Trial of three Murderers—Rise in value of Livestock—Earthquake: 1638.
This year Mr. Thomas Prince was chosen Governor.
Amongst other enormities that occurred this year three men were tried
and executed for robbery and murder. Their names were Arthur Peach,
Thomas Jackson, and Richard Stinnings. There was a fourth, Daniel
Crose, who was also found guilty, but he escaped and could not be
found. Arthur Peach was the ringleader. He was a strong and desperate
young man, and had been one of the soldiers in the Pequot war, and
had done as good service as any there, always being one of the first
in any attack. Being now out of means and loth to work, and taking
to idle ways and company, he intended to go to the Dutch colony,
and had lured the other three, who were servants and apprentices,
to go with him. But there was also another cause for his going away
secretly in this manner; he had not only run into debt, but he had
seduced a girl, a maid-servant in the town, and fear of punishment
made him wish to get away, though this was not known till after his
death. The other three ran away from their masters in the night,
and could not be heard of, for they did not go by the ordinary
route, but shaped such a course as they thought would evade pursuit.
Finding themselves somewhere between the Bay of Massachusetts and
the Narragansetts’ country, and wishing to rest, they made a fire a
little off the road by the wayside, and took tobacco. At length there
came a Narragansett Indian by, who had been trading at the Bay, and
had some cloth and beads with him. They had met him the day before,
and now he was returning. Peach called him to come and drink tobacco
with them, and he came and sat down. He had told the others he would
kill the Indian and take his goods. The others were afraid; but Peach
said, Hang the rogue, he has killed many of us. So they let him do
as he would, and when he saw his opportunity he took his rapier and
ran the man through the body once or twice, and took from him five
fathoms of wampum and three coats of cloth; and then they went their
way, leaving him for dead. But the Indian managed to scramble up
when they had gone, and made shift to get home. By this means they
were discovered, and the Indians caught them; for, wanting a canoe
to take them over the water, and not thinking their act was known,
by the sachem’s command they were taken to Aquidnett Island, and
were there accused of the deed, and examined and committed upon it
by the English. The Indians sent for Mr. Williams, and made grievous
complaint; and the friends and relatives of the injured native were
ready to rise in arms and incite the rest to do the same, believing
they would now find the Pequot’s words were true: that the English
would turn upon them. But Mr. Williams pacified them, and told them
they should see justice done upon the offenders, and went to the
wounded man and took Mr. James, the physician, with him. The man told
him who did it, and how it was done. The physician found his wounds
mortal, and that he could not live, as he testified upon oath before
the jury in open court. He died shortly after. The Governor at the
Bay was acquainted with it, but referred it to New Plymouth, because
the act was committed in this jurisdiction; but he urged that by all
means justice should be done, or it would cause a war. Nevertheless,
some of the more ignorant colonists objected that an Englishman
should be put to death for an Indian. So at last the murderers
were brought home from the Island, and after being tried, and the
evidence produced, they all in the end freely confessed to all the
Indian had accused them of, and that they had done it in the manner
described. So they were condemned by the jury, and executed. Some of
the Narragansett Indians and the murdered man’s friends, were present
when it was done, which gave them and all the country satisfaction.
But it was a matter of much sadness to them here, as it was the
second execution since they came,—both being for wilful murder.
This year they received more letters from England, full of renewed
complaints, on the one hand that Mr. Beauchamp and Mr. Andrews could
get no money or accounting from Mr. Sherley, on the other that the
latter should be importuned by them, retorting that he would account
with those here and not with them, etc. So, as had been decided
before, viz., that if nothing came of their last letters, they would
then send them what fur they could, thinking that when some good
part had been paid to them, Mr. Sherley and they would more easily
agree about the remainder,—they now sent to Mr. Andrews and Mr.
Beauchamp through Mr. Joseph Young in the Mary and Anne 1325 lbs. of
beaver divided between them. Mr. Beauchamp returned an account of his
share, showing that he made £400 sterling out of it, freight and all
expenses paid. But Mr. Andrews, though he had the larger and better
half, did not make so much out of his through his own indiscretion,
and yet charged the loss, which was about £40, to them here. They
sent them more by bills and other payments, which was received and
acknowledged by them, and divided between them, such as for cattle
of Mr. Allerton’s which were sold, and the price of a bark which
belonged to the stock and was sold, amounting to £434 sterling. The
total value was thus £1234 sterling, except what Mr. Andrews had lost
on his beaver, and which was made good otherwise. But this did not
stay their clamours, as will appear hereafter.
It pleased God about this time to bless the country with such an
influx of people that it was much enriched, and cattle of all kinds
stood at high prices for many years. Cows were sold at £20, some at
£25 apiece, sometimes even at £28. A cow-calf usually fetched £10; a
milch-goat £3, and sometimes £4; and she-kids thirty shillings and
often £2 apiece. By this means the original settlers who had stock
began to increase in wealth. Corn also commanded a high price, viz.,
six shillings a bushel. So other trading began to be neglected, and
the old partners, having forbidden Mr. Sherley to send them any more
goods, abandoned their trade at Kennebec, and, as things stood,
decided to follow it no longer. But a few of them were loth that it
should all be lost by closing it entirely, so they joined with some
others and agreed to give the colony about one-sixth of the profits
from it; and with the first fruits of this the colony built a house
for a prison. The trade at Kennebec has since been continued to the
great benefit of the place; for, as some well foresaw, such high
prices for corn and cattle could not long continue, and the revenue
got by trade would be much missed.
This year, about the 1st or 2nd of June, there was a fearful
earthquake. Here it was heard before it was felt. It began with a
rumbling noise, or low murmur, like remote thunder; it came from the
northward and passed southward. As the noise approached, the earth
began to shake, and at length with such violence that platters,
dishes, and other things standing on shelves came clattering down,
and people were afraid for the houses themselves. It happened that
at the time several of the chief citizens of the town were holding
a meeting in a house, conferring with some of their friends who
were about to move from the place—as if the Lord would hereby show
His displeasure at their thus shaking apart and removing from one
another. It was very terrible for a while, and as the men sat talking
in the house, some women and others were just out of doors, and the
earth shook with such violence that they could not stand without
catching hold of the posts and palings near by. But the violence did
not last long. About half an hour after, or less, came another noise
and shaking, but not so severe as before, and not lasting long. Some
ships along the coast were shaken by it; but it was not only felt
near the sea, for the Indians noticed it inland. So powerful is the
mighty hand of the Lord as to make both the earth and the sea to
shake, and the mountains to tremble before Him when He pleases; and
who can stay His hand?
It was observed that the summers for several years after this
earthquake were not so hot and seasonable for the ripening of corn
and other fruits as formerly, but were colder and more moist and
subject to early and untimely frosts, so that often much Indian corn
failed. Whether this was the cause, I leave it to naturalists to
judge.