640 CONTROVERSY RESPECTING THE

Charlestown aforesaid that by means of the abuses this Deponent Received as aforesaid the great fatigue he underwent & the Grief and anxiety of mind & fear he laboured under, this Deponent felt himself much indisposed and Intreated that his ill state of Health might excite Compassion, notwithstanding which the said Rioters often threatned this Deponent & could hardly be prevailed on to allow him to retire to sleep altho he stood much in need of that Refreshment--That this Deponent was not suffered to write to his wife to Quiet her mind as to the dreadful apprehensions she must have Entertained of what had befallen him, nor to any other of his Friends but with the utmost difficulty & first submitting to have his Letters perused & approved of by the Rioters, That the said Rioters made use of the. most shocking Threats to this Deponent in Case he should attempt to Escape, swearing that if this Deponent was anywhere between Heaven & Hell he should be taken again That this Deponent on Sunday the Tenth day of June aforesaid effected his Escape being detained six days a Prisoner in the Hands of the said Rioters--And this Deponent further Deposeth that on arriving at Charlestown aforesaid the Rioters in discourse said ''we have now broke up the Court : if we thought we had not Effected it we would go back and bring away one of the Judges" (or to that purpose) and more than once asked this Deponent whether he thought the Couxt would continue to sit, to which this Deponent answered (being willing to prevent any violence being offered to any of the Court) that he was sure they would notsit any longer. And further this Disponent saith, that from Chester to Charlestown the said Rioters were Commanded by Joseph Wait and from thence to Windsor by Nathan Stone.