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

Lib. J. R.

& U. S.

Subscriber at my House in Lewes the thirteenth day of
February in the 32^d year of his Majestys Reign and the year
of our Lord one Thousand seven Hundred and Fifty nine
This Deponent being Solemnly Sworn on the holy Evangel-
ists did Depose and say, that on the 6^th day of this Instant
February in the morning, he was at the House of a certain
John Sharpe Scituate in the Hundred aforesaid in the County
aforesaid as this Deponant hath Generally heard reported,
and that as he was going from the said House towards his
own home he met with a certain Mary Ratcliff who told the
Deponent that she wish'd that he wou'd ride back again to
Sharpes for that the under Sheriff of Worcester County
and some People with him were come to John Willys Planta-
tion to take tie and carry him away as also a certain William
Mullinex, and the Deponent further saith that the plantation
of the said John Willey is Commonly looked upon and deemed
to be, by the Inhabitants of Ceedar Creek Hundred afs^d
Within the County of Sussex aforesaid in which Hundred
the Deponent hath lived from his Infancy he being now about
the age of Twenty eight years, Whereupon he the Deponent
rode back to Sharpes House and acquainted him thereof
from whence they both immediately went, the Depon^t on
Horseback and the aforesaid John Sharpe on Foot, unto the
plantation of the said John Willy and being come there the
deponent entered into the said Willys House where he saw a
certain William Outten (then an under Sheriff of Worcester
County aforesaid) setting down at the fire side and the afs^d
John Willy standing up in the Loft of his s^d House with a
round Stick in his hand but of what Size he doth not re-
member, and that his mouth was bloody and looked bruzed
but how occasioned the Deponant knoweth not, upon which
the Depon^t went out of the said House into the yard thereto
belonging where he saw the aforesaid John Sharpe with a
common Walking Stick in his hand and heard him say,
Where is the Sheriff that is come to take these people away
And that the aforesaid William Outten came out of the
aforesaid House with a drawn cutlass in his hand with which
he saw him Strike the aforesaid Sharpe Some Strokes one
of which cut the said Sharps Coat upon the right Shoulder
others of them cut the said Sharps Stick (wherewith he was
Defending himself) asunder and another of the said Strokes

p. 279

wounded the s^d Sharpe on his left Shoulder to a Considerable
Depth, the Deponent further saith that at that time he had a
Small Iron Rod in his hand, and seeing the afs^d William
Outten making an Offer to Strike the said Sharpe again with
the said Cutlass, he went up and gave the said Outten a blow
between the two Shoulders with the s^d Rod, upon which the