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HIS year Mr. Thomas Prence was chosen Gov[erno]r.1

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Amongst other enormities that fell out amongst them,

this year. 3. men were (after due triall) executed for robery and murder which they had committed; their names were these, Arthur Peach, Thomas Jackson, and Richard Stinnings; ther was a 4., Daniel Crose, who was also guilty, but he escaped away, and could not be found.2 This Arthur Peach was the cheefe of

1 "Mr. Prence was not again elected chief magistrate till the year of Governor Bradford's decease, in 1657. He was then chosen, and continued in that office by renewed election for sixteen consecutive years, till his death in 1673. He was then succeeded by Josiah Winslow." DEANE.

His election presented a problem which the Colony Records (1. 79) thus described: "Whereas Mr. Thomas Prince is this Court elected Gouernor, and in regard of an act of the Court [passed October 28, 1633,] requiring his residency and gouerment to be held at Plymouth, and that Mr. Prince was very vnwilling, and refused to vndergoe the same, yet takeing the same into further consideracon, was willing (at the request of the Court) to condiscend therevnto, vpon two condicons, which were these; first, that Mr. Bradford would still continue Gouernor vntill Mr. Prince could prouide himself in some measure fitt for the place, wherevnto Mr. Bradford condiscended, so that it might not be longer then the next quarterly Court; and the second condicon was, that the Court would dispence with the said act, and that he might reside at Duxborrow, (if without manefest detryment he cannot remooue to Plymouth,) the which he promiseth to doe if possibly he cann, and in the meane season to keepe his Quarterly Courts at Plymouth, wherevnto the Court did consent, laying aside the force of the said act for this present, but not to be a president for tyme to come." All existing officers were continued in place until the next Court.

* Roger Williams was told the four consisted of Arthur Peach, an Irishman, John Barnes his man, and two others, "come from Pascataquack, travelling to Qunnihticut." 3 Mass. Hist. Collections, 1. 170.

Stinnings escaped to Pascataqua. "The governor sent after him, but those of Pascataquack conveyed him away and openly withstood his apprehension. It was their usual manner (some of them) to countenance, etc. all such lewd persons as fled from us." Winthrop, History, 1. *269. In 1635 Stinnings had put himself apprentice

them, and the ring leader of all the rest. He was a lustie and a desperate yonge man, and had been one of the souldiers in the Pequente warr, and had done as good servise as the most ther, and one of the forwardest in any attempte. And being now out of means, and loath to worke, and falling to idle courses and company, he intended to goe to the Dutch plantation; and had alured these.3., being other mens servants and apprentices, to goe with him. But another cause ther was allso of his secret going away in this maner; he was not only rune into debte, but he had gott a maid with child, (which was not known till after his death,) a mans servante in the towne, and fear of punishmente made him gett away. The other 3 complotting with him, ranne away from their maisters in the night, and could not be heard of, for they went not the ordinarie way, but shaped shuch a course as they thought to avoyd the pursute of any [228]. But falling into the way that lyeth betweene the Bay of Massachusetts and the Narrigansets,1 and being disposed to rest them selves, struck fire, and took tobaco, a litle out of the way, by the way side. At length ther came an Narigansett Indean2 by, who had been in the Bay a trading, and had both cloth and beads aboute him. (They had meett him the day before, and he was now returning.) Peach called him to drinke tobaco with them, and he came and sate downe with them. Peach tould the other he would kill him, and take what he had from him. But they were some thing afraid; but he said, Hang him, rogue, he had killed many of them. So they let him alone to doe as he would; and when he saw his time, he tooke a rapier and rane him through the body once or twise, and tooke from him.5. fathume of wampam, and·3 coats of cloath, and wente their way, leaving him for

to Robert Bartlett for nine years, to receive at the termination of his service two suits of apparel and three pounds in money or other merchantable commodity. Plymouth Col. Rec., 1. 35.

