our church. I told him there had been, but she was not then in town. He said he felt it his duty to inform me of the character of the girlthat she had applied for his professional assistance for the foul disease -that her case was as aggravated as any he had ever known-that she could not sit or stand still, and walked with difficulty; that in reply to his reproof of her conduct, she said she was not as bad as he thought; that she was a member of Mr. Avery's church, and in regular standing. He expressed doubts of this, and the next time she came she brought a certificate to that effect. This information I communicated to the Committee before whom her case was tried-at the trial she was found guilty of lying and fornication, and expelled from the church.

"Soon after she left Lowell, I ascertained (I believe by a sister from Dover) that she had made use of my certificate in Dover, as a proof of her regular standing in the church. I immediately wrote to her, demanding a return of the certificate; alleging, that if the demand was not complied with, I should publish her in the papers as an impostor; and also to the Methodist minister at that place, the Rev. Mr. Dow, cautioning him of her character. In reply, I received a letter from her, enclosing the certificate, and another from Mr. Dow, inquiring the nature of the charges against her, and the course taken at her trial: to which, I replied, setting forth the facts, and informing him, that since her expulsion from the church, she had been suspected of theft. The next information I had of her was from Great Falls, Somersworth, N. H., from which place, she wrote me, saying she wished to make a full statement of facts, and confession of her crimes. She confessed unlawful intercourse with several men, but denied that she was ever afflicted with the venereal complaint. She charged the physician before alluded to, with an attempt to have intercourse with her. This letter I showed to a student of the physician, but did not answer it. About a week after, she wrote to me again, saying she had heard a sermon from Mr. Storrs on confession, and was constrained to make a yet fuller acknowledgement of her crimes-that she had been guilty of all the crimes charged upon her-that she had been afflicted with the foul disease, though ignorant of it at the time. This letter also was unanswered. From this time I heard nothing of her until the spring of 1831, when she called at my house in Lowell, of a Sunday morning, and asked my forgiveness-she said she had written to me, but I had taken no notice of her letters, and that she had come on purpose, and wanted it in writing. I gave it in writing*—adding,

*My reasons for giving her the writings she solicited, were, that the minister at Great Falls had been made acquainted with all the circumstances and facts relating to her case, months before, in a letter from me, setting forth the crimes charged, and their extent. She had also been an attendant on his ministry for months, and professed to be reclaimed; and it should be understood that the writing only went to say to Rev. Mr. Storrs, that if, with all the information he was in possession of, he thought it advisable to admit her on probation, we at Lowell should not object;-this we did in conformity to the article in our discipline, "The gift of repentance shall not be denied." The above writing was given on Sabbath day, and on Monday I wrote to Mr. Storrs of her falsehood, of which I was informed on that day.

forgiveness from me was nothing, she must seek it of the Lord. After this I heard nothing more of her till the August of 1832, when being at Thompson, Conn., at a camp-meeting, I was informed by Abraham D. Merrill, that she was on the ground. The brethren were cautioned of her, and I believe at my suggestion-I did not speak with her. I attended a four days meeting in Fall River, in the month of October last, I believe. In the afternoon of Friday, the Rev. I. M. Bidwell inquired if I knew a girl by the name of Sarah M. Cornell. I told him I did not-he said there was one of that name in Fall River, and it had been suggested to him that she was the girl with whom I had difficulty in the church in Lowell. I told him I had caused a girl by the name of Maria Cornell to be expelled from the church in that place, but knew nothing of any Sarah Cornell. At his request I described the girl that I had caused to be expelled, and told him the reason of her expulsion. Mr. Bidwell thought the girl he referred to was the same. In the evening after preaching, I was invited to stay through the night at Mr. Edward Mason's-as I was entering his house in company with Mrs. Mason, her sister and others, some one pulled me by the elbow and expressed a wish to speak with me. I immediately recognized Maria Cornell, and I asked her what she wanted. To see you a moment, said she. I told her I wanted nothing to say to her. But she replied, I must speak with you. I then told Mrs. Mason that I would be in the house in a moment, and turned to the girl and again asked what she wanted. She said, I have come to live in Fall River, where I am not known, and don't want you to expose me. I told her I had no disposition to injure her, and it would depend upon her behaviour whether I exposed her or not. Don't, says she, ruin me here; you have ruined me in Lowell and Dover, but don't here. I told her I had not ruined her, she had ruined herself. She said she had joined a class on trial, and if I did not tell brother Bidwell, about her conduct, it would not be known. She again urged me not to expose her. I replied as before and left her. This conversation could not have lasted more than five or ten minutes. The Sabbath following I preached in Fall River and noticed her in the congregation. I have never seen her since.*

