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 escape. There was in this action something so manly and generous as could scarcely fail to excite the sympathy of the inhabitants, who, if before they thought his sentence too severe for his crime, were now transported with warm indignation, to think that such a man must die as a malefactor.

The day of Wilson's execution came quickly on. The people awaited the hour of his being brought out to the scaffold in a tumult of indignant and sympathetic sentiments, ready almost to rise in fury and rescue him by force from the ministers of death. But the force guarding the execution was sufficient to defy all attempts of rescue. When, however, the lifeless body was cut down, the spirit of the mob began to express itself by pelting the executioner and the soldiers with dirt and stones.

This so incensed Porteous, captain of the city guard, who was ashamed and angry on account of Robertson's escape, and who had regarded the gathered mob with a gloomy and sullen spirit, which was ready to burst in o some revengeful act if but the least spark of content on should come to inflame it, that he ordered his man to fire upon the populace. Some were slain, some were wounded. A part of the mob with exasperated rage pressed hard upon the retiring soldiers. Again they fired their muskets, and there was a new slaughter of the people.

The cry of bloodshed was now raised loud against Porteous. He was put into confinement, brought to trial, and as the riotous insults of the mob were not judged worthy of resistance to blood, and he had no orders to fire upon then, he was condemned to death. The whole people exulted in Porteous condemnation; and were