Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-21
FREDERICK's PATRIOTIC COURT.
How the Stamp Act Was Ignored and Defed
by the County Judges.


At recent meeting of the Frederick. Nd.
County Historical Society Mr.. I. ]. Nelson
read paper on the bench and bar OF Fred
erick. which contained sone interesting STATE
msn;s. Two importan. events ehroniclcd were
the official action of the justices and lawyers o
the bench and bar OF Frederick on the odicu
stamp act in 17G5 o; the English parliament
ard the trial. conviction and execution Of Ger
tain tories il 1?si.
The stamp act. % impose taxes on the Amer
lean colonies without their consent. was passed
hv parliament on February %. 1866. and was Il
+ become operative on the first day of November
following. BY its provisions. unless stamps
were used. marriages would be null, notes OF
hand useless. ships at sea prizes tc the hrsi
. C1ptors. suits at law impossible. transfers oil
real estate invalid and iuheritances lrrecisima-
be.
When the measure was FIST Proposed BY the
p;it-h minister /: met with determined OPP
petition IL the colonies. which tick form
and exY ressicn acco-,li:l; 10 the sentiments and
temper of each individual.
in Boston Oliver. tEs stamp officer. was
burnt in efgy aud his of.ee demolished ~ !.
mob: the people OF Connecticut threatened to
hang their distributor to the first tree AZ soon
rs he entered the colony. I'VE are not bound
TO Weld obedience" asserted the people of yir-
ciuia and little Rhode Island raised a mob to
re,is: the act. The distributor of New Jersey
forced 70 resign. ami in Annapolis the house
of Zachariah Hood. the Maryland distributor
was torn down by the Infatuated people
These are only a few examples of the feeling
ard conduct of the plain people of the colonies
No responsibility was incurred by the direct
refusal to OBEY the act bv anv official or body
Os officials whose duties brought them within
its provisions. Rhode Island alone made a
move IN that direction. but her example does
not appear to have been cortayious or pro-
af.Tr
the "'hcers OF the colony to proceed in all their
duties rs usual. without regard to the tct but
rspTeSs!y engaged to indemnify and save them
harmless in SO doing. The legislature incurred
10 responsibility and the officers who might
conform TO les direction would do so under the
shield OF n bond OF indemnity.
ACTION OF TIE FREDERICK COURT.
1T Is under these circumstances ard in this
condition Of affairs Mr.. Nelson's paper goes
on. Il desire to call attention TO the Official
action o: he Justices of the Frederick county
court III re peel 10 this stamp act.
AT tn TAIL ;erm Of the cont. he'd i'll Fred
erick on the 18Th Of November. 1865. and on
the 23d dav OF the month. Justices Joseph
Smith. David LYNN. Char.eS Jones. Samuel
Beal, Joseph Eeall. Fe;e: cambridge. Thomas
Price. Andrew Hugh. William Blair William
!.uchett. James Dickson and Thomas Beatty
ordered TIE following resolution and opinion
30 be recorded among the minutes of the court:
1t Is tne unanimous resolution and opinion Of
thi; court that all the business thereof shall
and ought to be transacted III the usual and cy:s-
tomary manner. w.thou: any inconvenience or
GelIy 10 be occssioned from the want OF stamp
paper. parchment or yel!um. and that all pro-
ceilings shall be valid and effectuai without
the ase oi stamps. and thev enjoin and order
all sheriff. Clerks, coUnseiiors. attorneys and
ali o-hcsrS ot the court 20 proceed in their
b several agucations Usual
L.. baei tot II,
eqiisocal words or phrases. Sinking OF re-
sponSibil:y Urder tee cover of legislative in
demnitv. Ii was the opinion of Dulanv and
the othe- great MARYLAND lawyers that the act
was unconstitutional. as subversiye of natural
justice and that the courts ought to nuilify q.
b Accepting this view these immortal twelve. on
, the very hrst opportunity that offered, marched
mp tearlessly TO the performance OF their patri-
otto dutv.
"A certain John Darnall was at the time.
the clerk OF the court and refused to obey the
mandate of the justices. and thereupon the
cour. passed order committing him to the
custody of the sheriff for contempt. Upon
complying with the order he was discharged
CELEBRATED By CITIZENS.
"Ou the 30th Of the same month this grea:
event in tine history of Frederick was cele-
brated by her citizens by grand funeral pro-
cessiOn.
"Ua a coffin, supposed to contain the corpse
/ Of the defunct stamp act. was this inscription
/ The Stamp Act expired OF mortal stab re-
ceived from the Genius Of Liberty, in Freder-
ick County Court, 23d of November, 1865. aged
= days Zachariah Hood. merchant of
Annapolis ard the stamp distributor for Mary
land. was represented by citizen and was
carried IN procession in an open chariot. as sole
Inoarner. The account. published in the
papers at the time. says: During the whole
Z procession. which marched through the princi-
on the court house green, the bells continued
ringing and on every huzza by the crowd, or
loud laugh of female spectators, Zachariah
Hood. esq. was observed TO nod or drop his
head into his bosom in token of the utmost
sorrow and confusion. On arriving at the
Gallows, under which the grave dug. the
drums ceased and proclamation for silence
was made The funeral Grafton. supposed
to have been written by Distributor
Hood over his beloved stamp act. was
then read. 1t was lengthy and witty
production and closed with these
and one grave receive our brearhess remains
, hope, good people. YOU will not refuse this
ilst request OF dying person. and-oh, OH
When these words Of exclamation we're reached
ZScha-iah Hood sunk suddenly down aud
tumbled from the chariot while one Of the
Sons of Liberty exclaimed IN a voice Of thun-
I der: Let him die like a dog" As it is becom-
! ing fashionable nowadays TO celebrate the great
| events OF American history why should not
Frederick have her celebration? And what day
/ Is more worthy OF commemoration than the Esd
OF November. when the stamp act expired OF a
mortal stab received from the genius of liberty
{ III Frederick county court the first practical
Official protest against the tyranny OF Great
Britain throughout the colonies! or what names
mOre worthy of remembrance and honor than
/ those o. the immortal twelve VINO struck the
| blow? Monuments reared to those who
! remained in the background. Shall they who
! came manfuily to the front forever sleep .un-
/ wept, unhonored and unsung?'
| HANGED FOR TREASON.
| During our revolutionary struggle there was
/ an idea prevalent among the people, having
been carefully propagated by English emissa-
I Americans for engaging in the British service
! Acting upon this fatal belief seven men owing
allegiance TO the American cause-Peter Iue
/ man. Nicholas Andrews, Yost Picker Adam
| Graves, Henry Shett, John George Graves and
| Caspar Fritchie-joined the conspiracy Of Lord
! Dunmore and the Indian chief White Eye,
! against their country. They were arrested anG
/ brought before a special court held in Fred
/ erick and presided over by Alexander Contet
, Hanson, where they were indicted for higi
treason. and. after q fair and Impartial trial
were convicted and sentenced to death. The
following is the sentence pronounced upoi
| them by Judge Hanson: You, Peter Lueman
Nicholas Andrews, Yost Picker. Andrew Graves
Henry Shett, John George Graves and Caspal
I Fritche. and each of you, attend to your sen
/ tence. You shall be carried to the Jail Of Fred