Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-03-19

and at once came to Amboy that he
might influence his son to throw in his
lot with the Colonists. Fifty years
before this visit Franklin. h~adsscome to
this city a penniless young man seeking
work; now heswas honored by both the
old aud the new world for his culture,
erudition and political power. We can
imagine the conversation between the
father and son, the former trying to
show the latter his duty and the son
just as strenuously supporting the
crown. The next day they parted and
never met again.
In May, 1875, Governor Franklin
writes to England that 'the accounts
we have from Massachusetts, bay re-
speeding the proceedings of the Kings
troops (referring to the battle of Con
cord) have occasioned such an alarm
and excited so much uneasiness among
the people that there is danger of their
committing some outrageous ~violences
before the present heats can subside.'
A rumor spread chat q man of war was
lying in the bay near Sandy Hook with
a design to send up a boat in the night
to carry off the none in the treasury
and the records in, the secretary's office
at Amboy. In consequence of this re-
port, some of the Freehold Committee
with upwards of thirty of the militia
armed with iirelocks, set out on
Wednesday afternoon and Travelled to
Woodbridge and would have come down
here, in order to carry off the treasury
and records. had they not been per.
suaded to wait until morning and meet
the other committees When they met
they disapproved of the measure aud
prevailed on these inconsiderate people
to return home, which they did. march
ing through Amboy by my door, will
~colors, drum and fife"
Franklin secretly Informed England
of the progress of the Revolution. Many
of these letters were intercepted. ON
written early in 1776, the Colonial'
imagined meant his desire to leav'
Amboy. This they determined SHOULD
not be done. TO this end on the tent
of January at midnight the provincial
troops were ordered under arms AM
marched to the governors house anC
surrounded it. An officer knocked OF
the door so violently that it not onl,
awoke all the inmates, but so alarmed
Mrs. Franklin that her husband eva
not without apprehensions of her dying
with fright" A servant on opening thu
door was handed a paper which TIN
governor was asked to sign pledgint
himself not to leave the colony unit
word was received from Congress as t.
its will concerning him. To this, how
ever, he refused to afix his name. Late
in the week a guard of one hundred mel
seized his person to take him to Elizabeth
Judge Smyth interviewed and the COVER
nor, signing a parole, remained in tn
city. The reason assigned vas that !
Franklin were taken away the Britis|
ships in New York would destroy tn
town.
Five months;passed. The people wer
called to arms. Governor frankie
quietly remained in his mansion, but i
May the s~tormsbroke. A ~proclamatio
had been issued by the governor COZ
vening the Assembly. Congress REGARD
ed this as an act of rebellion against i
authority and ordered him put undt
arrest. He was taken to Burlington an
| then sent to Connecticut where he WI
closely confined. In 1882 he sailed fl
/ England and died in 1913.
5 In the summer of 1776 General Was
!. ington yas in the city. He saw Il
: strategic Importance Of the place al
communicated his desire TO congress th
+ troops should be sent here at once !
was at the Government House whi'