Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1753-1761. 347

in his hand and Welch with an Iron rod and Sharpe calling
out where is the Damn'd Sheriff I will split him to the Earth
or to that effect Outten went out of the House and Some
Blows past between them and Welch and after some Little
Time both Sharp and Welch left Outten and this Matter
being thus ended William Outten and the Company with him
went to get their Horses in order to Return home but sundry
persons Coming up some with Guns and others with Clubs
a Little Girl (supposed to be Willeys Daughter) ran to and
told Willey that two or three more Guns were Come upon
which he said he woud go and Accordingly did go Out of
the House and called out "give me a Gun and I will Shoot
the Son of a Bitch " upon Which Sharpe who had now got a
Gun and had cocked and presented it at Outten instead of
firing delivered it to Willey with these Expressions " Shoot
the Damned Son of a Bitch" and Willy Accordingly pre-
sented it at Outten Somebody told Outten they were going
to Shoot him, and he turning about Willey Instantly fired and
Shot him in the Lower part of his Belly of which in five or
six minutes he died
Several of those of Willys party expressed great Satis-
faction in and much Applauded, this Action and one in
particular Walking up to the Corps lying on the Ground said
" it was a well done Action in Willy shooting the said Outten
and that he had saved him the Trouble of doing it himself,"
and Willy himself going up to the Corps said that Outten had
got his Deserts and that he told him before he Undertook the
Office of under Sheriff he would be shott and that if he had
not undertaken the Office no other person would. Imme-
diately upon perpetrating this Action Willy and Sharpe fled
unto Sussex County for the protection of that Court then
sitting (upon which it seems they have not a Little relyed)
and having Surrendered themselves there the Magistrates of
that Court seem so far from taking any Steps to Secure the
said Willy and Sharp for their Regular Tryal for the Death
of Outten, that they have Actually Examined both as Wit-

Lib. J. R.
& U. S.

nesses and upon their Testimony presentments are found
by the Grand Jury of Sussex against Several persons Resi-
dents in this province Viz^t John Collins Son of Andrew Ger-
rard Hitchens Moses Timmonds John Kelly William Wain-
wright Peter Dolby Col^o John Dennis William Connaway
Levin Disharoon John Wooten and Elijah Long some of whom
are Taken and bound over to appear at next Sussex Court
for that Riot Wherein Outten was killed with design we
presume to Justifye or excuse the proceedure of Willy and
Sharp or the Murther of Outten; and we think our selves
Warranted in this presumption from the Extraordinary Be-

p. 304