feiting in those days, and such the rapid transit in administering criminal law. The criminal — as the Chief Judge termed him before the trial — petitioned the Legislature then in session to release him from punish ment, and on March 2 he was relieved from being " croped "; the other part of the sentence was ordered executed the same day. One week was sufficient for the whole transaction. The respondent, who was, I think, a post rider between Bennington and Albany, had no cause to complain of the law's delay. The other case v. Benj. Glazier, the plea and verdict was " Not guilty," but the judg ment was, " That he pay cost of prosecution and stand committed till judgment.be com plied with." This was under the early statute which compelled the respondent, although innocent, to pay the costs of prose cution, if there was reasonable ground for instituting the proceedings. On March I, the Court adjourned without day. LUKE KNOWLTON early acquired an interest in the town of Newfane, and became an inhabitant therein in 1772. He came from Shrewsbury, Mass.; in 1774, he was chosen clerk of the town, and held the posi tion for sixteen years. In the controversy between New York and Vermont, he was one of the New York adherents, holding his title to lands in the town under the New York charter. In March, 1775, he was one of the court faction in the affray at the court house in Westminster. He represented Newfane in most of the conventions in Cum berland County, and was a member of the Cumberland County Committee of Safety from June, 1776, to June, 1 yjy. He was ap pointed a justice of the peace under the New York government, April 14, 1782. He represented Cumberland County as agent in the interest of New York, in Sep tember, 1780, and was recommended by Governor Clinton. In the early part of the war, until probably later than 1780, he
undoubtedly acted in the interests of New York. He was sent to Congress in 1780 as agent for the party opposed to the independ ence of Vermont, but soon after that time his' interest in New York ceased, and it is claimed that he became an adherent of Great Britain. But little is known of his conduct in this respect; I am inclined to think that at that time he became interested in the independ ence of Vermont, but engaged in negotia tions with Haldimand and the British agents in reference to Vermont's becoming a British province, but it was no doubt for the purpose of preserving the independence of the State and protecting its people from the ravages of war, and that he did this in concert with Chittenden, Allen and other leading Vermonters. He was acting apparently in con nection with Samuel Wells, the stern old loyalist, but his subsequent conduct proved his hearty adherence to the American cause, and his true devotion to the best interests of Vermont. After his abandonment of the New York cause, and his negotiations with the British, Congress ordered his arrest in consequence of a "dangerous correspondence and inter course with the enemy." This order of Congress was made Nov. 27, 1782, and, taking the advice of Ethan Allen and others, he fled from the State and remained absent a year. Knowlton returned home and was residing there, when a party of New Yorkers, headed by Francis Prouty, armed with "clubs, swords, pistols and bayonets," as sailed his house at two o'clock, A.M., in No vember, 1783, took him prisoner, conveyed him to Massachusetts and there left him. The assaulting party were indicted, and Prouty was tried in February, 1784, the five judges of the Supreme Court being present; he was indicted for burglary; the docket entry of the verdict reads thus: "In this case the jury find that the prisoner did break and enter the house of Luke Knowlton, Esq., in the night season, and did
