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

516 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1787.
ever increasing crowd to the scaffold. At the foot of the
gallows, where all was in readiness for the closing scene,
and when everybody was waiting in anxious expectation of
their final taking off, the High Sheriff produced a reprieve,
and the criminals were remanded to their old quarters in
the jail. The government had shown its hand, had proved
its power to carry out the decrees of the courts, but at the
last moment had also established the fact that its justice
was tempered with mercy. It was thought by some that
the government was intimidated by the threats of the insurgents,
who had captured two reputable citizens of Worcester
County, whom they threatened to hang if Parmenter
and McCullock were executed.^ This time the prisoners
were respited till the 2'' of August ; afterwards to the 20*''
of September, and in the end they were pardoned. Many
people were dissatisfied because capital punishment had
not been inflicted upon them. Mr. Judd of Southampton,
when he heard of the transaction on the 21** of June,
thought it "unaccountable," and adds, "People are much
Chagrined at the Prisoners being reprieved." ^
Hauged for Burglary. On tlic 6'*' of December, an Irishman
named William Clark, was hanged in
Northampton for burglary, with very little parade. Rev.
Mr. Hale wrote a long article for the Hampshire Gazette
over the signature of " Grap-teer," in which he contrasted
the great parade of the former abortive execution with the
later one, and endeavored to show that the strictures upon
government for its leniency were unwarranted. The government
demonstrated its ability to carry out the decision
of the courts, and at the same time showed its determination
to temper justice with mercy.
Closing Scenes of Ou the 26"' of February, a large body of
the Rebellion. insurgeuts uudcr Capt. Hamlin entered
Berkshire County from the State of New
York, and proceeded to plunder the town of Stockbridge.
This they accomplished in a very thorough manner, and then
1 Hampshire Gazette, May 30, 1787.
2 This transaction is recorded in the Gazette of June SV"" in the following language:
— " On Thursday last Jason Parmenter and Henry McCullock, had like to have
been hanged."