Reading Time: 4 minutes [522 words]

WILLIAM WEMMS AND SEVEN OTHERS. 427

were fired, they were scattering;
after tha firing ceased, a little
boy eame and told us some per
cons were killed; saw them lying
in the street; did not imagine it
was anybody killed, but sup-
posed that they had been scared
and rom away, and left their
great coats behind them; saw
nothing like an attack that could
produce any snch consequences;
went to look at the mulatto man,
and heard a noise like the cocking
of firelocks, but an offieer passed
before them and said, “Do not
fire on the inhabitants”; the
Btreat was In a manner clear; it
was as hush as at twelve o'clock
at night; the noise of the cocking
seamed to come from the right,
and passed on to the left.

Mr. Quincy. “How many guns
were fred?” “Six was the least,
and one missed fire” “How
many soldiers were theret” “Six
or eight.” “Did you see any
blows. given or any thing
thrown?” “No, and I was there
the whole time.” ‘Did you see
anybody strike the soldiers’
guns?” “No.” ‘Did you hear
any huzraing when the soldiers
eame down'” “There seemed to
he a hua, but when I went
down and passed them, they were
very still. There was shouting
when the soldiers first went
down, and it wes not two min-
utes before they fired.”

Benjamin Burdick. Am a bar
ber; was in King street on the
evening of fifth of March; went
immediately up to one of the sol-
@iers, which I take to be that
man who is bald on the head
(pointing to Montgomery}; 1
asked him if any of the soldiera
were loaded; he said “Yes”; I
asked him if they were going’ to
fire; he said, “Yes, by the eter-

nal God”; he pushed at me with
his bayonet, whieh I put by with
a Highland brosd sword which
was in my hand; a short time be-
fore this, a young man who
boarded with me told me that
several of the soldiers had a
spite at him, and he believed he
was in danger; had seen two of
them about my house, one of
whom was hearkening at the win-
dow; saw him again near the
honse, and asked him what he
was after; “Wes it not you,” saya
I, “that was hearkening at my
window last night?” “What if it
wast” he said; I told him to
march off, and he damned me, at
which I beat him tili he had
enough of it, and he then went
off; the reason of my carrying
& sword was, the soldiers spied
the young man in the lane and
dogged him, for he had been
very active in the affray at the
ropewalks; they said they would
sometime or other have satisfac-
tion, and T considered myzelf lia-
Ble fo be insulted likewise; when
ed by the ery of fire, and T
had got below the house, my wife
called after me, and said, “it is
not fire, it is an affray in King
street; if you are going, take
this,” so I took it, and ran down,
and I asked the eoldier what T
just now told you; knocked the
bayonet with a sword, which T
had in my hand; another pushed
at me, and I struck his gun; my
faes was now towards the sol-
diers; heard the first gun go off,
and then the second gun went
off; as I was looking to see if
anybody was killed, I saw the
tall man standing in « line with
my saw him fall.
rc, Quincy. “How long had
the bells been ringing before you
eame from home?” “YT thought it

Related Posts