ewn confciences. They, confidering that they had nothing to fear, though men fhould fet their faces against them, gave out a hymn (which is the manner their service begins) they then proceeded to pray and to preach. One would have thought, if thefe rioters had no regard to the magiftrates or their neighbours, that at least the folemnities that were going forward, would have had some good effect upon them, that when they found others employed in fupplications to heaven, finging the praises of the Deity, and exhorting their fellow-creatures to acts of benevolence, this would have generated a refpect for the God whom they were worshipping! But those people were employed in a very different fervice, and for a different Master; for they were on the outfide of the house, making faces at the windows, halloo ing, and brawling, and ufing every means in their power to inter rupt the worship of God; (two or three of the Jury and a few others laughed) Gentlemen, is this a subject that merits laughter? I am very well aware, that you may laugh at me, and my awkward manner of opening it, but the fubject itself is of the most ferious and important nature, and I am fure must extort from you the verdict, guilty. ! But this is not all, the fervice concluded, though much fooner than they intended, because they could not proceed to their fatisfaction. One would have expected that when the congregation were difmiffed to their homes, the defendants would have gone home alfo. No; I fhall prove to you, that this religious con-. gregation were treated worse than perfons who are pilloried in this country are ufually treated. The profecutors defigned to have gone to a neighbouring village in the afternoon, in order to ufe their beft endeavours to promote that religion of peace, of which they are the minifters, but were prevented by the defen-, dants, as the witneffes will particularly inform you.* Gentlemen, the On a former day, (viz. Wednesday, July 10th), the mob came to the Preaching-house with a drum, tin-kettles, french-horns, bullocks-horns, poft-boys-horns, watchmen's rattles, &c; but on this day they laid aside these instruments of rough Mufic, and were armed with weapons of a more serious nature; with branches of trees, bludgeons, stones, &c. it being evidently their intention, not merely to make a noife, but to wound or maim the preachers, if not to murder them. When the preachers, and their friend who came with them, attempted to leave the house in order to return to Weathersfield, where they intended to preach in the afternoon and evening, two of the rioters, affifted by others to the number of between two and three hundred, feized upon Meff. Jenkins and Barker, and endeavoured with all their might to drag them into the midst of the mob, in order, as they declared, to "Do FOR THEM.' One of the ruffians kicked Mr. Barker on the thigh, and another ftruck Mr. Jenkins with the branch of a tree. It was with the utmoft difficulty and the greateft exertion, that the preachers efca ped into the house, and bolted the door. The rioters watched them conftantly B the office of to-day is only to find whether they were guilty or not. The office of punishment does not reft with you. If you had to fay how much they ought to be punished, I fhould have no objection; but the court, hereafter, being to decide upon the punishment, you have only to pronounce whether they are guilty,-Yea, or Nay. Let me ask you, if people were returning from a fair, or from fome place of idle amufement, whether you would not feel it was abominable for them to be furrounded by a mob, who had formed a predetermined plan, and carried it to the degree of violence and outrage which I have feebly ftated to you. There may be thofe that diflike their tenets, but I am fully perfuaded, in whatever they may difagree, they muft all acknowledge, that this cruel and unjust treatment is not to be tolerated in a country GOVERNED BY LAWS. Mr. William Jenkins examined by Mr. Grimwood. Mr. GRIMWOOD. Mr. Jenkins, You went to Great Bard field on Sunday the 14th of July to preach, did you not? A. I did, Sir. Q. Will you flate to the Court and Jury, what paffed on the morning of that day. A. At the corner of the flreet in which the houfe is fituated, I faw one Wilks who looked at us and faid, "It is not quite ten o'clock yet," by which (we fuppofed) he referred to the mob's affembling, as we had heard they were to meet about that hour. Fudge. conftantly and diligently from that time (about 12 at noon) till paft ten o'clock at night, declaring frequently, with the moft horrible imprecations, oaths, and blafphemies, that they would not leave the place till they got them out. The preachers finding themfelves in this dangerous fituation, and learning that there