(No. 105.)

I Edward Hill, late servant to Mr. George Spooner, merchant, of
Boston, being of full age and duly sworn, do depose and say, that
I was among the mob near the town-house in Boston, on Monday
the 5th of March instant, about nine o'clock at night, when the
bells were set a ringing by order of the towns men (as I do believe) in
order to bring the people together. I saw some of them armed with
sticks, and heard some of them say they would go down to the cu-
stom-house, where there was a centry placed, and they would take
him off his place. Hearing this, I went to the main guard, and ac-
quainted the soldiers with what I heard. I heard the serjeant of the
guard order a party of men to conduct the officer of the guard to his
post; I staid thereabout till I saw Capt. Preston and another officer
join the guard; then I saw Capt. Preston with a party of men go to-
wards the custom-house; then, as I went towards the post-office, I
heard the report of two muskets, fired as if from the custom-house;
upon this I returned and went towards the custom-house with a num-
ber of towns-men; while I was on the way thither, I heard the report
of three or four muskets more; when I went down, I saw the people
carrying off for dead one or two men; and then I saw a man lying
on his back with a gore of blood by him, who, as I afterwards
learned, was a Mulatto, upon which I heard the towns-people cry
out to the soldiers who stood at the custom-house, "Fire, damn you,
fire, we defy you to fire;" whereon one of the soldiers of that party,
thus provoked, turned out of the ranks a little, took up his musket,
and was going to fire, when Capt. Preston took him by the arm and
hindered him from firing. It was after the firing beforementioned was
over, according to the best of my knowledge, that I heard the drum
beating to arms. I saw several officers of the 14th regiment running
towards their barracks, and some of the towns-people running after
them, crying, "Knock them down, sons of bitches." As I was
running after some of these officers; I had in my hand a small stick,
which somebody pursuing the officers asked me to let him have. I re-
fused, saying, I wanted it myself. He took hold of the stick, and
endeavoured in vain to take it from me; a crowd of people coming
up, and walking faster than I did, threw me down. As I got up
again, some of them asked, "What son of a bitch was that?" and
one of them made a thrust at me with a blade, which I took to be a
cut and thrust sword, and by the thrust cut through my jacket on the
left breast about six inches; then I run down to the barracks of the
14th regiment, where I remained all night. And further the depo-
nent saith not.
EDWARD HILL.
Suffolk, ss. Boston, March 15, 1770.
Sworn before me, JAMES MURRAY, J.P.