Amongst other enormities that occurred this year three men were tried and executed for robbery and murder. Their names were Arthur Peach, Thomas Jackson, and Richard Stinnings. There was a fourth, Daniel Crose, who was also found guilty, but he escaped and could not be found. Arthur Peach was the ringleader. He was a strong and desperate young man, and had been one of the soldiers in the Pequot war, and had done as good service as any there, always being one of the first in any attack. Being now out of means and loth to work, and taking to idle ways and company, he intended to go to the Dutch colony, and had lured the other three, who were servants and apprentices, to go with him. But there was also another cause for his going away secretly in this manner; he had not only run into debt, but he had seduced a girl, a maid-servant in the town, and fear of punishment made him wish to get away, though this was not known till after his death. The other three ran away from their masters in the night, and could not be heard of, for they did not go by the ordinary route, but shaped such a course as they thought would evade pursuit. Finding themselves somewhere between the Bay of Massachusetts and the Narragansetts’ country, and wishing to rest, they made a fire a little off the road by the wayside, and took tobacco. At length there came a Narragansett Indian by, who had been trading at the Bay, and had some cloth and beads with him. They had met him the day before, and now he was returning. Peach called him to come and drink tobacco with them, and he came and sat down. He had told the others he would kill the Indian and take his goods. The others were afraid; but Peach said, Hang the rogue, he has killed many of us. So they let him do as he would, and when he saw his opportunity he took his rapier and ran the man through the body once or twice, and took from him five fathoms of wampum and three coats of cloth; and then they went their way, leaving him for dead. But the Indian managed to scramble up when they had gone, and made shift to get home. By this means they were discovered, and the Indians caught them; for, wanting a canoe to take them over the water, and not thinking their act was known, by the sachem’s command they were taken to Aquidnett Island, and were there accused of the deed, and examined and committed upon it by the English. The Indians sent for Mr. Williams, and made grievous complaint; and the friends and relatives of the injured native were ready to rise in arms and incite the rest to do the same, believing they would now find the Pequot’s words were true: that the English would turn upon them. But Mr. Williams pacified them, and told them they should see justice done upon the offenders, and went to the wounded man and took Mr. James, the physician, with him. The man told him who did it, and how it was done. The physician found his wounds mortal, and that he could not live, as he testified upon oath before the jury in open court.