The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

N E W - Y O R K, September 14.

A Person from New-Jersey, gives us the following very odd Intelligence ; that one Sears, some four or five years ago, having wilfully shot. and desperately wounded one of the Conservators of the Peace in the Borough of Elizabeth, had been committed to Newark Goal : Before his trial came on, he signed over what Estate he had to some near Relation ; on his trial he was found guilty, and among other Articles of his sentence, he was to find security for his good behaviour during Life ; but he being of a very fractious and obstinate Temper, he could never get such security : for some time his Relations supported him in Goal, when finding it too chargeable in their imagination, they withheld their Support : For some Time longer he was supported by the Charity of the Town, but they thinking it was not their duty to do it, stopped their Hand also a few Months ago. Upon his being told, those who had hitherto supplied him with Provisions would do so no longer,he voluntarily determined to fast 40 Days without Food, or die : He persisted in the Resolution, and all the Time he only took daily two Coppers worth of Rum, and neither eat or drank any thing else for the whole Forty Days, in whichTime he was reduced to a perfect Skeleton, and continued in a great measure like a mere Lunatick :--At the Expiration of the Time, which was but about a Fortnight ago, he was prevailed with to take some Nourishment, but for the first Day or two, every thing he took came up again, his Belly having grown almost fast to his Back : However, by the help of some Medicines or lenitive Food, he is at last like to recover again after his long obstinate Fast. though he is yet very poor and low.