*When I had reason to suspect her being at Fall River, from the information of Mr. Bidwell, I gave all the information in my possession respecting her, stating the charges preferred against her, the evidence to sustain them, and the final result of the trial, viz. expulsion. I also informed Mr. Bidwell of the course pursued by Rev. A. D. Merrill and myself at the Thompson meeting, in regard to giving notice of her character, stating to him that if she was the same person he alluded to, I thought her a very unfit person to be in the church. At the time I ascertained she was the person I caused to be expelled from Lowell, I had no convenient opportunity to converse with Mr. Bidwell on the subjeet, and as he did not afterwards name it to me, and it did not occur to my mind when in his company, her name was not mentioned.

It may be proper in this place for me to say something in reference to the pretended interview with this unhappy mortal, on the evening of the 20th of October, the evening after I had a few words of conversation with her at Mr. E. Mason's door, when she requested me not to expose her character. The meeting on this evening was in the Anawam buildings. The meeting commenced late. By request I read and explained a chapter in St. Matthew's gospel, after which we had prayers and exhortations, and continued our meeting until nine o'clock, or a little past. I then left, and went on to the four cornersfell in with Mr. Luther Chase on the way, the distance of 120 rods perhaps from the Anawam block. We stood and conversed together a few moments; how long I cannot say, but if James Sherman stated correctly at Newport, what Mr. Chase told him, it was half past nine when we parted; I am sure, however, it was not so late when we separated; for it was only half past nine when I arrived at Mr. Bidwell's. When Mr. Chase and I parted, I went to Bennett's stable, where the horses belonging to the Bristol stage were kept, probably twenty rods north of the corners. Mr. Bidwell's house was in an opposite direction.

On my return, I crossed the bridge, travelling south till I came to the first street, and turned to my right. It being extremely dark and myself a stranger, I passed the street leading to Mr. Bidwell's house, and did not find my mistake until I had gone perhaps twenty or thirty rods below; having been but once before on this road, and that the day before. I now turned, when I found my mistake, and went to Mr. Bidwell's house, and Mrs. Bidwell asked me how late it was. I looked at my watch and found it was half past nine, and so informed her. This was on the 20th of October. The day before, which was the 19th, was the first time in my life I was at Fall River. I mention this because Mr. Lesure testified at Newport, that he had seen me at Fall River four or five times the summer before, in company with Mr. Bidwell, and at the stable. I can safely challenge the whole world to show that I was ever in that place till the time I state. Lesure is altogether aside from truth in the whole of his statements, so far as my person is concerned. And I will now affirm, that I never wrote a letter in the store of Iram Smith, or put one into the post office at Fall River, since I had a being. For the truth of what I now state, I can with much satisfaction appeal to that Being by whose sentence the destinies of all men will at last be determined. I never wrote the letter of the 8th of December; I never put it into the office; I never saw it until I saw it at the examination at Bristol.

All I am able to say in reference to the letter said to have been delivered to the Engineer of the steamboat King Philip on the 27th of November at Providence, is, that I never was in any way concerned with the writing or delivery of that letter; I never saw it until it was presented at the examination in Bristol; I never went into the store of Mr. James Snow to purchase or get in any way "pink colored paper." It is my duty to assert these things as a man bound to the judgment seat of Christ, whatever may be the effect they shall produce. I arrived at Providence in the stage, Monday evening, and was set down at Mr. P. P. Jillson's door. And I left Providence in the stage, and returned to Bristol, Wednesday afternoon. The reason

for my not continuing at Providence through the four days meeting was, that Thursday was the day of public Thanksgiving in the state, and it was necessary that I should be with my people. I never but once set my foot on board the steamboat King Philip in Providence, and that was on the 4th day of July, 1832, when I came first to my charge in Bristol from the Providence Conference.

I shall commence and give an account of my excursion on the Island a little more in detail than I gave it to Mr. Drake. From reflection and repeatedly revolving this route in my mind, I recollect some circumstances which might have served to corroborate the relation I then gave. I had an interview with my Presiding Elder at the time, or immediately after my first examination, and mentioned that between the toll gate and Bristol ferry, a female passed me near the commencement of the turnpike, that she passed so near that I could have reached her with my hand; but not knowing the woman, and she probably not knowing me, I thought it not proper to have it mentioned, lest the woman should not appear to testify to the facts, in which case it would be construed to my prejudice.

