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Robert Treat Paine Papers

Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 4

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Indictment

17 December 1783
Grand Jury notes
RTP
Suffolk. Special Sup Jud Court Decr. 3d Wednesday 1783

Cor Grand Jury vs. Cossumo Garcelli & Bartholomew Martel for murder of John Johnson1

Oliver Vose 2 6 Novr. last I saw 3 men in my Front Room with large Clubbs. I orderd em out they went. I then heard some noise in Street saw a man lay, one man striking. the rest stood round they all went away Jane Woodrow 3 men came into my house a 4th. came in they appeared enraged, had Clubbs, they went out,—went to Voses then came out, went to Mr. Grooms. Somebody cry’d murder it proved to be Fanny Grooms—Clark & Wheeler came by—Johnson no sun out, screamed murder, he dy’d the 8th. I saw men strike him I think the same men that came at my house & that I saw come from Voses Fanny Grooms I was going out of Gate with my brother 3 men coming up the ally askd mother if they cd. have a Dance She said no. he sd. by G—— we will have a frolick by & by. he that Spoke was the tallest. I went out again going up the ally I saw em coming out of Vose Entry. they took hold of me, saw a knife glisten, they sd. If I spoke a Word they’d take my life away, I scream’d murder Mrs. Woodrows door opened. I saw two men coming up alley the 3 left me & went to them, who were Clark & Wheeler and struck them with their Clubbs Mrs. Woodrow took hold of me, then Mr. Johnson came out with Tongs they fell upon him struck with Clubbs. threw him down, & run. I saw a motion of all 3 like Stabbing Stooping over him 276 George Clark I was standing in King street & heard murder cryd in the alley I went down saw the 3 I askd what the matter they calld me a d——d boger & struck at me 2 of them I knocd one down he rise & come close with a knife I retreated 10 steps, came back. Johnson sd. he was stab’d. Garcelli is the man who drew his knife on me. I think I saw Martel that night John Wheeler I was in State Street, her cry of murder. Clark & I went down Alley askd wht. is the matter the 3 rushd on Clark & struck at him—Johnson came out soon drop’d. I saw em strike Johnson—they ran I kept sight of them till later Garcelli is the same person. he made severall passes at me Fortesque Vernon between 7 & 8 oClock at the other ½ of Vose house, heard some people attempting to force their way into Vose Room. Saw 3 people with sticks, Garcelli there, Martel not, all the 3 at Voses Door could talk English Dr. Appleton found 4 Wounds, 1 inch wide left side between 6 & 7 Rib. 1 between shoulders 7 & 8 Ribs: 2 below left Kidney, we compared the Knife & it suited. all the wounds appear’d to be of same width Thos. Clemens I was present at taking him took his knife from him, ground to a point. found a Jack Knife abt. him with two blades: the blood on the Knife fresh, I dd. the Knife to Jus. Greenleaf he to Mr. Patten the Consble. John Tilley I serched Garcelli found a Jack knife Benja. Chandler I was at Vose, among the Dancers, 3 came in. shov’d Door open, struck agt. the Door, came in tall one drew a hanger knife. I saw Garcelli strike Johnson: Jona. Beal was there Elias Parkman I took hold of Garcelli he had a knife it was bloody Jona. Stoddard I was present at taking Garcelli took the Knife bloody Joseph Charles, Casselo Gardelo

MS .

1.

On Nov. 8, the Boston Evening Post reported: “A man by the name of Johnson, in a fray which happened last Thursday evening between a number of foreign seamen, received four several stabs from a knife in different parts of his body, by the hands of a Portuguese, which wounded him to so great a degree that his life is despaired of. The perpetrator of this infernal practice has since been detected and had before authority, who has committed him to goal: May he receive the reward justly due to his demerit.”

 2.

Oliver Vose (1734/5–1810) moved from Milton to Boston about 1778 and operated a tavern in Royal Exchange Lane (Ellen F. Vose, Robert Vose and His Descendants [Boston, 1932], 67–68).