The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

The affair from Fairfield in Connecticut, that on Thursday the 11th of August last, in the Afternoon one Mr. Sturdivan in Danbury, being at Work in his Field plainly within Sight of his House, a little Son of his about 3 Years & a half old, obtained leave, and went from the House, to go to him. At Night Mr. Sturdivan came in without the Child, or having seen him. On this, the Parents greatly distressed, informed the Neighbours, who aided in searching, and several lay out all Night.

Next Day, Friday, the Neighbours to the Number of 20 assembled and searched diligently all Day, and many remained out the whole Night, but without the least Discovery or Trace of the Child. On Saturday the Number of People were increased to 100; but notwithstanding the most diligent search for 4 or 5 Miles round, they obtained not the least Intelligence ; on Sabbath Day the charitable Work engaged till greater Numbers, about 150 assembled, and disposing themselves in regular Order at small Distances, so that it would be impossible for a much smaller Animal than a Child to escape Discovery, they continued their Search till about Noon ; when almost faint with Heat and want of Refreshment, and beginning to despair of Success, they several Times heard a small Noise proceeding from a boggy Meadow near them, which they immediately began to search and soon discover'd the poor little Wanderer almost spent, and seemingly breathing its last. It was quite naked, all over scratched and torn as it were with Briars, and its tender Body covered with stains of Blood : It seemed rejoiced at the sight of its Deliverers, and stretching forth its little Hands, called upon its Daddy. --The joyful News was instantly proclaimed with Shouts, and communicated to the almost broken hearted Parents ; and not one of the Company would depart without actually seeing the little Innocent for whom they had all been so long and anxiously concern'd.

It still remained a Mystery how such a Child could possibly wander so far as five or 6 Miles from home, thro' a rugged desolate Wilderness, and across a Mountain.--Conjectures were various, and some suspected the Indians to have had a Hand in it. There were a good many of them assembled in the Neighbourhood, it being at that Time a Kind of Festival among them : A Company of them had offer'd their Service to aid in searching for the Child, but not being employed, they hover'd at a Distance from the Company, but never joined them. About the Time the Child was found, an Indian Boy at Reading was by some Persons of that Place upon a mere Suggestion of Fancy, examined touching this Affair, and by his Confusion and broken Declarations, among which, one was that his Father had threatened to kill him and his Mother, if they told any Thing of the Matter. The Suspicion became strong enough to take up the Father upon it. On his Examination he confessed, that he and another, one Cherer, a young Indian, had found the Child a little from Home, where they had concealed themselves among some Bushes ; they ordered the Squaw and the Papoos (the Boy) to conceal themselves till they returned. Then they conveyed the Child near a Mile from Home, and in a swampy Place stripped it, fixed its Legs in the Ground, pricked it under its Nails with Thorns, scourged it with Briars, threw Brush over it, and there left it to perish. But observing the extraordinary Activity of the People in searching for the Child, the Indians were terrified, and moved it across the Mountain, to the Place where it was found or near it, for it could not have rambled far, mortified and weak as it was with fasting three Days and must doubtless soon have perished.

The two Indian Fellows, were secured and tried at Fairfield, plead Guilty, and were sentenced to be whipped at the Gallows, with Halters round their Necks, and over the Gallows, imprisoned 6 Weeks, then to be whipped as before, imprisoned 6 Months and pay Costs. The first Part of the Sentence was immediately executed and they remain in Goal to receive the rest.