The defense in the preliminary examination of Joe Blassingame, charged with the assassination of Capt. T. S. McDade at Hempstead, began introducing testimony yesterday morning and it was thought that the case would be concluded by night, but nothing has been heard further.  The defense expected mainly to rely upon proving an alibi and throwing suspicion upon a mysterious party who was said to have visited the place from Florida just before the killing and who disappeared on the same night just after the killing.

"The defense in the preliminary examination of Joe Blassingames.", Brenham Daily Banner, Wednesday, December 12, 1888, p. 3, col. 3.

University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History