The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-12-06

; The Judge did not pursue his wal
D much farther: but now, soon facin
e about, began with quickened ste
: and "A look of increasing uneasiness
8 to retrace his way to his quarters.
While these little incidents wer
occurring in the streets, about on
hundred sturdy and determined mel
. had collected within the walls o
: the Court House. AS the construction
of this building was somewhat pecul
lar, for one designed for such purposes
9 it may be necessary, for clear un
| Outstanding of the descriptions which
follow, to say few words respectin.
r its interior arrangements The court
! room was in the upper story, which
was all occupied AS such, except tn,
east and south corners, that had beer
, partitioned of for sleeping apartments
In the lower story, there was wild,
, passage running through the middle
, of the building, with doors at both
!, ends; while the stairs leading up into
the court room faced the principle en-.
trance, on the north east side of the
J house. After passing by the stairs,
there was small passage leading from
the large one, at right angles, and
running back between prison rooms,
whose doors opened into it. The part
of this lower story, on the opposite
side of the main passage, consisted
also of two rooms, with doors opening
into it and an entry, or short passage,
leading out into the street. One Of
these rooms was used as common. or
bar room, and the other as a sort of
parlor, being both occupied by the
jailer and his family. %
Although there had been, for many
weeks, a growing disposition among
the party here assembled to prevent
! the session of court avowedy acting
under royal authority, and spurning
all the recommendation of congress,
yet there had been no settled intention
among them to resort to any other
than the peaceful measures of petition
and remonstrance which they baliev
ed would be sufficient to effect the
desired result. II had been decided.
therefore, that the court should be
permitted to come together: when
such representations and arguments
were to be laid before them as could
not fail it was supposed, to convince
any reasonable men of the wisdom of
listening to the voice of the people
But when on the preceding evening.
it was discovered. in the way before
related, and from other sources. that
the people had been duped by the du-
plicity of Chandler. and that it was
the secret purpose of the court, in de
tiance of all pledges TO the contrary, TO
hold full session. under the protec
fI.,n n hn - a.,
modest and quiet spirit of patriotism !
was at once aroused among this res
dilute little band Of revolutionists, and |
they came to the bold determination |
as we have before seen. of Selling the !
Court House in advance of their OPP
ponents, and holding it till their re-
monstrances should be heard and |
needed.
This object, as far as respected the
of the building, being now
obtained, the company proceeded to
and make arrangements for
their advantage through
the night Their possession, however
was not destined to remain long un
disputed. In short time after they
had begun to act, their new recruit,
Barty Burt, who could not forego his
desire of remaining among the tories
where we left him acting the unsus
pected spy on their movements) till
they should look for their guns, that
he might have the pleasure of wit
Messing their discontinue on discover
ing their loss, now arrived with news,
that the latter. as soon as they made
the discovery that their arms had been
distracted, were thrown into the great
est connection: and that under the
direction of Patterson and Gale, both
with rage they had hastily
all the offensive implements
hey could find, with the avowed de-
of making an immediate
assault on their opponents al the Court {
House. But Notwithstanding this !
intelligence, no one manifest
ID the least disposition of quitting his
,ost And although there was not a
Weapon of defence, beyond cane in :
he whole company, yet they seemed !
lone the less inclined to maintain v
heir position in consequence of the !
aspect which the affair |
vas beginning to assume; but resolv-
ng, by reclamation, to keep possession I
f the house till compelled by force of S
rms to relinquish it. they placed a I
ew strong and resolute men as guards $
t every door, and quietly awaited the a
esult. And they were not kept long
n suspense. In short time, Patter s
on and his posse. armed with several |
Id muskets. swords pistols and clubs, "
lade their appearance, and, with
lany hostile manifestations, came
ushing up within few yards of the
cor. Commanding halt, the sheriff II
hen in a loud and arrnranf tome :.