Norwich bulletin., 1914-08-01
FAMOUS TRIALS
Trial of Massachusetts ouak.r..


 The colonists of Massachusetts bay had no idea of religious federation, and they were especially severe against the Quakers. who had settled in that section. They even went SO far as to make a law which provides that any master of a ship bringing any known Quaker within the juris- diction should forfeit 100 pounds ster- ling, and should give security to carry sflch Quakers back to the place whence he brought them
 In October. 1858, law was intro duced into the general court proVid- ing that every person of the "cursed sect of the Quakers," who should be found within the jurisdiction, should be immediately imprisoned until the next court of assistants, at which they i should have Q legal trial and being convicted to be of the sect of Quakers, should be banished on pain of death. There was no lack of victims. Three l persons were found within the juris- ! diction, and they were immediately imprisoned They were Mary Dyer, Marmaduke Stephenson and William Robinson. They were brought before ' the general court, on Oct 19. 1859,
 for sedition and presumptuously ob- truding themselves upon us" All three acknowledged themselves to be Quak-
 CTS. and on the following day they
 
 l The day set for their execution was i Oct. p. When they were led forth to Il execution they were surrounded by
 a guard of armed men and several
 horsemen, with drums beating to pre- vent the multitude from hearing what ! they might say. The two men were l executed first and the rope had al- ready been attached to Mary Dyers
 neck when a reprieve arrived She l was released and sent out of the col -N. 1.1 never again return, but she arrived again in the spring of 1860. She was 1 immediately sent to jail and was or dered to be executed the next day. i When she was upon the scaffold 1t
 was told her that if she would return home she might come down and save 1 her life. To this she replied: Nay | I cannot, for in obedience to the will of the Lord I came, and in His will I abide faithful unto the death"
 Mary Dyer had her wish gratified But these three were not the only ones to suffer. William Leddra was the
 next. After several severe whippings
 and a tedious imprisonment, he was
 banished, but returned and wal
 brought to trial in March, 1861. before
 the court of assistants of Boston
 While the trial was being conducted Winlock Christison. another banishet Quaker suddenly and most unexpect- edly entered and took his stand by the
 side of the prisoner When the gov
 ernor asked him why he was there. h. replied: T have come here to war;
 you that you should shed no more innocent blood: for the blood that vol have shed already cries to the LorC God for vengeance to come upon you. Christison was immediately com manded to prison and Leddra was ot fered his life if he would promise tt depart and return no more RefusinS
 this. sentence of death was passed
 upon him to take effect on the 14tl
 of March Then Christison wa
 brought to trial, and at the same ses ] sion Judah Brownes and Peter Pier son were indicted
 These executions Of Quakers ha( l, caused the utmost dissatisfaction il
 Massachusetts and the magistrates be came conscious of their mistake. Pub lie sympathy was turned toward tn | sufferers. Meanwhile accounts 0
 these proceedings had been carried D. the Quakers to the ears or Kim Charles and that monarch. who hat other reasons for being dissatisfied
 with the colonists, immediately grant ed a mandamus directed to all tn governors of New England requirinl : them to proceed no further as to cor | poraI punishments against Quakers
 but to send them to England. to tn
 end that they might be disposed , according to law.
 .i The general court suspended tn 7 execution of the laws against Quaker !: at their next session. but soon revive