The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1818-12-15

the prophet obtaiDs& Y revelation, pro
we'd with child. anoSh+r warrant was is.
sued for bringing her before the Jufice
to be examined, and bound over to the
general sessions, IN consAquence of a
law of the province, formed for proven,
ting bastardy.
- The confable having received his
warrants, and being jealous of meeting
with no good ufage in the execution Of
his ohice,prevailed on two three Of his
neighbours to 60 along with him. The
Family obferving the confable coming.
and being appriied Of his crrand, conful-
tied fheir prophet, who told them that
God commanded them to arm and de-
fend themfelves against perlecution, and
their iubltance against the robberies of
ungodlY men assuring them, at the
fame time, that no project formed againft
them should prosper. Accordingly they
did 70, and laying hold of their arms.
fred on the confable and his followers,
and drove them out of their plantation
Such behaviour was not to be tolerated,
and therefore Captain Simmons gathered
party of militia, and went to protect
the constable in the execution of his
office. When the deiuded family faw
the Justice and his party approaching
they fhut them(elves up in their honte,
and firing from it like furies, fhot Cap
tain Simmons dead on the spot, and
| wounded feveral Of his party. The mi
litia returned the fire, killed one woman
in the houfe, and afterwards forcaibly
entered it, took the reit prisoners, fix in
number, and brought them TO Charles
town.
"At tie Court of General Sessions of
t he peace, held in Sept. I724, three of
them were brough. to trial, found guilty
and condemned. They pretended they bad
the Spirit IF Cad ksding them to az
truth they knew it and felt it but this
spirit, initead of influencing them to ohe-
dience. purity and peace, commanded
them to commit rebellion, incest and
murder. What is still more astondhing,
the principal persons among them, |
mean the prophet, the father of the fam
lily, and Michael Boneau, never were
convinced Of their deluGon, but periifted
in it until their laa breath. During their
trial they appeared altogether unconcern-
ed and fecure, aherting that Cad zvas on
their side, andtbvgore they Jearsd not 1Obat
man could do 10 them They freely told
the incestuous story 10 open court in all
its circumstances and aggravation, with
good countcuance, and Uery readily
confessed the facts respecting their rebel
lion and murder, with which they food
charged, but Plead their authority trona
CD in vindication of themlelves, and IN
sjQsd they had done n0tbhg but BY bis sx-
press command.
rs it is commonly the duty Of cler-
gymen to Witt perions under fentence of
death, alexander Gordon, the episcopal
minifer of Charlestown, to whom we
are indebted for this account, attended
those condemned persons with great dill
gcnce and concern. What they had at
firmed in a court Of Juftice, they repeat
ed and confefled to him in like manner in
the prison. When he began to reaion
with them, and to explain the heinous
nature of their crimes, they treated him
with disdain. Their motto was, m
Ewer him nat a y9rd zuho is bs'tbat (b0Rd
preJi4me to teach them, qvbo bad the Hirit 9
God Ipeaking m1vardy to TIER souhs ? In
all they had done, tbeyJad, tbey had obcy'
dtbs voice Of Goa, and 1Oere nc1O abelt 70
Jf1Ier mertyrdsm for ,eligioin BIT Cad
had ALFRED them, that be 1p0sla rajts them
fran the dead on the third day. Ihete
things the three men continued conf