The Upper House. 115

the Ground with all the Effects of the said Owner to a very Con-
siderable Value nor was the Spirit of these Incendaries allayed by
this bold Violation of your Majestys Laws but when the unhappy
Wretches then in the house endeavoured to save and Defend them-
selves from the Flames and those merciless men a Continual firing
of Guns followed which Occasioned the Death of one and Wounding
others of your Majestys Subjects who had been in the House then
the Owner with four of his Companions were Seized and hurried
into the Goals of the Province of Pennsylvania where one of them
actually perished for want of Sustenance and the rest now Lye
This Proceeding by Fire and Sword to establish the Bounds which
are now in Dispute in your Majestys high Court of Chancery filled
your Petitioners as well as other your Majestys Subjects of these
two Provinces with such terrible apprehensions that an immediate
Application was made from this Government to the Government of
Pennsylvania for their Assistance in Discountenancing such Vio-
lences and Bringing the Offenders to Condign Punishment And Lest

U. H. J.

Lib. No. 33

they should escape a Just Return for their Wickedness by any Doubt
which the Government of Pennsylvania might pretend to Entertain
of the place where they ought to be tried this Government Requested
that Government to cause the Offenders to be immediately Appre-
hended in order that they might be amesnable to Justice in such
Place as your Majesty should be pleased to direct but contrary to
all reasonable Expectations the Government of Pennsylvania was
pleased to decline any Compliance with that demand by deferring
their apprehension till your Majestys Pleasure should be signified
therein nor Could any Remonstrance from this Government of the
Probability of the Offenders escape and Eluding by that means your
Majestys Justice prevail with that Government to alter their Reso-
lution
We further humbly presume to lay before your Majesty Our
Unhappiness that this Government is not able to procure from the
Gov^t of Pennsylvania the release of those unfortunate Sufferers who
are still Confined in Pennsylvania Goals this desire was refused on
pretense that Thomas Cressap the owner of the house had been
guilty of a former murder & that the others were present at the
aforementioned Confusion when one of your Majestys Subjects
was killed that accusation of a former murder against the said
Cressap will we humbly hope appear very extraordinary when we
presume to say that a man was killed by him in defence of his Own
House when the very same House was in the night time attacked
and broke into some years ago by another number of Pennsylvanians
and the Owner then threatned with the Loss of his Life which he
had no means or Possibility of preserving but by defending himself
the best Way he could and who therefore in defence of his house
fired a Gun and Shot the deceased in the Leg or thigh o'f which
wound he dyed for this Fact the Owner of the House was brought

p. 502