The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-03-13

lodgings that night. heard an inquiry in
the next room respecting the noise. went
into one of them and found they were about
starting after Higgins to learn the difficulty.
We accordingly all started together and after
running about one hundred rods, came nm to
him, who was still hallooing for hclp. On
inquiry he told us that he had discovered two
men, carrying packs on their backs. lurkino
about the town, whom ne supposed to be spies
from the Indians, and that they had fled on
discovering him. The town was alarmed, the
militia turned out, the boats up and down the
river were stopped, the woods were secured.
but nothing found. nothing discovered. all
night the truitleSS search was continued" At
last suspicious became prevalent that Bur
roughs was concerned in it and that it was
but a trick of his. One man testified that he
saw Burroughs and Paine pass his house a few
minutes before he heard the outcrv. Bur
roughs asserted however his innocence and
cited thosr who ran from the college with him
as testimony All Were satisfied except one
of the tutors that Burroughs had no hand in
the affair. He, Wood bv name. took Paine
aside and by a reiterated course of iatterv.
threatening. tcrrors and soothing. obtained
the secret Burroughs had stationed a per
son near Tie room who overheard the confer
encc and informed him that he had tccn dis
covered. Iron this Rurruurh< went to the
owner of the water melons and telling him
that, in.in@ IN want of some the niuht before.
he had taken twelve. but was ready to pay
HIM for them. II" then paid the man the full
value OF hi> melons and took a receipt for the
money. Hnrron@h> was summoned before the
roIl"." authorities. One the tutors lrct,lr-
ed to HIM IN speech of half an hours lcneth
stating IN" enormous crime Of which he had
been guilty. aud ihr course Of iniruitv he
must have lcl throu.h life. 10 L.. detected in
such an atrnr"u> breach of the law Bur
roughS heard the tutor through and ghrn az
knowledgc'l that We Lad taken the melons .lu,
he had also paid for them This information
was lk" thunarr-clap 20 thr spectators ant
they lost all hopes Of seeing Eurrongh> ruin
t ed. The fact Of thc pavmcnt was verfv,
and here T." matter ended.
Being Of an ingenious DISPOSITION and il
want Of employmca. burroughs after variou,
exploits which he narratcs in his memoir
concluded TO assume a tr,icinuS name anf
seek employment a> a clergyman although h,
, knew nothing of IN" occupation from expcri
en"r. IL carried him with him ten of hi
, fathers old sermons. He reached Pelham :
town in the western. part of ,hi. state. he Wa
engaged tnr four Sun,la,>. t the ronrl!
sion Of this time he WAS well likci that h,
was engaged for a longer term The wear il
which h" preached at Pelham happened t,
, he one of great mortality and Ec was oftrn
called npon at short notice tn preach fiIncra
sermons. ~ he id not always have one of
, his own ready he occasionally used one b,
. his father and on one occasion he did :,
:. when the sermon was preached at priva;,
, house. \ member otthe congregation. wh,
:. had pre'iousl V suspected him. took the on
:. portnni'r oiloohin- over his shoulder at TN
/, manuscript. Thinkin" il appeared too oI,
to have been lately written H.. communicate,
! to others his suspicious HAT Burrouglrs preach
+, ed sermons written hy others. 4 rlan wa
= therefore laid to ascertain the truth. Sai
they, if he can preach at such short motto,
q whenever called upon he can surely prcac
! from such a text as VIC shall choose for ir
on Sunday mornIn" next. Accordingly whc
the daN arrived member of the conurrra
ton handcdt TO Burroughs text upon papr
and requested him to preach thcretrom. Th
text was that above written "Oll Shoes an
: clouic1 on their feet" The subject jrnlou<,
and according TO his own account RurrounE
preached an eloquent sermon which convin,
cd the learned Pclhamitcs Of the ability o
=: their preacher.
: Burroughs next became concerned wit
:, the celebrated Glazicr Wheeler. maker an
: utterer of counterfeit coin. burroughs kin,
ly consented to make some purchases for
friend Of Wheeler with the new coin. but w;
detected and arrested at Springfield dan
from that time may be dated all his trouble
q, of which he had his full share In the mra1
while his exploits had become the theme z
many wonder-everv body knew of II
sermon he had preached at Pelham anG a
kinds of exaggerated stories were told of hi
but few of which had any foundation in Il
truth. Burroughs was convicted and Sc
= fenced to imprisonment in Northampton ia
: lie here made several unsuccessful attemr
to escape and did actually while confined $
,'' =, the Jail on fire. After remaining at Mort
=. ampton for some time he was removed
Castle Island In Boston 1iarbOr On Il
:: journey. people came from the neighbour
"., towns that they might catch a SIGHT of the
,'N nous Stephen burroughs. and had he be-
:, more celebrated in different way he cou
= not have attracted more attention.
- Burroughs was confined upon the i>la
the remainder of his term-but not witho
NO making attempts to escape. The convi'
were guarded by a company of fifty soldie
.. and during one stormy night he contrived
~" escape in boat to Dorchester with half