April 15, 1783

Worcester Ss. At the Supreme Judicial Court begun and holden at Worcester within and for the County of Worcester on the third Tuesday of April in the Year of our Lord Seventeen hundred and Eighty three

The Jurors for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts upon their Oath present, that Asa Sterns of Paxton in the County of Worcester Joiner Reuben Sterns of Holden in the same county yeoman John Davis of Worcester in the same county yeoman, David Peirce of Paxton aforsaid yeoman Ebenezer Boyington of said Paxton yeoman, Nathan Snow of said Paxton Labourer, James Snow of said Paxton Labourer Abijah Bemiss of said Paxton Labourer Nathan Wheeler of said Holden Labourer and Jonathan Wheeler junior of said Holden yeoman, together with a number of other persons to the Jurors unknown, being disorderly and riotous persons and minding and endeavouring to obstruct the due Execution of Law and to prevent the public Taxes of this Commonwealth Constitutionally and legally ordered by the Legislative Body of the Same to be assessed upon the subjects of the same for the defence and support of their Liberty being collected on the third day of February in the year of our Lord Seventeen hundred and Eighty three at Paxton aforsaid with force and Arms unlawfully riotously & routously did assemble and gather together for the evil purposes aforsaid and to disturb the peace of this Commonwealth aforsaid and then and there unlawfully riotously and routously did attack and beset a certain Barn and the enclosure thereof in said Paxton belonging to one Seth Snow in which was then legally detained a certain Cow destrained according to Law by Ebenezer Wait a collector of Taxes for the said Town 265 of Paxton & then & there to be sold by him at public vendue according to Law, and did then & there with force & arms riotously routously & unlawfully drive out the said Cow from the same Barn & the enclosure thereof for the purposes & intentions aforsaid & with an Intent forcibly to rescue the said Cow so as aforsaid legally detained in Terror of many of the good subjects of this commonwealth in contempt of the Laws of this Commonwealth and against the Peace and Dignity of the same And the Jurors aforsaid upon their Oath aforsaid do further present that the said Asa Sterns Reuben Sterns John Davis, David Peirce Ebenezer Boyington, Nathan Snow James Snow, Abijah Bemis Nathan Wheeler and Jonathan Wheeler joint together with a Number of other persons to the Jurors unknown on the same third day of February at said Paxton being disorderly and riotous persons and minding and endeavouring as much as in them lay to obstruct the due Execution of Law and to prevent the Collection of the public Taxes of this Commonwealth legally assessed on the Subjects thereof for the defence of their Liberty and happiness with force and Arms riotously routously and unlawfully did assemble and gather together for the destructive purposes aforsaid and to disturb the peace of the Commonwealth and being so assembled and gathered together, did then and there unlawfully riotously & routously remain and continue together in a tumultous manner for the space of one hour in evil Example to others to offend in like manner & against the peace & Dignity of the Commonwealth aforsaid

R T Paine Atty pr. Repub a true bill Job Cushing { Foreman

Worcester Ss. April Term AD. 1783 The said Asa Sterns, Reuben Sterns, John Davis, David Peirce, Ebenezer Boynton, Nathan Snow James Snow, Abijah Bemiss, Nathan Wheeler & Jonathan Wheeler Junr. are set to the Bar & have this Indictment read to them they severally say that thereof they are not Guilty & thereof for Trial put &c

Att. Chas: Cushing Cler

DS (Suffolk Files, no. 153487. Massachusetts Judicial Archives, Boston, Mass.).