Page:Devonshire Characters and Strange Events.djvu/816

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DEVONSHIRE CHARACTERS

came in with two or three soldiers, and told him to go back or he would kill them; the soldiers followed. In rushing in, Capt. Shortland stumbled over the wounded man; Gatchell did not go away immediately. Capt. Shortland ordered the soldiers to charge on him; one did charge on him, and another on me. I then made my escape into the prison. I am quite sure Captain Shortland ordered the soldiers to charge. I heard no abusive language from Capt. Shortland."

James N. Bushfield, prisoner, testified mainly to the making the hole in the wall. "I do not suppose a man in the yard knew there was arms in the barrack yard."

William Clements, prisoner. "I heard no order to fire. … I saw Capt. Shortland in the yard, but whether it was him or the other officer who first came in I don't know."

John Hubbard, prisoner. "I was carrying a wounded man to the hospital. Capt. Shortland came up to me … he ordered me to drop the man. I told him I should not, for I wanted to take him to the hospital. He gave me a crack on the neck with his fist and ordered the soldiers to charge on us; I then went back and ran in. When I got in I called to Capt. Shortland and told him 'You will recollect, Sir, you struck me, if you are brought to account for this.'"

John Reeves, prisoner. His evidence is not particularly trustworthy, as he admitted, "I was rather groggy that evening. … I heard Captain Shortland sing out 'Fire!' twice. … After we were inside No. 1 prison, being mad at being pricked (with a bayonet) I flung a stone myself out at the soldiers. The soldiers had fired into the prison before I did so."

William Mitchell, prisoner, did not hear the horn or the alarm bell.