Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1753-1761. 311

way to William Laws's Plantation, whereupon the Exami-
nant asked them to sit down and warm themselves by his
Fire side and they did so for about a quarter of an Hour, in
the mean Time, he the Examinant went into his yard where
he saw the aforesaid William Outten and his Possy of Armed
men making up towards the yard & House of the Examinant
Whereupon he retired into his said House and bolted and
barred the Doore, upon Which the said William Outten and
his Company Retreated and Dispersed them selves in the
Woods for Some time; Whereupon he asked the aforenamed
Garret Hitchings and Moses Timmonds whether they were
concerned in any Design to take him as assistants to the said
William Outten to which they answered no, but the Exam-
inant was soon after made sensible that they were concerned
in the s^d Design for they laid hold of him in order to Deliver
him up to the said William Cutten and his Company but he
rescued himself out of their hands; in a Little Time after-
wards the said William Outten & his Company returned
again to the Doore of the Examinants House, and while
they were breaking open the s^d Doore he called to them
and forbid them and retired into his Loft, but the said Outten
having then entered the House Swore he would have the
Examinant dead or alive, and in order to take him Attempted
to do it by removing some loose plank of the Loft floore, and
threatning him that he would kill him, with a Grubbing Hoe
with which (before) he had broken open the Door, Where-
upon the Examinant desir'd the said Outten and his Com-
pany to peaceably Retire, telling them that if they had any
Lawfull Complaint against him he would go with them to
Sussex Court which was now sitting and Answer it there,
but he the said Outten refused doing so, repeating again
that he would have the Examinant dead or alive, Whereupon
a certain John Sharpe and one Pennington Welch came to
the Examinants House, and desired the said Outten and his
Company to desist from Such Violent Action, Whereupon
with a cutlass or hanger that he held in his hand drawn,
gave the aforesaid John Sharpe a wound on his Left
Shoulder, upon which Pennington Welch came to the said
Sharpes Assistance, Whereupon the said Outten made an
Attempt to run the said Weapon through the said Welches
Body, but the Examinants Wife Laid hold of the said Out-
tens right Arm, by which he was prevented from Wounding
of the said Welch, upon Which the Examinants Wife called
out to him & desired him to Come down from the Loft, for

Lib. J. R.
& U. S.

there was murder Committing in the yard saying that she
was afraid that John Sharpe was killed whereupon he came
down and a certain Matthew Coverdale (who had then a

p. 271