Rowley, April 8, 1776.

Mr. Jonathan Stickney, Jun., said, before the Committee of Safety, that he would not fight upon either side; but if he was obliged to fight, and was to choose, he would fight for the King. Also, that he thought God Almighty never suffered so ignorant a body of men to transact business of so much importance as our General Court.

Signed by order of the Committee:

RICHARD THITRSTON, Chairman.

Rowley, April 8, 1776.

We, the subscribers, declare, that on the evening of the 26th of February last, we heard Mr. Jonathan Stickney, Jun., talk as follows: 1st. That they (meaning the Canadians) ought to esteem it an act of grace in his Majesty in establishing Popery in Canada; and that he was glad his Majesty was of so gracious a turn of mind; further, that his Majesty had a just right to sign any act of Parliament whatever, though ever so contradictory of his Majesty‘s Coronation oath.

Rowley, April 8, 1776.

Mr. Jonathan Stickney, Jun., said that the Continental Congress was a pack of rascally villains; that he longed to see the blood streaming from the hearts of those that upheld the destruction of that tea; and that our General Court was a pack of ignorant souls, for they were deceiving the people.

RUFUS WHEELER.

Rowley, April 8, 1776.

We heard Jonathan Stickney, Jun., say that the Continental Congress was a pack of rascally villains, and he looked upon the General Court to be men not fit for that purpose.

Rowley, April 8, 1776.

I heard Jonathan Stickney say, some time last January, that those that were the leaders of those affairs, (meaning those that destroyed the tea, and our Court and Congress,) he should be glad to see the stream running from their hearts.

TIMOTHY JACKMAN, JUN.

Rowley, April 8, 1776.

Jonathan Stickney, Jun., told me that, in his opinion, all the Continental Congress aimed at was Independence; that that was their first motive, and that he had rather see them in their gore than to see them ruling America independent. He said the bigger part of the Provinces had rebelled without any provocation, and he wished the leaders of that rebellion might be made turnspits for the nobility in England; that beheading was too honourable for them. He said those that destroyed the tea were a pack of damned rascals, and that was the whole cause of all our difficulties. He said King George was able to throw his dominion over America. and he hoped he would do it. He said those creatures who were vulgarly called Committees of Safety, were properly tyrants; that no arguments would convince them but the bright steel, and he hoped George would convince them by it; and many other things to the same import.

SAMUEL JOHNSON.

DEPOSITIONS RESPECTING THE ARSENICK MIXED WITH THE MEDICINES LEFT AT BOSTON BY THE BRITISH.

Resolved, That the Depositions of Doctor John Warren, Daniel Scott, and Frederick Ridgely, respecting a quantity of Medicines left in the Work-House of the Town of Boston, lately improved as an Hospital by the British Troops, be published in the Watertoian Newspaper, by order of the General Court.

DEPOSITION OF DOCTOR JOHN WARREN.

I, John Warren, of Cambridge, Physician, testify and say, that, on or about the 29th day of March last past, I went into the Work-House of the Town of Boston, lately improved as an Hospital by the British Troops stationed in said town, and upon examining into the state of a large quantity of medicine there by them left, particularly in one room, supposed to have been by them used as a medicinal store-room, I found a great variety of medicinal articles lying upon the floor, some of which were contained and secured in papers, whilst others were scattered upon the floor loose; amongst these medicines I observed small quantities of what I supposed was white and yellow arsenick intermixed; and then received information from Doctor Daniel Scott that he had taken up a large quantity of said arsenick from over and amongst the medicine, and had collected it chiefly in large lumps, and secured it in a vessel. Upon receiving this information, I desired him to let me view the arsenick; with which he complied, and I judged it to amount to about the quantity of twelve or fourteen pounds. Being much surprised by this extraordinary intelligence, I more minutely examined the medicine on the floor, and found them to be chiefly capital articles, and those most generally in great demand; and judging them to be rendered entirety unfit for use, I advised Doctor Scott to let them remain, and by no means meddle with them, as I thought the utmost hazard would attend the using of them. They were accordingly suffered to remain, and no account was taken of them.

JOHN WARREN.

Colony of MASSACHUSETTS-BAY, WATERTOWN, ss.

Then John Warren made solemn oath to the truth of the above written Deposition.

April 3, 1776.

DEPOSITION OF DANIEL SCOTT.

Watertown, April 9, 1776.

Being ordered by the Director-General of the Continental Hospital to look over and take charge of the medicines left by the Ministerial Army in the Hospital in Boston, arid being called upon by the honourable Council of this Province to give information of sundry medicines found in a room improved as a medicine-room in the house formerly improved as a Work-House in Boston, supposed to be poisoned, I do declare, on examination, that there was promiscuously scattered over the floor of said room, in a mixed manner, a quantity of medicine, of various kinds; and over a part of the most valuable was strewed a quantity of white and yellow arsenick, as I suppose about twenty pounds weight, (as I did, with the assistance of Doctor Frederick Ridgely, take up eighteen pounds.) The medicines which were unhurt by the arsenick, I suppose, may amount in value to about forty pounds, lawful money; and those which were rendered useless, I suppose, to about twenty; the latter of which I have in charge, and am determined, as soon as opportunity will allow, to bury, to prevent their being made any use of in future.

DANIEL SCOTT.

Colony of MASSACHUSETTS-BAY, April 9, 1776:

Daniel Scott appeared and made solemn oath to the truth of the above Declaration by him subscribed.

DEPOSITION OF FREDERICK RIDGELY.

Watertown, April 9, 1776.

I being ordered to assist in taking an account of the medicines left in the town of Boston by the Ministerial Troops, and now being called before the honourable Council of this Province to give information of some of them which were said to be poisoned, do declare, that, on examining the medicines in a house that had been occupied by the Ministerial Troops as an Hospital, (but formerly improved as a Work-House,) there was a considerable quantity of valuable articles promiscuously scattered over the floor; among a part of which was about twenty weight of arsenick intermixed, which rendered them useless; therefore, that part of them was omitted, which Doctor Daniel Scott said he would take the necessary care of.

FREDERICK RIDGELY.

Colony of MASSACHUSETTS-BAY, April 9, 1776:

Frederick Ridgely appeared and made solemn oath to the truth of the above Declaration by him subscribed.