Norwich bulletin., 1914-08-03
FAMOUS TRIALS
Trial of Colonel Bayard.

The trial of Col Nicholas Bayard of New York city, was one of the earliest trials held in this country for high treason against the crowned head of the mother country. For many years subsequent to the accession of Will liam and Mary in England, the prov ince of New York was agftated by a strife between the rival political par ties, so bitter that the rights of the defeated were grossly violated and they were not always safe in their liberty and their lives.
 In 1898 Lord Bellomont was sent to this country as governor of the prov ince and he favored the party that had been opposed to James H. This support kept the two parties evenly drawn and thus both were protected, but when Bellomont died in 1701 the ancient animosity of the rival factions was revived with the utmost zeal and fury. Information being received that Lord Cornbury was to succeed the earl of Bellomont. the aristocratic par ty, now in the minority, took measures to secure the new governor to their own interests. Nicholas Bayard. a prominent member of this party, made scandalous charges of bribery, of pub lie plunder and oppression against the lieutenant governor, the chief justice and the assembly, and reflections were hberally cast upon the memory of Lord Bellomont himself
 When this came to the knowledge of Nanfan. the lieutenant governor, he committed Bayard to prison as a traitor. Thus was the leader of the aristocratic party in the power of his enemies. The party in power, as if conscious that their authority and in- f1uence would soon be impaired. deter mediate trial. before the arrival of the governor, so that he should not be saved by that functionary.
 Although Broughton, the attorney general, gave a written opinion that no actual crime had been committed, consisting of three justices. was inn mediately erected for the trial of Bay ard and one of his adherents. Five days was the utmost delay he could obtain. and on the 18th of February, 1702, the court assembled to decide his fate.
 Broughton, the attorney general. re- fused to prosecute, and the prosecu- tion was accordingly conducted by Weaver. the solicitor general. The prisoner was defended by Messrs Emet and Nicholl When the grand sel objected to some of them, declar- ing that If Bayard's neck was made of gold he should be hanged" A part of the jury insisted that they had a right to deliberate alone, where upon the solicitor general took down their names and threatened that he could cause them to be trounced,' ,' and the jury broke up in confusion without acting.
 The indictment set forth that the prisoner on the 10th of December, I701 falsely. miliciously. etc. used divers indirect practices and endeavors to procure mutiny, and assertion among the soldiers in the fort, and drew numbers of them to sign false and scandalous libels against his majesty's government"
 The prisoner. upon his arraignment pleaded not guilty and desired that he might be allowed two clerks to take the minutes of the trial. The request was denied. The prisoner then sent a petition to the court in which he set forth the injustice and the irregularity of the proceedings against him. Of course the petition had no effect
 The solicitor general then made an introductory harangue to the jury. in which he declaimed against the Eng fish and French inhabitants of the colony. including the principal Dutch He charged the prisoner with being the head of faction, a malignant party. He accused Bayard as being at the head of a party of pirates. be-