I do therefore desire your Honour to use all possible means for taking up and securing said murtherers, and conveying them to the County of Hampshire in order to take their Trial in case they or any of them are tied to the Government of New York ; and that Your Honour would take eftectual means until the present controvers}' shall be settled for restraining the Inhabitants of Your Government from all Acts of violence against the persons and Estates of t'lc Inhahiianis in tliose parts as tliis Government will otherwise be subjected to the cliarge of providing means for their security & Defence against such unwarrantable Invasions & for prevention of War & Bloodshed between the People of the two Provinces.

At the desire of tlie Assembly I have issued a Proclamation for apprehending the murtherers and offering a Reward of one hundred Pounds to sucli Person as sliall discover tliera k bring them to Justice, I sliould send You a Copy of this Proclamation but it is now in the Pres3.

I aia with great Esteem Sir, Your Honour's most obedient

L* Goveraor DeLancy Humble Servant

13 May Read in Council S. Phlps.

790 PAPERS RELATING TO THE

DECLARATION OF J. M<^ ARTHUR RELATIVE TO THE DEATH OF W^ REES.

Province of ) The Declaration of John McArthiu Massachusetts Bay. ) Husbandman dwelling in the Western parts of the County of Hampshire about twenty miles distant from Hudsons River -- That on the Id^^ day of this month of April he was inform'd that a number of arm'd men had broke open the House of Jonathan Darby living on Land supposed to belong to this province, and that they had carried away one Josiah Loomis to Albany Goal. That on the 14t*' day of said month the Declarant was inform'd that the same company were coming to attack the houses in his neighbourhood, that soon after he heard the noise of men & dogs as he apprehended at some distance & following the noise he disco ver'd thirty or forty men going away fit-om the House of Robert Noble, & as soon as they were out of sight the Declarant w^nt down to the said Nobles house, that the said Nobles Wife told the Declarant that about forty or fifty men arm'd with Guns and Swords among whom were Colonel Jolm "Van Ranslaer and also Henry Van Ranslaer Esq'' had been at said house, that one of the Company ask'd for her Husband who was gone to Sheffield, that they broke open the Cliest took her Husbands Gun away, & also his Spear, the Gun they return'd that she told tliem if they would spare the house she would persuade her Husband to submit to the Renslaers and acknowledge their Title whereupon the said arm'd persons left her house.