And I do declare unto you, in the presence of God, that I was not at that time upon Long Island, when the fact was charged to be done, though I was at that time within the government of New York. But when I heard the said Court’s sentence, I did declare it to be injustice and rebellion against the laws of the crown of England; upon which charge, the said court demanded of me a bond of £200 to answer it at the next Superior Court. And when the Superior Court came, I desired to be tried by a jury, and chose that jury then sitting. But this present Governor, being judge of this Superior Court, denied me a jury and fined me £20 and required of me a great bond for my good behavior till the next Superior Court, which I refused to give, upon this reason that I would not reflect upon myself, as if I had misbehaved myself, as I had not. Whereupon, I was committed to prison, and kept a close prisoner in the inner prison, where no fire was allowed me, and that winter was a violent cold winter and there was no jailer, but the sheriff kept the keys, who lived half a mile distant from the prison, and my own habitation full two miles distant; so that it was a difficult thing for my friends to come at me; the prison new and not under-pinned, and stood upon blocks some distance from the ground; the floor, being planked with green plank, shrunk much and let in the cold. My son was wont in cold nights to come to the grates of the window to see how I did, and contrived privately in cold nights to help me with some fire (for the sheriff said he had order that no fire be allowed me), but could not find any way to make it do by giving it in at the grates, they being so close, and no place to make it within. But he, coming in a very cold night, called to me, and perceiving that I was not in my right senses, was in a fright, and ran along the street, crying, “The Authority hath killed my father!” and cried at the sheriff’s, “You have killed my father!” Upon which, the town was raised and my life was narrowly preserved, for forthwith the prison doors were opened and fire brought in, and hot stones wrapt in cloth and laid at my feet and about me, and the minister Adams sent me a bottle of spirits and his wife a cordial, whose kindness I must acknowledge. And the neighbors came about me with what relief they could, all which kindness I acknowledge. But when those of you in authority saw that I recovered, you had up my son and fined him for making a riot in the night, and he desired to be tried by a jury, but you dismissed the jury that was in being and panelled a jury purposely for him, as I was informed,—and since have seen it to be so by your own court record,—and took for the fine and charge three of the best cows I had.