That all the Reason which they assigned for this violent attack upon the Deponent, was that he had complained of the » Rioters to Government, & applied for the protection of himself: & the rest of the injured inhabitants, and had issued process against some of the Mob Tho this Deponent declares that he never issued any process but for a civil Debt, (except one upon. a Law of this province against a person for killing a Deer out of season, and the said John Smith & Enos Ross at the same time further declared that Benjamin Spencer, the only other acting Magistrate in that part of the said County, nor any other person, should act as a Magistrate over them. And the Deponent further saith that being at the dwelling house of Daniel Walker in the Township of Derham in the said County, on the first Day-of this Instant August a certain Dan Howlet, who lives at Shaftsbury near Bennington, came there, & enquired for the Deponent, and after much abusive language Halet told the Deponent that he had come as a forerunner to warn him, and that. there was but one step between the said Houldt's Life and the deponent's, and swore that the Rioters would have him the

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NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS. 883°

Deponent dead or alive; signifying also that the Deponent must relinquish all pretensions 'of Acting as a Magistrate, and, if he should, he did not know but the Deponent's Life might be Spared; but that this was uncertain. That the said Halet then assaulted and pushed this deponent in a very rough manner, so that he was obliged to exert himself in order to escape out of his Hands by throwing the said Halet on the Ground, and securing him untill he could find means to get out of his way, and the Deponent further saith that he is credibly informed & verily believes that the said Rioters have erected two Forts for their Defence, one on Onion River, and another on Otter Creek in the said County of Charlotte, and the Deponent further saith that from Depositions taken before him and the said Benjamin Spencer respectively it appears, and the Deponent verily believes that the.said Benjamin Spencer by reason of his accepting of a Commission as a magistrate of the said County, is in great Danger from the said Mobb, both with respect to his property & his Life; and that for the three last nights before this Deponent left the said County of Charlotte, neither he, nor the Deponent, thought it Safe to lodge in their own houses; but removed for their security to the Houses of their friends, and that this Deponent thought it Necessary to keep six men armed in the house where he lodged to defend him in case of Discovery, and this Deponent further saith that the Inhabitants of the said Township of Durham & Socialborough, who are not connected with the said Rioters, and are submissive to the authority of Government, are greatly terrified, and under continual Apprehensions of being attacked by the said Rioters, and that they entreated this Deponent once more to come down to this City and to apply to Government for Redress & protection, and this Deponent is very confident that unless some effectual Measures are speedily taken to preserve the said Inhabitants against the violence & Licentiousness of the said Rioters, they must soon be driven from their possessions & reduced to the greatest poverty & Distress; and with respect to himself this Deponent saith, that he has laid out his little substance in improveing a Farm in the said Township of Socialborough, that from the threats & the Danger of the said Rioters he is prevented from cultivating the same, &