1Questions Presented: Court of Vice Admiralty, Boston, March 1773 (Adams Papers)
1. Whether King James’s Letters patent to Lodowick Duke Lenox and others, are allowed to be good and sufficient to vest the lands thereby granted in the Grantees in Fee simple? 2. Whether their grant to Bradford is also good, and sufficient to vest the lands thereby granted either in him and his heirs in fee simple, or in the Colony of New Plymouth so called, by virtue of the said grant and...
2Adjournment: 4–5 December 1770 (Adams Papers)
TUESDAY 4 December , half past FIVE o’Clock, p.m. (Mr. Paine not having gone through his argument) the Court adjourned to Wednesday morning, Eight o’Clock. WEDNESDAY morning 5 December , Eight o’Clock, the court met according to Adjournment, when Mr. Paine finished closing, and the Court proceeded to sum up the cause to the Jury. Wemms Trial The Trial of William Wemms, James Hartegan, William...
3Verdicts: 5 December 1770 (Adams Papers)
After the Court had summed up the Cause, the Jury withdrew for about two hours and an half, and then returned to the Court. Clerk of the Court . Gentlemen of the Jury, are you all agreed in your verdict? Jury . Yes. Clerk . Who shall speak for you? Jury . Our Foreman. Clerk. William Wemms, hold up your hand. ( which he did ) Gentlemen of the Jury, look upon the prisoner: How say you, is...
On the evening of the 5th of March I was at my lodgings, I heard a noise, and went out towards Union-street, and saw people coming from the North-end, with sticks and clubs in their hands; it was about nine o’clock. I followed them to Dock-square, somebody asked what was the matter, he was answered, that a boy and soldier had been foul of one another; they hallowed King-street; I went up to...
5Adjournment: 29–30 November 1770 (Adams Papers)
FIVE o’clock p.m. the Court adjourned till next morning, Friday, 30 November nine o’clock. Friday, NINE o’clock, the Court met according to adjournment, and proceeded. Wemms Trial The Trial of William Wemms, James Hartegan, William M’Cauley , [and others] ... for the Murder of Crispus Attucks, [and others], ... Superior Court of Judicature, Court of Assize, and General Goal Delivery ......
6Adjournment: 28–29 November 1770 (Adams Papers)
SIX o’clock, p.m. the Court adjourned to Thursday morning 29 November Nine o’clock. Thursday NINE o’clock the Court met according to adjournment, and proceeded. Wemms Trial The Trial of William Wemms, James Hartegan, William M’Cauley , [and others] ... for the Murder of Crispus Attucks, [and others], ... Superior Court of Judicature, Court of Assize, and General Goal Delivery ... taken in...
7Adjournment: 27–28 November 1770 (Adams Papers)
N.B . The Court being unable to go through this trial in one day, the King’s Attorney and the prisoners consented to the Court’s adjourning over night during the Trial, the Jury being kept together in the mean time, by proper officers, appointed and sworn by the Court for that purpose. FIVE o’clock p.m. the Court adjourned to next morning, Wednesday 28 November . NINE o’clock. Wednesday,...
8Arraignment, Impaneling, Crown’s Opening and Evidence: 7 September, 27 November 1770 (Adams Papers)
On Saturday i.e. Tuesday , the 27th November, 1770, the Court being met, the prisoners were brought into Court and set to the bar, when the Court proceeded thus. . . . Clerk. How sayest thou, William Wemms , art thou guilty of the felony and murder whereof thou standest indicted, or not guilty? William Wemms . Not guilty. Clerk . How wilt thou be tried? William Wemms . By God and my country....
About Monday noon the judges began their charge. Judge Trowbridge, who spoke first, entered largely into the contradictory accounts given by the witnesses, and declared, that it did not appear to him that the prisoner gave orders to fire; but if the Jury should think otherwise, and find it proved that he did give such orders, the question then would naturally be, What crime is he guilty of?...
10Anonymous Minutes of Paine’s Argument for the Crown (Adams Papers)
Mr. Pain, for the Crown. It remains for me to close this Cause on the part of the Crown. It’s importance Gentlemen is not confined to the small Circle of a few Individuals, but concerns the very foundation of Civil Goverment. In their Defence, every Source of Eloquence and Art has been exhausted; which I don’t mention as a fault in them, but to guard you against mistaking, the Flowers of...