155 



keen appetites, a grateful sense of exemption from futare 

 peril, and often in better general health than they en- 

 joyed before entering the hospital. 



Unhappily, in bringing ashore a portion of the third 

 class, some irregularity occurred, from an attempt to land 

 them at a point other than that designated by the author- 

 ities. The magazine of popular indignation was fired in 

 an instant. General distrust and alarm took possession 

 of the town. Angry collisions occurred. The Hospital 

 Boat was burned. Jan'y 19, four Marblehead men were 

 caught attempting, as it was charged, to introduce into 

 town clothing which they had stolen and brought ashore 

 from the island. "A large body of Mobility" met at 

 the Town House next morning, says the Essex Gazette, 

 and having, " by a great majority, determined that the 

 Mode of Punishment should be Tarring and Feathering," 

 proceeded to execute their sentence. 



Of the excesses which immediately preceded and fol- 

 lowed this outbreak, we have, l)esides the contemporary 

 chronicle of the Essex Gazette, which might be thought 

 to be colored by the excitement of the hour, a carefully 

 digested statement, dated Marblehead, February 8, 1774, 

 signed by fifty of the most substantial citizens of the 

 town, and placed on file, Feb. 12, with the Provincial 

 Assembly then sitting at Boston. It bears the names, 

 among others, of Jeremiah Lee, who seems to have 

 drawn it, of Joseph and of William Lee, of both the 

 Glovers, of Richard and Samuel Reed, of Robert Hooper, 

 iertius, of Joseph Hooper, of Thos., Thos., jr., and 

 Elbridge Gerry, of Richard Phillips, of Azor and Joshua 

 Orne, of John Gallison and John Sparhawk, of Edward 

 Fettyplace and Burrill Devereaux. It is addressed to 

 "His Excellency, Thomas Hutchinson, Esq., the Honor- 

 able, His Majesty's Council, and the Honorable House of 



