Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1845-04-17
NEWPORT, SIS.
Colony of RHODE ISLAND,

| county of newport, IN the colony ol
Rhode Island, Sc, landholder, Of lawful
age, appeared before the honorable com
mlssloners for inquiring into the circum.
stances OF burning the Gaspee, &c., and
being sworn upon The Holy Evangelists
Of Almighty God, deposeth and saith -
That some time in the beginning of
last week, IA man came TO his house in
Portsmouth, who called himself Stephen
Gulley |; he appeared to be in liquor, and
requested that he might have supper and
lodgings, which the deponent told him he
might have before supper he went from
the deponent's house in company with
one Thomas Aylesbury, and as they had
both been noisy and used very bad Ian
guage, the deponont fastened the doors
OF his house, in order to keep them out;
after some time this Stephen Gulley re-
turned and knocked at the door, upon
which he let him in and told him his sup
per was ready ia The back room and
while he was eating his supper Ayles.
bury returned, and said to GuIley, my
friend, believe you are upon some bad
design, as ] understood, by your talk,
you are going to Newport TO give n(or-
nation about burning the Gaspee to
which GuIley replied that twas nobody's
business but his own then Aylesbury
told him he would not get to Newport, as
there were number of Indians with
brass pistols in the road, who would tax e
care OF him but thus deponent in fact
sayeth that he did not know, neither has
he any reason to bolicve, there were any
Indians in the road leading to Newport,
and the deponent supposed that Ay les
bury told this story to Guley with no
other desi ign but to Tighten him. After
left the room Gulley asked
The deponent what he should do and a.
he recollected AyIcsbury was in liquor,
and did not know but there might be-
some disturbance between him and Gul- \
ley, he, the deponent, told Guuey there
was lower road that he nigh. 90 in.
by which he mi ght avoid that which
Ayles6ury had told him the Indians were
IN, and if he would pay his reckoning h,
would go and direct him to that road on
which he asked the deponcnt If he would
lot take weapon with him whereuponl
,e replied that he should not take n
weapon with him, as he did not believe
my body would hurt him, the deponcnl
u the said Gulley, and then Immediately
Proceeded to show him the road, by
.olng with him as far as his barn, which 1
5 about twenty rods from the deponent's
ouse, and showed him a pond near to
Which was road, and directed him to
axe that road and steer southward ill he II
anne into the main road, which he would
oon do. The deponent then left GulIey
nd returned to his dwelling house where
e saw nobody but his own family, either a
the house or about it, and every thinp
'malned quiet. And this deponent fur y
Ter saith, that while he was IN the -
llchen soon after Guley came TO his c
ouse, and before Aylesbury had told .
ulley he believed he was upon some a
ad design, he heard person reading {
&c Kings proclamation for discovering "
o persons who burnt the Gaspce u
hooner, upon which Gulley said il was -"
fine reward, and he intended to have =
1; and the deponeni believes hat AyIes. r
iry was then in the room, and further d.
is deponent saith not Sc
JOSEPH BORDEN. !"
Sworn to at Newport the day and yea,
lore written, before us,
y, "nnlon, Fred, .Smyihe,
Dan. Horssmondr, Peter Ohrer.
Robert Auchmuy, T.
Tn be ro,y;,,oJ