History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

472 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [178;^.
provised one of their own the next day. It is stated that
they drank thirteen toasts, and so proved their patriotism.
While the report of snch a celebration is not mentioned
elsewhere, neither is the statement about the celebration on
the part of the ladies contradicted by any contemporarj-
writer.
An event which startled the community and
Murder of Eiisha
Brown. caused considerable excitement throughout
this section, took place on the 25"' of July.
Daniel Norton and others were engaged in shingling the
barn of Eiisha Brown, who lived in what is now Easthampton.
While the work was in progress. Brown came
to the barn with some men who had been reaping. The
two parties began to joke each other, and in a few moments
something more substantial than words began to pass between
them. Their sport continued for a short time, when
Norton, who was a very passionate man became greatly
excited. He descended from the roof in a great rage,
attacked Brown, and struck him so severely that he died
upon the spot. The murderer was immediately seized, con-
fined in the house and guarded. During the night he succeeded
in making his escape through a window. The deed
was committed on Friday. On Saturday a report was circulated
that Norton had been seen in the vicinity of the
tragedy. People in Northampton and Southampton organized
searching parties and scoured the country. Three
days afterwards a similar rumor prevailed, and another
search was instituted, but the fugitive could not be found.
Two years elapsed before anything more was heard from
Norton, and then it was ascertained that he was living at
or near New Milford, Ct, He had married again, though he
left a wife here when he fled, and seemed to be in comfort-
able circumstances. Officers from Northampton arrested
and brought him back, lodging him in jail. His trial took
place before the Superior Court in May, 178G, when he was
convicted of manslaughter, and sentenced to be branded
and imprisoned. This murder, though not the result of
malice, produced a great sensation in all this section. Rev.
Mr. Williams in the church record calls Norton " a refugee
from Long Island."