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456

X. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS.

said there was no fire, but he
understood the aoldiers were
coming up to eut down liberty
tree! then went ont to make in
airy; fore got int

ing street, met Mr, Walker the
ship carpenter, and asked
what the matter was; he said

ly went out again, there was no-
body in the street at all; the san-
try at the custom-house was
walking as ususl, nobody near
him; went up towards the town
house, where was a number of
people and inquired of them
what the matter wast They
gave mo the same account that
Mr. Walker did. While I stood
there, heard a noise in Cornhill,
and presently heard a noise of
some people coming up Silsby’s
alley; at first I imagined it was
soldiers, and hed some thoughts
of retiring up the town house
steps, but soon found they were
inhabitants, Stood till they eama
up to me; I believe thers might
be twenty at tha extent; nome of
the persona had sticka, some had
net; believe there were as many
with sticks as without; they
made 4 considerable noise, and
cried, “where ate they? where
aro they?” There came up a
harber’a hoy, and said the sen-
try at the eustom-house had
knocked down « boy belonging to
their shop; the people then
turned abont and went down to
the sentry; I was then left as it
were alone; I proceeded towards

my own house; met Mr. Spear,
the cooper, he said, “do not go
away, I am afraid the main
guard will come down;” told bim
I was more afraid of those peo-
ple that bad surrounded the sen-
try, and desired him, if he had
any influence over them, to en-
deavor to take them off; when
directly opposite to the enstom-
house saw a number of persons
going up the steps, and heard 6
violent knocking at the door; the
sentry stood by the box; then re-
tired to my own house, and atood
on the sill of my door; re-
meined at my door, and Mr. Har-
vison Gray came up and stood
there talking with me; the peo-
ple were crying out, “fire! fire!
damn you, rir, do yor not fire?”
Mr, Gray and I were talking of
the footishness of the people in
calling the sentry to fire on
them; in about a minute saw a
number of soldiere come down
from the main guard, end it ap-
peared to me they had their
muskets in a horizontal posture;
they wont towards the easton:
mse, an ov" @ people
from the house; at this time Mr.
Bethune joined ns on my steps
‘at the door, and the noise in the
street continued much the same
aa before, “fire! flret damn you,
fire! why do you not fire?”
Soon after this, I thought T
heard a gun snap, and said to
Mr. Gray, there is 8 gon
snapped, did yon not hear it?
Be said “yes;” immediately a
gun went off, T reached to ses
whether it was loaded with pow-
der, or any body lying dead;
heard three more, then there waa
& pause, and I heard the iron
rammers go into their guns, and
then there were three more dis-
charged, one after another; it

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