The Newhampshire gazetteer — Exeter, N.H., 1791-07-08 00:00:00, page 1

THOMAS MOUNT,
Who <was executed at Little-Rest, (Rhode-
IJland) on Friday Ma, 27th, 1791 —~
for burglar,.
I THOMAS MOUNT, now under
sentence of death in the goal of New
port, and to be executed agreeable
to my sentence, at Little-Rest, on the
27th of this month of May—in bodily
health and found mind, and full of sor
row and regret for my wicked life, in
sincerity and truth make the following
confeffion :
My parents, Samuel Mount and Mary
Dobbs, lived in Middletown, in East-
Jersey, where I was born some time, I
believe, in 1764. My father for the
benefit of his family, removed to New-
York when I was about four or five years
old, where I arid my brothers were put
to school ; they viz. Adam and Joseph,
• now living and in good repute in New-
York, profited in their ftadies—l played
truant, hated learning and every fort of
good Inftruaion.^ Uprin Sundays espe
cially was fond cf doing mifchief, such
as robbing orchards, and spreading my
wicked example among all the boys [
could get acquainted with.—l began to
despise my parents, and to count every
thing they said to, or did for me,
as beneath my regard• and having never
learned to know my duty, either towards
God, ^or towards man, or myfelf, I de
spised all religion; and at the age of
^ ten or eleven, quitted my parents, who
often told me [ thculd one day corile to
an evil end, and >vent to fen on board
one :Capt. Hammond, bound for Antigua
thence to Statia, St. Kits, Santacruiz,
Sandakes, Savannah. At Savannah [
left him and went on board the Florida
brig bound for Jamaica ; then I left him
arid went to live with one Mr. Kennedy
in Kingstown, with him I lived about
live or fix ^eks, then left him and got
aboard of a (loop, Capt, Alboy, and re
turned in her to New-York. In 177;
the war breaking qqt, I quitted my pa
rents again, arid lifted with Capt. Pal
mer, and went with him to Albany,
thence to Fort George, thence to Ticori
deroga; thence to Crown- Point, thence
to St. John's, thence to Montreal,thence
returned to Albany, and beingfick was
dismissed on account of my youth, so I
returned to live with my parents, at
New-York. Not reliffiing the good rules
ind advice of my parents, again tieft
them and went to live with one John
Minor, at Stonington-Point, with whom
I remained fix or seven months; when
he was drafted to go in the militia—l
proposed to go in his dead ; accordingly
\ went, and at Groton, near New-London,
availed myfelf of the privileges of a
militia man, I lifted in the contiriental
army under Col. Huntington, and ac
companied him to Denbigh, when the
British troops landed ^nd burnt it.—At
Valley-Ford, in Pennsylvania, [ deserted
the American, and went over to the
British army, then lying in Philadelphia.
In a few days after this. I and two com
panions broke into a soap boiler's (lore
(this is my firft aft of theft) and stole
soap, When the Britifti troops left
Philadelphia, I came along with them
through the Jerfies,to' New-York,thence
to Staten Island, where t broke open a
store in the night fobn after our arrival,
and topk a large quantity of goods, and
about 20 dollars in ca(h, and the night
following I broke into the fame store and
took a larger quantity of goods than I
had done the former night. Determined
to desert for fear of difeovery, I and
two of my companions confioed the cor
poral that commanded the patrole, and
so we escaped and went off to the Ameri
can army into the Jerfies. —With my
uncle Joseph Cox, at Embley's Town,
who married my father's filter, I remain-
FRIDAY, July 8, 1791.]
Newhampfhire
THE CONFESSION OF
EXETE R, ( New-Hamp/bire) Printed and Published by HENRY RANLET, at Nine Shillings per annum.
ed fome.weeks ; but soon wearied cf
this too quiet fort of life, I left my uncle
and went to Philadelphia, where I enter
ed on board a schooner, Capt. Strong,
bound to Cape-Francois, from whence I
returned fafe to Philadelphia ; and in
about four weks after my return! enter
ed again on board the fame vessel, and
then run off with the advanced pay, and
entered on board the St. James, Capt.
King, and cheated him ofa month's ad
vanced pay ; next entered on board the
Plow brig, Capt. Brewster, with whom I
went to fea,and in 24. hours taken by the
Cyble frigate, carried into New-York
and put on board the Jersey prison-ship,
from whence in about eleven or twelve
days I escaped to Nev-York, where I
entered on board a fchooner,received tie
advance . money and made off with it.
