Litchfield enquirer., 1858-11-11
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CoNNEC

TO HE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CONNEC IICUT:
 An affair which has caused considerable excit" ment, and which has brought my name before the public and into the Courts of this County and which
 has been attended by extraordinary circumstances
 requires from brief statement of it's origin
 progress, and final termination.
 reside in tho of Warren, in LitchfeId coun
 ty, and have for years held the office of Justice of the Peace for said county, and have frequently
 been called to the ado ming town of Kent to trans act various kinds of business pertaining to my office In Jannary lS56 I was requested by sundrv citi. zens of said Kent to trv case in which one William S. Elwyn was charged with keeping and selling li- quors contrary to law. I reluctantly consented Subsequently, the Deputy Sheriff who served the process, brought request to me from Elwvn that would go to Kent on the following day. to receive his plea of guilty as he wished fo settle it the easi. est way. l went the next day, requested found Elwyn had changed his mind, and had concluded to make defence. Circumstances made it necessary to postpone the trial for few. days The place of holding the Court was three or four miles from my residence, and about one half mile within the town of Kent.
 The trial resulted in the conviction of the offender An appeal taken to the Superior Court, and the case subsequently, settled by the payment of fine and costs A quantity of liquor had been siezed by the officer and account of the time required for notice second trial was found necessary about two weeks after the first.
 On this last occasion found some two or three hundred persons, gathered at near the place of trial. No legal defence being made, the case was soon disposed of and about the middle of the day, I, with friend who accompanied me, started for home We had proceeded but few rods. when my horse stopped by three men holding rail across the road. About the same time an OK sled was drawn on to bridge, a few rods in advance to pre- vent my escape. was surrounded by large num- Der of men, seized, dragged from my sleigh-kicked and beaten-ta tar and feathers put upon my clothes, which had been torn in tatters I was then thrown on and over the rail, it held in the-hands the shoulders of some of the rufians, until lost consciousness by reason of their brutal treatment. I was finally rescued by friend and-bruised, bleeding and faintng-wa permitted to return to my home. I had previous intimation that an assault would be made, any indignty offered and of course was unprepared for making resistance.
 Bench Warrant was issued by the Attorney for the State against number of the most active offenders, who succeeding in eluding the vigilance of the off cer and fled the State but after returned, went before Justice of Kent, and pleaded guilty on complaint procured by themselves, aided by those who had instigated them to the commission of the offense were fined three dollars each and were dis charged without the payment of costs. They were arrested the bench warrant, and af ter several trials before the Superior Court resulting mostly in disagreements of the jury, have all been finally acquitted. The Prosecuting Officer of the County has made the most diligent and persevering efforts to bring them to justice, but all without avail. William Treat, then an Attorney and Judge of Probate in Kent an active conspirator asso- cated with others in planning and instigating the outrage He was subsequently, arrested on the charge of taking money letter from the post office in Kent, which had been mailed by the owner, and which contained $500. He was found guilty and