The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

S A L E M, April 2.

We hear from Marblehead; that a Person, named Clark, went to Cat-Island last Wednesday, & took away some Cloaths; they had been infected with the Small-Pox, and it was uncertain whether they were cleansed or not, (said to be his own) which he brought up to the Town. As certain whether they were cleansed or not, he was immediately ordered, by the Selectmen, round to the Ferry, back of the Town where the Cloaths were to be examined. He accordingly obeyed: But returning to Town again, he was surrounded by a considerable Number of People; and lest they should proceed to any Violence with him, the Selectmen appeared, and promised that he should be properly and legally punished, if deserving of it the next Day. This seemed to satisfy the People: But about ten or Eleven o'Clock at Night, 20 or 30 of them went and pulled him out of his House, carried him to the public Whipping-Post, and whipped him most cruelly. The next Day he went to Ipswich made his Complaint to the Justices of the Inferior Court; then Sitting, and told who the Persons were that had abused him.--- A warrant was issued, one of the Criminals were taken up and committed to Goal, and a good Look-Out is kept for apprehending the others; one of whom, as he was returning from Meeting on the last Sabbath, an Officer gave Chase to, but could not catch him. The abovementioned Clark is one of the Persons who were Tarred and Feathered some Time since.