History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

308 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
Mother's testimony against all sin and every kind
of impurity of flesh and sjnrit, and the great con-
viction it [her testimony] produced among the
people in this vicinity, a tumultuous mob was
raised, mostly from the town of Harvard, and con-
sisting altogether of the enemies of the cross.
The malicious crew came to my house on Sabbath
evening, about eight o'clock, and surrounded the
house. Some of the leaders of the mob were or
had been captains in the militia, and still bore that
title. They were followed by a large number of
men, for the evident purpose of abusing Mother
and the Elders."
The little assembly of worshippers, thus invested
by a furious mob, knew not how to protect themselves.
They had no disposition to use the means
of physical defence, if they had them. Supposing the
malice of the invader would be aimed chiefly at their
female leader, they luu'ried her into a small, dark
closet, that led from a chamber, and concealed the
door of the closet by placing before it a high chest
of drawers. Their next plan was to convey intelli-
gence to the municipal authorities, and claim pro-
tection. But this could not be easily effected, as
the house was completely surrounded by the mob,
and none were allowed to pass out. At length a
woman who lived in the neighborhood, and who
had a nursing infant at home, asked permission to
depart and attend to her little one. Her request
was granted, and she lost no time in reporting to
the proper offlcers the perilous condition of her
friends at the house of Elijah Wilds.
The written narrative proceeds : "When
day-
light appeared, the leaders of the mob called for
Mother and the Elders to come out to them. With
this demand they did not see fit to comply, but
gave them liberty to come into the house, and they
came in accordingly. Mother and tlie Elders re-
quested us to prepare some breakfast for them,
which was done, and the mob leaders sat down and
ate. Mother then advised me to feed the residue
of the mob who were in the dooryard. Accord-
them, and said, ' Wiiy have ye come here to
abuse or hurt us ? What have we done ? Have
we injured your persons or your property ? If we
have, make us sensible of it, and we will make
you restitution.'
"These words so enraged the mob willi cnmily,
that they seized the speaker by one arm, and the
brethren seized him by the other, and held him till
he cried out, ' Lord have mercy ! you will pull me
in pieces.' At this cry the hands of the mob were
loosed from him."
The police, arriving at this moment, ordered the
mob to disperse. This brought the intruders to a
stand, and after some parley the leaders in the riot
proposed that if the two elders — James Whittaker
and William Lee — would return with them
to Harvard, to the house of Jeremiah Willard, one
of their brethren, they would not injure them or
their friends. Though the elders had no confi-
dence in the professions or promises of their per-
secutors, they consented to their proposal, hoping
thereby to draw them away from the house of Mr.
Wilds, when an opportunity would be presented of
relieving the " Mother " from her closet confine-
ment. Accordingly, with a number of the brethren,
they proceeded to Harvard, followed by the mob
that had molested them through the night.
On arriving at Harvard the rioters violated their
engagement with the elders that they would not in-
jure them, and, dragging them out into a convenient
place for their purpose, first tied James Whittaker
to the limb of a tree, where they scourged him
with a whip until he felt that the skin was almost
flayed from his back. This flagellation he received
with calm submission, and blessed God that he was
accounted worthy to suffer in the cause of his Master.
They next brought out William Lee, who told
them he would not be tied, but kneeling, bade
them lay on their stripes, which he would receive
like a good soldier of the Cross. Just, however,
before the lash fell, a sister broke through the gang
of desperadoes, and throwing herself under the
uplifted whip, begged that she might receive the
blows instead of her beloved elder. The perse-
cutor turned his whip, and, by design or accident,
struck this sister a blow upon the temple which
opened a wound that bathed her face in blood. At
this the rioters became alarmed, and, having released
the elders, left their disgraceful work but half
ingly, I carried out bread and clieese, of which they finished.
eat freely. After this the elders went into the Wilds says, in his testimony, that at evening
dooryard, and Elder James [Whittakcr] addressed " the Elders returned and were gladly received by
Mother, and the brethren and the sisters at our
house. ' Have they abused you, James ? ' speak-
ing to Elder Whittaker. ' I will show you,
Mother,' said he ; and kneeling down before her,
lie stripped up his shirt, and showed his wounded
bark covered with blood, which had run down to
his fret. Li washing his back it was found to be