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452

X. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS.

them, and they would have re-
venge for something or other, I
could not tell what; that they
would drive them before them;
some said they had been to Rowe’s
barracks, and had driven the eol-
diers or the sentine) into the bar-
racks; saw a number of people
with clubs, and at a distanes a
parcel of soldiers at the Custom
House; went down to the right
of them, where Captain Preston
stood; bad not been there a min-
ute before the guns were fired;
saw several things thrown at the
soldiers, as they stood in a cir-
ele by the Castom House; be-
fore I turned, did not see any-
thing strike the gona; but I
heard something strike, and the
guns clatter; there wea a great
noise, the cry was, “fre, damn
you, fire”; the soldiers did not
say anything to the people; they
never opened their lipa;
plood in a trembling manner, 2
if they expected uothing
death; they fired first on the
aS Am ti
Henry Knox. a stationars
was at the North End, and heard
the bells ring; heard it was not
fire, but that the soldiers and in-
habitants were fighting; there
were a number of people, an
hundred and fifty or two han
dred; I asked them what was
the matter; they said a number
of soldiers had been ont with
Dayonets and entlesses, and had
attacked and cut the people all
down Cornhill, and then re
treated to the barracks; a fellow
said they hed been cutting fore
and aft; the sentinel at the Cns-
tom House steps was loading his
piece; coming up to the people,
they said the sentinel was going
to fire; there were at that time
about fifteen or twenty people

round him; he was waving his
piece about, and held it in the
position that they eall “
dayonets”; I.told him if he fired
he mast die for it; he said, “damn
them, if they molested him he
would fire;” the boys were hal-
loving “fire, and be damned”;
these boys were seventeen or
eighteen yeara old; I endeavored
to keep one fellow off from the
sentinel, and either struck him or
pushed him away; heard one of
the persons say, “God damn him,
we will kn him down for
anapping.”

Benjamin Lee, Am an ap-
prentice; on the evening of fifth
Mareh heard there was fire, and
went to Dock square; when I
came there, heard some in the
erowd say, that the town’s peo-
ple had been fighting with the
soldiers, and then they huzzaed
for King strest; several beside
me went up; they went up aa
thick az they could, and some
went up the next lane, and oth-
ers up Cornhill; as I stood by
the sentinel, there was a barber's
boy came up and pointed to the
sentinel, and said, “there is the
gon of a ditch that knocked me
down”; on his sing this, the
people immediately ried out,
“kill him, kill him, knock bim
down”; the sentinel went up the
Custom House steps and knocked
at the door with the butt of hia
gon, but could not get in; then
he primed and loaded, and lev-
eled it with bis hip, and desired
the people to stand off, and then
ealled to the main guard to come
down to his assistance; then
Captain Preston and nine or ten
soldiers came down, and ranged
themselves before the sentry box;
did not see any thing thrown at
the sentinel.

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