Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 4
in Compliance with the direction of yr. Exclly. & the honble. Council I herewith send make a statement of what I know relating to the charge of Piracy agt. Belitha Taylor & Wm. Buckley, & deliver all the Papers I have relating to the same
Belitha Taylor & William Buckley now Prisoners in Goal at Boston were sent here from Machias by Stephen Jones & Alexr. Campbel Esqrs. Justices of the Peace in the Co. of Lincoln charged with an Act of Piracy on Christopher Millar master of the schooner Cates, their respective Examination and Confessions were sent with them, as also the Examination of one Richard Powell who with one William Dunham are said to have been apprehended at Machias & charged with the same Crime but made their Escape after they were ordered to Boston, a No. of Papers were sent me by the sd. Justices which are said to have first detected them. the Papers are as follows vizt. 1 an Invo. of Provns. shipped by Greg. Townsend Esqr. Asst. Commr. Genl. 2d a bill of Laden of the same visibly altered to the name of Buckley to give him the appearance of being master of the Vessell & the Place of Destination Altered. 3d. a clearance from the Collr. at Halifax, altered in the same manner. 4th. a long Clearance of the same, altered in the same manner. 5. a Letter from G. Townsend Esqr. to Mr. Wyatt. torn to peices & said to be found in the carling of the Schooner. 6th. a paper signed by Dun with the names of Dunham Powell & Taylor purporting to be a transfer of their Property in sd. schooner to Buckley, changing her name to that of the Polly. 7th a Paper purporting to be an Inventory of the Schooner Polly’s cargo. 8th. one other Paper of no apparent importance, 9th. the Exn. of Belitha Taylor 10th the Exn. of Wm. Buckley. 11th the Exn. of Richd. Powell:
these are all the papers sent me
338the Evidence that these papers were found with the Prisoners together with the Vessel I suppose must be procurred from the two Justices before named & from Capt. blank