mfl ANNUAL

A Council was immediately called, on the breaking up of which, three Jullices met, and illutd a warrant to apprehend me and eight Soldiers. On hearing of this procedure, l inliazitly went to the Sheriff, and lurrendered my~ fell, though for the lpace of {our hours I had it in my power to have made my efcape, which I moll un- doubtedly lhould have attempted, and could ealily have executed, had l been the leaf: conlcious of any guilt. On the examination before the lutlices, two witneflcs furore that I gave the men orders to fire; the one tellified he was within two feet of me; the other, that I iivore at the men for not firing at the firll word. Others {wore they heard me ule the word, fire; but whether do or do not fire, they could not fay; others, that they heard the word lire, but could not fay if it came from me. The next day they got five or fix more to fat-ear I gave the xvord to fire. So hitter and inveterate are many of the malecontents, here, that they are itidutlrioully uling every me- thod tofilh out evidence to prove it was a concerted fcheme to mur- der the inhabitants. Others are infufing the utmoll: malice and re- vetige into the minds of the peo- ple, who are to be my jurors, by italic publications, Votes ol‘ Towns, and all other artilices. That f0, from a fettled rancour againll the Ollicers and Troops in general, the iuddentiels of my Trial after the arilir, while the people’s minds are all greatly inflamed, l am, though perfectly innocent, under molt un- happy circumllances, having no- thing in reafon to expect, but the 101's of life in a, very ignominious manner, without the interpofition of

his Msjellyh juilice add goodnels-

REGISTER,1flo

1n Jrcozmt of the Trial of Captain

P1111021, at Bq/lon, 1n New. Eng/and.

H E Trial began on Wcdnef-

day the 24th of“ Ofilober, and

was continued from day to day, Sunday excepted, till Tuefday the 30th. The witneHes who were ex- amined on both fides amounted t0 about 5o. The Lawyers for the Crown were Mr. Barnc and Mr. Samuel (Quincy; for the prifoner, Mr. Auchmuty and Mr. John Adams. Each of them fpoke three hours at leall. About Monday noon the judges began their charge. judge Trowbridge, who fpoke‘ firfi, entered largely into the contradic- tory accounts given by the wit- nefles, and declared, that it did not appear to him that the prifoner gave orders to fire; but if the jury fhould think otherwife, and find it proved that he did give fuch orders, the quellion then would naturally be, NVhat crime is he guilty of? They furely could not call it mur- der~—Here he explained the crime of murder in a very difiinfi man- ner, and gave it as his opinion, that by law the prifoner was not guilty of murder; obferving, that the King had a right to fend his troops here ; that the Commanding Ofiiter of thefe troops had a right to place a Centinel at the Cullom- houfe: that the Centinel placed there on the night of the 5th of March was in the King’s peace; that he durll not quit his poll; that if he was infulted or attacked, the Captain of the Guard had ‘a right to protefi him; that the prifoner and his party, who came there for that purpofe, were in the King’s peace; that while they were at the cullom-houfe, for the pur- pole