Page:Account of the trial of Captain John Porteous.pdf/5

(5) this end he presented his Piece, first to one Quarter, and then to another, calling to the People to stand off, and threatning, that it they did not, he would fire; That nevertheless he neither fired himself, nor gave any Orders to fire; but on the contrary, when some of the Guard, provoked by the Hurts they received, had, without his Orders or Authority, presumed to fire, whose Example was followed by several others, he did all he could to prevent that Mischief, by commanding them to desist, and actually did beat down the Muzzle of one of the Men's Pieces, who was presenting it in order to fire; That finding he could not be obeyed, he marched with those that followed him up the West Bow, where they, provoked by what he did not know, fac'd about and fir'd towards the Grass-Market; That his first Notice thereof was by hearing it, which made him turn about in order to stop it; That at this Place he neither fired, nor gave Orders to fire: That he marched as many of his Men as he could gather together back to the City-guard Room, where he prevented the Mens cleaning their Pieces, that the Guilty who fired might be distinguished from the Innocent who did not fire; That his own Piece had not at that Time been at all fired; That, conscious of his own Innocence, he presented himself before the Magistrates, whereas nothing was more easy to him than to have made his Escape, and that in their presence the Firelock that was in his own Hand was presented, and appeared not to have been at all fired; and that therefore the Libel, as libelled, could not be true.

That the delivering Powder and Ball to the pity Guard, and the Direction to the Pannel, to