people round it, mostly boys, and they offered no violence as he
observed, only making a noise and huzzaing. And further saith
not.
BENJAMIN ALLINE.
Suffolk, ss.
Boston,
March 17, 1770. Benjamin
Alline, above-
named, after due examination, made oath to the truth
of the above-written Affidavit, taken to perpetuate the
Remembrance of the thing.
Before, RI: DANA, Jus. of Peace
and of the Quorum.
JOHN HILL, Justice Peace.
(No. 61)
I Francis Read of lawful age testify, that on monday
evening
the 5th instant, hearing the bells ringing in the center of
the town, I came into
kingstreet and found near an
hundred
people mostly boys standing round at about 7 or 8 yards distance
from the custom-house, before which stood a
soldier on centry.
In a few minutes I saw a little man in a grey surtout with his
hair clubb'd open the custom-house door and go in, and quickly
after the centry went to said door then a little
open, and seem-
ed to speak with somebody in the house, after which the door was
shut, and the centry loaded his piece. In about 3 or
4 mi-
nutes I saw a party of soldiers come down from the main
guard with an officer, which were posted in a semicircle from
the door round the centry box to the southwest corner
of the
custom-house. About 5 or 6 minutes after they
were posted, I
heard the word fire from among the soldiers, and in a little
time after the soldiers fired ; first one gun, then another,
some-
times two at once, 'till 8 or 10 were fired.
Casting my eyes
about after the firing was over, I saw the smoke of two dis-
charges high above the rest. On this I left the place, and
fur-
ther say not.
FRANCIS READ.
Suffolk, sc.
Boston,
March 20, 1770. Francis Read
above-
named, after due examination, made oath to the truth
of the aforesaid affidavit. Taken to perpetuate the
remembrance of the thing.
Before, JOHN RUDDOCK, Jus. Peace
and of the Quorum.
And, BELCHER NOYES, Just.
o' Peace.
(No. 62)
I DIMOND Morton, of lawful age, testify and say, that
on Monday night the 5th instant, between the hours of
nine and ten I heard the cry of Fire by my house. Immedi-
ately I ran out towards the town house ; when I got between
the
Old-South Meeting and the
Old-Brick Meeting, I met
some people, they told me there was no fire, but people ga-