| Summary: | Monday McCrea, a slave, was indicted for the murder of Andrew Bass, a white man, and pleaded not guilty. Bass deposed that he had been walking alone in the early hours of the morning when he met McCrea carrying a bottle and a sack containing bacon. Bass insisted that McCrea go with him to town; McCrea refused, Bass struck him, and McCrea attempted to strangle Bass. The prisoner presented an alibi by three witnesses to prove that he had been at home when the struggle took place. After both sides had closed the prisoner's counsel learned of a new witness, Ragan, who could prove that McCrea had not been present at the scuffle; the counsel moved for permission to suspend the trial until Ragan could be brought to court, but this was refused. The court informed the jury that any white man had the right to arrest any slave on the public highway if he suspected him to be in the possession of stolen goods; the jury found McCrea guilty and he appealed. The Supreme Court reversed the judgment on the grounds that the court should have allowed the defence time to secure Ragan's testimony.
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