The New Hampshire Gazette

The following Affair happen'd at the Havannah, a little before the Place surrendered: The commander of the Moro Castle hanged three of the principal Spanish merchants in the island, for venturing to say in public company, that the Governor had better surrender, and obtain the same terms as were granted at Guadalupe, which were as good as could be expected, than maintain an obstinate defence, and irritate the enemy to compel them to surrender prisoners of war. One of the merchants happened to intimate these his sentiments, and the others acquiesced in them; which being reported to the commandant, he ordered them all three to be immediately seized and hanged upon a triangular gallows, high enough to be seen from the English camp. One of them is said to have been worth 200,000l. another was one of the Havannah Company at Jamaica, and had a little while before been at that island; and in his return to Cuba, the vessel, in which he was passenger, was taken by the Richmond frigate; but on account of his extensive trade and connexions with the English, was granted his liberty, and had got into the Havannah only the evening before his unfortunate end. There are yet no particulars concerning the third, only that he was a very principal merchant in the place.