1 The name of the place was Misquamsqueece.

His name, as given in the Colony Records, was Penowanyanquis.

dead. But he scrabled away, when they were gone, and made shift to gett home, (but dyed within a few days after,) by which means they were discovered; and by subtilty the Indeans

1 The native had taken three beaver skins and beads for Canonicus, and was returning home with five fathoms of wampum and three coats. He was found groaning in the path by some Indians. Williams and two or three others went to where he lay in the woods. The Indians were at first shy, conceiving a general slaughter, a fear which was soon dispelled. The wounded man was taken to Providence where he was attended by Thomas James, a physician, and John Green, a surgeon, who, however, could not save his life. He implicated more of the party than Peach. "Sitting in the side of a swamp a little way out of the path, (I went to see the place, fit for an evil purpose,) Arthur called him to drink tobacco, who coming and taking the pipe of Arthur, Arthur run him through the leg into the belly, when, springing back, he, Arthur, made the second thrust, but mist him; that another of them struck at him, but mist him, and his weapon run into the ground; that getting from them a little way into the swamp, they pursued him, till he fell down, when they mist him, and getting up again, when he heard them close by him, he run to and again in the swamp, till he fell down again, when they lost him quite; afterwards, towards night, he came and lay in the path, that some passenger might help him as aforesaid." Williams to Winthrop, [August, 1638.] 3 Mass. Hist. Collections, I. 172.

Williams had received information from an Indian, of four almost famished Englishmen being at Pawatuckgut, "a river four miles from us toward the bay." Sending provision and strong water he invited them to come to him, but they pleading soreness from travelling, desired to rest where they were. They claimed to be on their way to Connecticut, and had been lost for five days. At daybreak on the following morning they came to Williams, "relating that the old man at Pawatucket had put them forth the last night, because that some Indians said, that they had hurt an Englishman, and therefore that they lay between us and Pawatucket." They also said "that they came from Plymouth on the last of the week in the evening, and lay still in the woods the Lord's day, and then lost their way to Weymouth, from whence they lost their way again towards us, and came in again six miles off Pawatuckgut." Otherwise occupied, Williams inquired no further; but after the four men were gone, he had tidings from an Indian of the murder which had been committed. Williams sent messengers to arrest the four, and it was learned they had passed through Nanhiggontick, showing Miantunomo the letters of Roger Williams, and, proceeding to Aquidneck, were there taken. He thought they should be tried where taken, or if sent anywhere, to Plymouth, and applied to Winthrop for guidance. The governor replied, that "seeing they were of Plymouth, they should certify Plymouth of them, and if they would send for them, to deliver them; otherwise, seeing no English had jurisdiction in the place where the murder was committed, neither had they at the island any government established, it would be safest to deliver the principal,

tooke them. For they desiring a canow to sett them over a water, (not thinking their facte had been known,) by the sachems command they were carried to Aquidnett Iland, and ther accused of the murder, and were exam[in]ed and comitted upon it by the English ther. The Indeans sent for Mr. Williams, and made a greeveous complainte; his freinds and kinred were ready to rise in armes, and provock the rest therunto, some conceiving they should now find the Pequents words trew: that the English would fall upon them. But Mr. Williams pacified them, and tould them they should see justice done upon the offenders; and wente to the man, and tooke Mr. James, a phisition, with him. The man tould him who did it, and in what maner it was done; but the phisi

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To: James, tion found his wounds mortall, and that he

could not live, (as he after testified upon othe, before the jurie in oppen courte,) and so he dyed shortly after, as who was certainly known to have killed the party, to the Indians his friends." Winthrop, I. *267.

From the natives Williams obtained some interesting news. "The natiues, frends of the slaine had consultacion to kill an English man in revenge: Miantunnomu heard of it, and desired that the English would be carefull on the high wayes, and sent himselfe expresse threatnings to them, etc. and informed them that Mr. Governour would see justice done. Ousamequin comming from Plymmouth told me that the four men were all guiltie; I answered but one; he replied true, one wounded him, but all lay in wait two dayes, and assisted. In conclusion: he tould me that the principall must not dye, for he was Mr. Winslowes man: and allso that the man [Indian] was by birth a Neepmuck man; so not worthy an other man should die for him: I answered what I thought fit, but conceave there will be neede of wisedome and zeale in some, and remembrance of that Vox Cali: He that doth violence to the blood of any person, let him flee to the pit: let none deliver [stay] him." [Prov. xxvIII. 17.] Williams to Winthrop, August 14, 1638. 4 Mass. Hist. Collections, vi. 249.

"I was once with a Native dying of a wound, given him by some murtherous English, who rob'd him and run him through with a Rapier, from whom in the heat of his wound, he at present escaped from them, but dying of his wound, they suffered Death at New Plymouth, in New-England, this Native dying call'd much upon Muckquachuckquand, which of other Natives I understood (as they believed) had appeared to the dying young man, many yeares before, and bid him when ever he was in distresse call upon him." Williams, Key into the Language of America (Narragansett Club), 149. The word means "the children's God."

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THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENOX AND
TILDEN FOUNDATIONS

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