The Wichita daily eagle., 1900-06-06
OLD REG|g|DEg' NELL
Memento of Two Half-Myth-
icaI Refugees
OF THE COLONIAL DAYS
Weird Apparition During a
Battle With indians.

A few days ago laborers at work tear
ing down a block OF old houses in New
Haven, at the corner of Grove and Col
lege streets, to make room for the big
group Of buildings which Yale university
is about to erect to commemorate the
hundredth anniversary of the founding OF
the college, came upon a peculiar old
well. One Of the laborers mentioned the
ipcjdent to an old stone mason The lat
ter looked at the well and declared that
it was the one which almost two centu-
ries ago was built around what was
Anown as '"The ksgicides' Spring
| Thi- statement furnished plenty of
ground for conjec-l:e a;:.ong the oldest
| Inhabitants" Little by little a story was
evolved hat this spring was originally
discovered and dug out by Goffe and
| Whalley, the two regicides who first came
to New Haven and later on used Dy John
| p1xwell, the third of the regicides Who
sought safety in New England. Th9ra
Is tradition that fife and Whadey,
who reached New F'aven two yeas Le-
fore Dixweli, lived the early part Of their
! hiding in the New Haven colony in a hut
in a marsh nearby the spot where the old
| old well has mbeen discovered. There Is
some ground for this story.
| 1t is a fact that Dixwell lived almost
directly across the street from this spot.
| Dixwen Mas known in New Haven as
James Davids. He took up his residence
at the corner of College and Grove,
with a widow, whom he married. 1t was
while living in this house that he be-
| came intimate with the Rev. Mr.. Pier
pont, one of the first clergymen of the
colony. About the intimacy of these two
men there cluster many local traditions
and much interesting history. Their hack
yards adjoined each other, and over
their boundary fence they held many Sc
cret and long talks.
That the well which was discovered be-
meath the back door entrance OF the cid
house on College street was built two
centuries ago is quite evident from the
nature of its construction. 1t is built
of substantial masonry, and very few of
the stones show any trace Of the mason's 5
chisel. It is also a very narrow well,
not quite two feet in diameter. The wells
that were dug by the early settlers were
of this character, because the digging of
a well was then a very expensive piece
Of work. A well was a luxury, indeed,
that only the most prominent settlers
possessed. and from which the entire
neighborhood often drew water.
Before the restoration of Charles IL,
~, % - 5e ff1--
he had issued a declaration" promising
to all persons but such as should De ex-
cepted by parliament a pardon for Of
fences committed during Cromwellian
times. In the parliamentary act OF in
demnity which followed such as had
been directly concerned in the execution
Of Charles l., were excepted.
Colonel Whalley and Colonel Goffe were
members Of the high court of justice
which convicted and sentenced him. 1t
was soon known that they had fed from
England, and Captain Breeder reported
that on a trip to New England he had
seen them in Boston. The ministry
promptly sent an order to Governor En-
dicott Of Massachusetts for their appre-
hension and transportation back TO Eng
land.
No one of the New England colonies
had formally expressed approval of the
execution Of Charles T., but still these
regicides had notably friendly welcome
extended to them in this country.
At the end of four months intelligence
reached Massachusetts of the act of in
demnity, and that Whalley and Goffe
were among those excepted from its pro-
visions. and that they had been marked
for vengeance. Still for three months
longer they lived at Cambridge unmo-
Tested. Meanwhile, however, affairs had
been growing critical between Masachu-
setts and England, and, though some
members of the general court OF Massa,-
chusetts assured them Of protection, 9th
ers thought 1t more prudent that they
have a hint to look to their safety in
some way which would not imply an af-
front 10 the royal government on the
part Of the colony.
The governor called q court Of assist |
ants in February. and without secrecy |
asked their advice respecting his obliga-
tons to secure the refugees. The court !
refused to recommend that measure and |
four days more passed, at the end OF /
which time, whether induced by others /
of by their own conviction OF the i'm /
OF involving their generous |
hosts in further embarrassment, they set |
off for New Haven.
A journey OF nine days brought whaI- |
ley and Goffe to the hoipstable home OF 4
the Rev. Dr.. Davenport. where they
again moved freely in the society OF the 4
ministers and the local magistrates But
they had been scarcely three weeks in 4
New Haven when tdtngs came thitner
OF the reception az Boston OF a procia- /
nation issued by the king for their ar
rest
To release their host from responsible
ity they went 70 Milford (as = on her
way 70 the New NetherIands). an1 there
showed themselves freely IN public; but.
ike foxes. they doubled on their tran
and returned secretly TO New Haven
and were concealed in Dr.. Davenpo-ts
house
Thence they we're led % 4 spot caIlad
Harbor. about as mach further
n a northwesterly direction where they
lay "a two nights more Meantime. for
tear OF the eject of the large rewards
which the messengers bad offered, a more
= @-e place of hiding lad been provided
Tor them IN q hollow On TIE east s'de
y West Rock, five miles from the center
Z New Haven al that tine.
In this retreat they remained four
weeks. being supplied with fooa from
: io1eIv farm house IN The n Eh1orhsoa.
. Ehica thsy aiso withdrew s5rae.s-ses
z stormy weather. They caused the ssp-
lry governor - 5e ias5rzs5 o ths.r
hiding phase. ard On hs2rsas tha. la
TezTzo-t was Il danger from a slzsa.-sor
z ha-e--a-r I'm thev -. Y ~ -