Next I wris apprehended by thri Britifti
regiment (the fourth battalion of Jersey
volunteers) to which [ formely belonged;
and was brought before a court-martial,
but received no punishment on account
of my youth. Under no restraint, and
already hardened by the escapes I had
made, [ determined to double my dilL
gence, if possible to arrive at the head of
my profeJion ; accordingly, next stole 1
watch fro n one Mr. Kelly ; next broke
open a store belonging to Mr. Kilzek;
next stole another watch ; next dole a
giltcafe watch ; next dole a gold watch,
next dole a large bag full of English
boot and bend leather ; next dole (in
company with one William Flanegin, in
the evening, the (hop door landing
open,) a piece of corduroy about thirty
yards ; in Qeen-Street, a few days af
terwards, I went into a shop in the day
time, and dole a paper of worked ftock
iggs ; a ferdays after, out of a (hop,in
Hanover-Square, I stole a piece of linen
about twenty five yards ; about a week
or so, after this, dole another piece
the Broad-Way ; next, in the night time,
[ and one John Delevan knocked down
a sailor and took his money—4 knocked
him down, but Delevan took his money
and runoff with it from me. The regi
ment now removing to Newton, on Long-
Idand, I went with them, and in a few
days after our arrival, I and one Henry
Milton dole two horses & rode on with
them to Brookland, and then let them
go ; next day after we came tq Brook
land, we were apprehended and carried
back to the regiment and tried for desert
cion ; Henry Milton was acquitted, and
[fentenced to receive goo lashes ; but
the day before my punishment commen
ced,! broke one of the guard-house, and
escaped to the east end of the island, but
there was taken up by Colonel Thom
son's light horse,. and carried to Hun
tington, thence under guard to Jerico,
there committed to the care of one of the
Yougers to carry me to the regiment.—
The Youger's pocket. I picked, as he
fat by me in the waggon, and threw all
his papers down on the ro^d within five
or fix miles of Jamaica ; some time after
we came out of the carriage at Jamaica,
told him that I friw the driver pick
his pocket and take all his papers and
throw them down on the highway, about
five or fix miles from hence. Seeing the
waggon at some coafiderable distance
the Youger, desiring me to follow him,
pursued after the waggoner that instant,
[ took contrary direction and so escaped.
I went, down as far as South-Hole
and got over in ri trading boat to the
main, and travelled towards New-Haven,
there one dav wept in r o a (hop and stole
out of the drawer a quantity of caffi;
next day,out of another store,! stole from
the ca(h box 5 or 6 crowns & dollars with
two French guineas ; fame day in the
afternoon, went into another (hop and
stole about ten pounds in silver and one
English guineas. Leaving this place, I
set off for Philadelphia, where I lifted
into Col. Myland's light-horse, the forth
regiment of dragoons : Soon after this
^^^^^
THE
peace took place, I quitted the army
entirely. Immediately after my leav
ing the army, broke open a continen
tal store, and stole two pair of boots, and
a parcel of shirts.
A few days after I stole a piece of cal
lico, thirty yards, in company with
Jam's Davfon ; feme little time after
this, I stole from a kitchen door a silver
tankard belonging to Mr. Penrofe, —it
was instantly miffed ; Dawson had cut it
up, bet one of the Captains of the gar
rison intercepted ft, and Dawion arid (
were taken up and tried for the theft ;
lie got 23 lathes, and I one hundred ladies
for the theft, and 25 for giving the court
fancy anfwers.—N> footer was this ac
count sett ed, but I proceeded in my old
way, and stole 3 large silver spoons from
Mr. Joseph Carson, in Water Street ;
next day or so, in the evening, I went
into an apothecary's fnop and :00k his
cash box containing about ten pounds ;
2 week after this scent into a shop in
- -street, and tock another piece of
calico ; some days after I was taken up
for a debt E owed to Mr. Carson and put
in goal ; whiift in goal, the woman to
whom I and Dawson had fold the calico,
which E stole from Mr. Pool, was appre
hended, having on a gown of it, and
informed that the had bought it of roe,
accordingly I was tried for the theft and
received 21 la'hes, and feetenced to
imprisonment for court charges of fine
and reftitutiori monep ; the second day
after F broke gaol and escaped, I picked
the pocket cf one Haggaty of about
three or four dollars and two depreciati
on notes of about lixty pounds each.