were no Magif trates in the town, nor within some miles of it, they wrote a letter to Dr. Wakohain of Bocking, requesting his affiftance, and prevailed with two friends to convey this letter; who having about twenty miles to walk, it was past ten o'clock before they returned. In the mean time the mob furrounded the house, pouring in thro the windows, in almost every direction, fhowers of flanes, and fome of them with fuch violence as to make deep indentions in the partitions oppofite. The family who belonged to the house were in the greateft diftrefs; the cries of five fmall children, frightened by the noife and ftones, were fo exceffive, that it was expected every moment fome of them would fall into fits. The diftrefs of the Mother, weeping floods of tears, over her children, is beyond all Description: and the compaffionate father, was driven to his wit's-end to contrive fome method of relieving them. He could not take them into any of the chambers, for fear of their being killed by the ftones. At length he removed the children into the barn, putting the youngeft into a crate of ftraw and covered them p: But even here the unmerciful favages, difturbed them, by knocking against the wall, &c. The Judge. You mean the Meeting-house ? A. It is a dwelling houfe, my Lord, licenfed, where the congregation assembled. Mr. Grimwood. You met Wilks ? A. Yes, at the corner. of the ftreet; he walked before us to his own house. Who was with you? A. William Heath and Samuel Barker. About ten minutes after, Wilks came before the houfe, and, with oaths and imprecations, called us many ill names, of which we did not then take notice. Soon after feveral more joined him. I opened the hatch-door, and asked them why they wished to interrupt us, and why they called us thefe evil names? Q. What were they? A. They called us many, too bad to. repeat, and many I don't recollect. Q. Did they ufe very abufive names? A. Yes, Sir. ed, that we had done them no evil, that we knew of. If we had, and they would make it appear, we would make them every reparation in our power. Q. What did they answer? A. Only with fimilar language: as before, and faid, "They were determined, we should not come there." The mob fent frequent me ffages to the perfons confined in the houfe, (particularly one by the church-warden,) threatening to pull it down, and declaring, with all the marks of rage and mad. nefs," All that we wish for, is, to get you out, and then we will take care that you fhall never come here again; for we ❝ will do for you!" Between nine and ten o'clock, the mob began to threaten to burn the house, and all the people that were in it. About ten o'clock, a large fire-brand was brought for the purpose: of effecting their execrable intentions! At this alarming crifis, when the poor perfecuted people expected every moment either to be burnt alive, or murdered if they attempted to escape, the two men who had been fent to a Magiftrate, returned with a warrant directed to one of the conftables. The men found the conftable among the mob, as they were coming towards the houfe, and prefented the Warrant to him; but instead of receiving it, he ran away. The men however followed him, and when the conftable found he could not get off decently, he took the warrant into a houfe to read it by a light ;---having examined the warrant, he informed the mob of its contents, and ordered them to depart to their own homes; this requifition was fpeedily complied with, for: being hired, they were of courfe under command. The conftable having difperfed the mob, feut a meffage to the people confined in the houfe, that they were at liberty to go. They returned apfwer, that they could not think of leaving the place, unless a conftable was fent to protect them. Accordingly a confta ble came, and conducted them about half way to Weathersfield; he then returned, and they continued their journey. Between eleven and twelve o'clock they arrived at their lodgings, praifing/ God for the great Deliverance, B2 Q. About About what number were collected at this time? A. I believe about a fcore. I reafoned with them, and afked, why they wished to prevent us? We did no harm, and only came to worfhip GOD according to the dictates of our confciences, and had nothing in view but the good of those persons that affembled with us. Q. How many other of the defendants were among these? Q. Who elfe? A. Robert Holmes. Q. Any other. A. I don't recollect any other; I am a stranger to most of them, only I enquired the names of fome who were moft violent. They faid," They had a good church, we had "no business there: the gentlemen did not like it, and were de "termined we fhould not come there." I answered, "We did "not come to interrupt the church; there was no fermon at "church the forenoon of that day; that we frequently went to "church ourselves when we had opportunity." They took no notice of my reasoning, but raged exceedingly, and vengeance feemed to appear in their very countenances; they called us to come out and go away. Q. Did their number increase? A. Not much at that time. About that time feveral perfons came to join with us, and we fhut the door of the room, because the way to the room where we preached was through the yard. Q. You fhut the front door? A. Yes, Sir, and proceeded in our devotions. While we were finging, &c. they made a great noife, putting their faces to the window and hallooing with all their might. I flopped two or three times to reafon with them a little, and defired them, if they wished to treat us ever fo ill, pot to difrefpe&t the word of God: But they ftill continued to make all the noise they poffibly could. Q. What were the inftruments they had with them? A. They had none at that time; but they used to have a drum, watchman's-rattles, and various other things. Q. After your service was over, what then? A. We then prepared to return to Weathersfield. Q. Were you prevented? A. Samuel Barker came round through the yard-gate to the front-door, where I had juft opened the top door (the hatch) to meet him; when we came there, the mob were much encreafed in number, and there appeared to be about two or three hundred. Q. About what time was this? A. Near twelve in the day. Q. Were they riotous? A. They were exceeding noify and tumultuous. As Mr. Barker flood by the fide of the door, waiting for Mr. Heath and myfelf, Thomas Cole ran with great violence, feized him, and endeavoured to drag him among the mob. Judge. How did he feize him? With both hands at once, my Lord, on each fide of his breaft. Seeing him in this: danger, I reached my hand over the door to prevent them from dragging A. dragging him away. Juft before I laid hold of him, Robert Holmes came up and kicked him on the thigh; and when I laid hold of Mr. Barker to prevent them from dragging him amongst the mob, Holmes feized upon my arm, and endeavoured to pull me over the door, ufing many imprecations at the fame time: but having the lower door for a fupport, by ftruggling hard I difengaged myself from him; and again took hold of Mr. Barker, to endeavour to rescue him. Mr. Grimwood. And you got Barker in? A. Yes, Sir. He laid hold of the door-post, and by his pulling and my affiftance, with great difficulty we got him in. I again afked them, why they treated us in this manner? They swore grievously, and faid, we had no business there; they afked for our authority, and faid we had no licence. Thinking that if I fhewed them my licence, it might have a tendency to calm them, I pulled fome papers out of my pocket; two Acts of Parliament, one the A&t of Toleration, and the other the Riot-Act; being often interrupted, I generally kept these papers about me. 66 Serjeant Bond. Was your licence one of thofe papers? A. I am not fure; I defigned to take it out, and if it was not, it was in the bottom of the pocket from whence I took thofe papers. The moment I pulled them out, Henry Brittain ftruck me on the breast and hands with the branch of a tree, and with oaths and curfes, asked, "Why do you fhew your papers to us, who cannot read?" I replied, "I was going to fhew them at your requeft." But however I found it was in vain to attempt it, for they became more tumultuous than ever. Cole, Holmes, Brittain, and others, faid, with horrid curfes (as ufual) "Why don't you come out, and we will take care you fhall never come here any more." I then withdrew and fhut the door; but being very anxious to get to Weathersfield, as we had appointed to preach there in the afternoon and evening, I enquired whether we could not go a back way ? but our friends in the houfe, with tears, begged we would not attempt to go out; declaring if we did, they had no hope that we fhould efcape with our lives. We then confulted what we should do to obtain our liberty: At length we' thought, if we could convey a letter to a Magiftrate, we might be delivered. On enquiry we found there were none in the town, nor within fome miles; however two men of our congregation, who had not left the house, agreed to go to Dr. Wakeham, of Bocking; accordingly a letter was prepared, and they went with it, but did not return till paft ten o'clock at night. During all this time we were clofely confined. Mr. Grimwood. Mr. Jenkins, answer this question; During all this time were you under any terror? A. O yes, under very great terror. Q. You were afraid of your lives then? A. Yes, we were. Q. Did they proceed in their violent measures ? A. About fix o'clock they began to throw stones through the windows, which alarmed |