I had two reasons for making this tour-1. I had a conversation with Mr. Nicholas Peck, of Bristol, about the Rhode Island coal, and it was mentioned that it could be mixed with other coal, and would answer a good purpose for fuel; and as it was cheap, I informed him I thought of examining and purchasing some if it was found to answer. He said he should like to join me in purchasing. 2. Soon after my appointment to Bristol I received a letter from my father, mentioning that he was stationed in Bristol in the American Revolution, representing the situation of Mount Hope, Philip's chair on the east side, near a beautiful spring of water,stating the scenery, pleasantness, &c., and also naming certain families with whom he was acquainted at that time, wishing me to inquire after them. In a second letter which I received from him a short time after, he stated that he was on Rhode Island with Sullivan's expedition, gave a description of the battle, stating that it commenced upon the west side of the Island, that the severer part was near the Friends' meeting house, &c. This excited a curiosity in my mind to visit the place. I mentioned to Rev. Mr. Holway, of Warren, my desire to visit the Island, and at a four days meeting at Portsmouth he agreed to accompany me at some future time; but he delaying to do so, finding the season of cold weather approaching, and fearing if I did not go soon I should not have an opportunity, I determined to embrace the first pleasant day that I could spare from other duties. On Thursday, the 20th of December, 1832, it being remarkably pleasant, I left home about 2 o'clock, P. M., visited a sick family, and then started for the Island. I walked to Bristol ferry, a distance of two miles, and was carried over, seven-eighths of a mile, by Mr. William Pearce, with whom I conversed about coal, and inquired concerning the coal mines. He pointed out their direction to me.

I had thought, before I got to the ferry, of calling on Mr. Drake to accompany me on my tour; but when I had crossed, the afternoon being short, and Mr. Drake living on the east side of the Island, which would be out of my intended course, I gave up the idea of calling on

him, and started for the coal mines alone. I went up the road and got over the wall a little to the north of the windmill, passed over the head of a small stream and some low ground, towards the coal mines, in a south-westerly direction. When near the mines, I met a man carrying a gun, dressed in coarse old looking clothes, and an old hat, somewhat dented in on the front part of the crown. He was, I should judge, rather short, well set, had much the appearance of a rustic. I asked him if the coal mines were worked? He said-"No." I then asked if there was coal for sale? He said "No." I immediately passed on in a southerly direction, concluding it would be useless to make further inquiry, as the mines were not worked, and there was no coal for sale. I soon came to a gate, one side of which was either painted white or white-washed; and after going through the gate, I passed between two houses, continuing nearly in the same direction. I came into a lot where were sheep and young cattle. Here I saw a lad 10 or 12 years old; of his age, however, I could not determine certainly. As I had thought of calling on Mr. Freeborn, and having gone there through gates from the east, I inquired of this boy if Mr. Freeborn was at home? He said he thought not, for he saw him going away that morning with his wagon. I then crossed a stream or creek, and concluded to keep down on the west side of the Island until I should get nearly opposite widow Wilcox's, and then cross the Island and bring out to the east road, and call on her. In view of this, I continued on, keeping near the shore, till I came to a cove or pond of considerable size, the land being uneven and elevated near it. By the east end of this pond I passed over low, moist ground, and having travelled a little to the south, turned my course to the eastward, supposing I had travelled sufficiently far to lay my course for the east side of the Island and come out where I intended. It was now sunset, or perhaps a little past. I supposed the distance to the road on the east side of the Island to be not more than a mile and a half, or two miles at most, and pursued my course, as I supposed, in a right direction. It grew dark; the travelling was across pastures, over walls, and through fields very rough and uneven; and add to this, a weak ancle, which became very troublesome, owing to the repeated missteps I made in the dark, made the distance seem much longer than it really was. I crossed the west road, (which at that time I supposed to be a bridle way,) bearing to the east till I came out on the east road, as I supposed, a little north of the Union meeting house, which is about six miles from Bristol ferry. Some little distance before I came into the east road, I crossed a road running nearly in the direction of north and south, but should not judge it much travelled. When I came to the east road I did not know exactly where to find Mrs. Wilcox, as I had travelled that road but once, and that on a dark and cloudy day, in a chaise with Mr. W. E. Cook, who pointed out her house, situated some where on the east side of the east road, and standing some distance from the road, so that I should have to pass through bars or gates to get to it. It being dark, I thought I might be troubled to find it, and so took the direction for the ferry, calculating I might, if too much fatigued, stop at Mr. Cook's, three or four miles up the Island. I immediately moved on towards the north, and passed a chaise as I was descending the hill