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WILLIAM WEMMS AND SEVEN OTHERS. 431

hella rung, a8 we all thought, for mission for the peace; they paid
fire, he ron out in order to go no regard to me or my orders,
to it, ‘but ent an old man who was com-

John Hil, Keg. Saw a party ing by, before my face, and some
of the soldiers near the Rope of them struck at me, but did not
walks with cluba; ordered them hit me; do not know that any of
to disperse; I eommanded the the mers ware among them,
peace; told them I was in com-

Mr. Samuel Quincy addressed the jary at length upon the
facts which he reviewed, and then laid down the law, which
he said was applicable to the case. He closed in these words:

The use I make of the evidence is to show you that from
the conduct and appearance of the soldiery in different parts
of the town, the inhabitants had reason to be apprehensive
that they were in danger of their lives; children and parents,
husbands and wives, masters and servants had reason to
tremble one for another, This apprehension, together with
the ringing of the bells collected numbers of people in differ-
ent quarters, as is commonly the case when there is any ap-
pearance of fire, and the center of the town, when there is a
doubt where fire is, becomes naturally the place of rendez-
vous; this accounts for the number of people that were there,
and for some having sticks and canes. I mention this only to
take off the force of any evidence or pretence that may be
made, that there was an intention of the people to assault, or
as it has been expressed, swallow up the soldiers.

I have now gone through the evidence on the part of the
Crown, in support of the charge against the prisoners, I shall
make a very few observations, and leave it with the prisoners
and their counsel to make their defense, and Mr. Paine, who
is on the side of the Crown with me, fo close the cause.

I think, gentlemen, upon the whole evidence, you ean in
the first place, have no doubt but that all the prisoners at the
bar were of that party of soldiers headed by Capt. Preston,
who went down to the custom house on the fifth March, the
evening mentioned in the indictments; that the five persons
named in those indictments were kitled by some one or other
of that party, but who they were that killed those several per-

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