Letter to J.A. Macdonald, Attorney General

My Dear Attorney

Pray excuse my troubling you in the enclosed criminal case, as we have no County Atty., and even if we had, I should feel anxious to have your advice. You may perhaps remember a long report [...] concerning certain murders and burnings in Biddulph, in these counties, in which cases it was extremely difficult to obtain evidence owing to the disposition of the witnesses to screen the quilty parties. One case in particular, the murder of Brimacombe, of which Rider was accused has given us much trouble and let to much expense, & Rider is still at large.

The state of the neighborhood is very bad owing to the fear each entertains of his neighbor and the fights which occasionaly take place. The J.P.'s are not safe. I for one always go there in daylight. The Coroner is in real danger. Now we have got at the names of the witnesses, but if Rider is arrested they will all bolt for fear of his violence should he be aquitted.

I have done my best in charges to the grand jury to persaude them against this old Irish system of shielding criminals "won't be an informer"—and so forth. [...]

Hodgins who laid the information dare not [[underline]] dare not [[/]] do it publicly so I have concealed his name from the other magistrates.

Hon. J. A. MacDonald
Atty. Genl