The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1772-1775, 1774-02-03
For the MASSACHUSETTS spy.

7s~ giVixg t5s folgetVisg place j" jour 9afrisfit
paper, suiN cosVy IL to the tyG Of fbf fatbfrs
of sbis people, 4vbo sryR Be touched 4Oitb the
jzFsris Of children. 10 EysRG G1priVel Of thai
Hare Of their profst7ieS, 10 qVbieb By rigbf and
INCLINATION, tbey b0Vs tbs RrosgsF claim.
MR.. John Butler of Dummeriton, or
wi Putney, came into tract of land in
Putney by order of Col. Joiiah Willard of
Wincneiler, with a promile of having tn.
land from faid Willard on realonable terms.
Col. Willard thong ht proper Tome time
after to apply to the Governor OF New
York for Patent for this land with guam
tity beiides on which number of other
people had lettled on like encouragement
from Col. Willard. Col Willard iome-
time after his procurement of this Patent
fold the land to the Hon. William Smith,
Efq; of New-York, without any regard to
the occupants or provifo relative to his
agreement with them. Mr.. Smith iome-
time after bis bargain with Col. Willard
Empowered or employed Col. Samuel Wells
at marlborough, to remove MIR. Butler
and others from of the lands they had IN
great meafure improved on the ttrength OF
their bargain with Col. Willard. NE7
Builder upon this made fome enquiry |isfo
the foundation of the title, and found that
neither Col. Willard nor Judge Smith had
any right to it either by Charter from New
Hzmplhire. or Patent from New York.
Nay it appeared plainly that all theie lands
were of the equivalent granted by the Bay
to Connecticut, and by that colony aliened
to individuals among whom the families
of the lac Juftiee Stoddard and the Powells
are proprietors of the tract in queition.
The province of New-Hampfhirc once be-
fore difputed this title, and was foiled by
il. and McG. Powells on application made
to them, told the occupants to retain their
poHefion and they would iecure them.
Finding therefore, that an indifputable
tide with knowledge and iltereif enough to
defend it lay againR them, they ieem to
have fufpended dire2 attack, and in all
appearance aim to harrals Mr.. Butler, by
means too bale to be borne with in a ciss-
lized country. One James Cumming, a
favourite Of Col. Wells's bought fmall
note aeainft Mr.. Butler, for the recovery
of which he took out . writ againt him.
The mode of lerving this writ was 10 ex-
traordinarY that any one n1uf conclude
there were further views in L than barely
to obtain riaing debt, oh probably
might have BEEN diEcharEt4 on demand /;
il was tbs. On November goth lait pait,
lanes Cumming afoNfaid, his fon and one
| Charles Hathon came 20 Mr.. Butler, in the
morning, and food waiting At the door till
an opp6runitymight offer for them to force
intothe houfe; and embracing the hrff they
entered, and Immediately fell to beating,
mauling and wounding the ieveral perfons
in the houie in the following manner, viz.
Hathon went Immediately TO the bed where
| Mr.. Butler, his wife and child lay, and
| Hruck Mrs. Butler on the hip, which put
her in great pain, telling her ihe was his
prifoner. But not content with this, ne
pinched and bruifed her in fundry places,
took her by the hair of the head and drew
her I'D, and Che laying hold Of pair of
tonos 70 defend herielf, he wreited them
! from her and Knocked her down with them.
| By this time Mr.. Butler awoke who till
then was aeeping and finding his family
aHaulted in 70 terrible, inhuman and barba-
rous a manner, feized lcayer, which one
| of his boys handed him, and told them he
| would clear the houfe of them or kill them
if they did not depart. While Hathon was
thus abufing thofe in the bed, Cumming
| did in like manner beat and abuie others
in the houfe, particularly man and woman
4 Il