Page 2

[fol. ii.]

but contriving a maliciously intending the said
Philberd in his aforesaid good name fame credit
and reputation to prejudice degrade and injur
& wholly to destroy the same and to bring him
into public hatred scandal ignominy and
disgrace and to subject him to the pains and
penalties by the Laws and Statutes of this State
made and provided against those who commit
the crime of stealing Horses, on the first-day
of May in the year eighteen hundred and three
at Fredrick County aforesaid in a certain
discourse which he the said Joseph then and there
had with the said Philberd, in the presence and
hearing of divers good and worthy citizens of this
State of and concerning the said Philberd, he the
said Joseph then and there falsely and maliciously
said rehearsed proclaimed and loudly published
these false feigned scandalous malicious and
opprobrious English words, to of, and concerning
the said Philberd in the presence and hearing
of those citizens that is to say "You (meaning the
said Philberd) are a Horse thief" "You (meaning
the said Philberd) stole Horses" "You (meaning the
the said Philberd) stole Horses frequently" "You
(the said Philberd) meaning) are a Horse thief and
all your generation" (meaning the generation and
family of the said Philberd) "You (meaning the
said Philberd) are a damned Rascal and I
(meaning the said Joseph) can prove you (meaning
the said Philberd) so: By means of the speaking
of which said several false feigned scandalous