Leaving Philadelphia, I went to Bur
lington, and there passed the notes ;
thence went to New-York, and lived
with ray brother Adam about one or two
months at the baking business ; here J
got acquainted with one John Lipton,
and we broke open a hen-rood one night
and stole a oarcel of fowls ; next day leav
ing New-York, we went upon Long
tfland, thence to Oftend, and so on to
New-London ; upon the road Lipton stole
a watch, but the owner miffing it, pur
sued us, and we in a very cowardly man
ner give it up to him. \Ve journeyed to
Sagg-Harbour, thence crossed over to
New-London, and from thence to Boston;
there the tirft day of our arrival we stole
articles, such as (hoes, and other weara
bles ; but finding Boston no proper place
for us then, on account of the alarms a
bout stolen goods before our arrival, we
set out to go back to New-York.—Having
travelled about twelve or fourteen miles
from Boston, in the night we broke open
a store that flood upon the road,[and took
some cash and twenty-five pair of wo
men's ihoes, a large quanty cf nutmegs
arid a gun ; and travelling along with
our booty, we came up to a waggon with
a trunk of goods tied on it,ftanding at a
tavern door, we broke open the trunk
and taking out of it a large quntity of
chintz, laces, 61k, and cotton hanker
chiefs, we left in their stead the shoes and
gun ; our next ffep was ,to secure our
flight, by taking two horses out of the
stable at the fame place, and rede the
remainder of the night, and in
the morning turned them off, whilst we
retired to the woods during the day ;
and when nightcame on we pursued our
journey towards Worcester ; but hearing
a waggon behind us, we went out of the
road a little till it should go past us, we
fixed our eyes upon it and saw one man
only in it, and he seemed to be asleep ;
the waggon soon ftopt, we supposed at
the owner's house, straightway we made
up to it, robbed the sleeping man of
all he had, about fouror five dollars, and
left him found asleep to pursue our jour
ney, felling our goods after the best
manner we could, pretending to be {pe
culating sailors, till we arrived at New-
York. Soon,after our arrival at New-
York, we lifted with the troops defined
[Numb. I of Volume 6—
Gazetteer.
for the Ohio expedition ; the second or
third night after our enlistment. we
broke open a dwelling house belonging
to Mr. Hyde, where Lipton formcly li
ved, and took a silver watch, a guninea,
some small money, and a silver stock
buckle ; after being informed by one
Millar, whole right name was Copy
Gelley, that there was money in a house
close by Mr. Lither's ship-yard, Millar,
Lipton, and I broke into ibis houfe,took:
a watch, and a pair of silver buckles,
but were difeovered just as we were rea
dy to seize upon the mony, yet we esca
ped. Having now received the bounty
and our clothes, we deferred from the
regiment, and we three, viz. Lipton,
Millar and I, went outabo^ five or fix
miles from New-York, and there Millar
went down a chimney and stole a watch,
and handed it to me through a window.
Our next route was towards New-Haver,
we broke into a house where a phyficiai,
lived,at the sign of the ball, here we took
some money and departed ; thence to
Hartford, here we lifted with the troops
going agiiaft the Indians with Capt.
HJA ; we received the bounty money,
and in twoor three days deferred. Lipton
chose to remain a little while at Hartford ;
Millar and I set off fcr Boston. Within
about fouror five miles of Providence
we broke into a dwelling house and stole
some silver spoons, then flrait to Provi
vidence ; and the very fame night broke
into a dwelling house near Mr. Sherry's
house and took^a large silver spoon and a
quantity of clothes ; and next day leav
ing Providence, and set cut for Boston:
here we went to board with Mrs.
Rich, and when ready to leave her,
we fcdle from her, a pattern of a silk and
cotton jacket, and set off for Dedham,
where we brake open the dwelling house
of Mr.Newall, and stole a large quantity
of dry goods, for which we were appre
hended and tried, and being found guil
ty, received 30 lafnes. I was put upon
the gallows one hour with a rope round
my neck, and sent to Castle-William for
three years. After about eighteen
months confinement, in a foggy day I
escaped from ,hence by fmiming three
miles, and just as I was approaching the
wharves a boat took me up, with an
intention of delivering me up to the
Castle, from whence they supposed I had
escaped ; a little after we were on Ihore;
being favoured with the darkness of the
night, I run off from them. Next day £
arrived at Providence, and got into em
ploy with one Capt. De Wolf, late from
Guinea ; soon left him, and set off for
Norwich landing, where I fell in with
an old companion, Archibald Taylor
(since executed at Boston) and next day
fitting out for Boston, upon the road we
robbed a womrin of a gold earlock and
a silk hankerchief, and used her very ill
besides, a few miles further on the road,
I Hole a gold ring and-a tortoise fbell,
Elver mounted fan, in Plainfield ; here
we changed our mines, and returned to
Norwich Landing, where I stole a fur
tout ; the firft night after our return we
broke into a store belonging to Mr. De
vitt, and took about seventy or eighty
pounds worth of dry goods ; took the
goods along and set off for New-London,
and within , two or three miles of that
place; hid the greatest part of them in
Mr. Parson's barn among hay : At New,
London we were both apprehended on
fefpicion, I having the art of represent
ing mvfclf innocent get clear, but my
companion was confined in gaol. Be
ing set at liberty,! went to Mr. Parson's
house, where I Raid two or three days,&
set off one evening towards New-York
with a part of rhe goods, which 1 dispo
sed offby the way. As fcon as my mo
ney was spent at Nev-York, I left that
place and set off to go to Mr. Parsons
for the rest of the goods ; at Milford I
got a companion to go with me,one John.
I Delavan,^c found the goods just as I left