for the purpose of hanging them. They were, how
ever, safety committed to jail.