HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 



mouth, accordingly, and saw the Assistants, — the Court 

 not yet being in session, — and protested his innocence. 

 They were not satisfied ; but hoped that he would be led 

 to desist by his knowledge of their discovery of his plans, 

 and so dismissed him in a friendly manner, with a warn- 

 ing, that, should further evidence come up, they should be 

 obliged to demand his arms for safe keeping. 



Philip went back to Mount Hope ; and, a few days 

 after, Sassamon was missing. On search, his hat and 

 gun were found on the ice of Assawompset Pond, in Mid- 

 dleborough, and his body under the ice. It was dragged 

 out, and buried ; and afterwards exhumed and examined, 

 when marks of violence indicating murder, and not acci- 

 dental drowning, became manifest. Three Indians were 

 soon arrested on suspicion, and tried by a jury, to which 

 six grave friend Indians were added, to insure fairness in 

 the verdict. An Indian came forward and testified, that, 

 by accident, from the top of a hill, he had witnessed the 

 scene, and that Sassamon had been murdered by these 

 prisoners. One of the prisoners subsequently confessed 

 that he had stood by while the others did the deed. The 

 jury convicted and sentenced the murderers, the Indians 

 concurring; whereupon two were hanged, and the third, 

 after a respite of two or three weeks, was shot. 



This seems immediately to have promoted the out- 

 break, which took place with very little delay; the first 



xxiv 



