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

490 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1T86.
seconded by the Justices of the Court, that no interference
with the Courts would be attempted, the order calling out
the militia for Middlesex was absolutely countermanded,
and that for Bristol conditionall}^ delayed. Having induced
the government to withdraw the troops, the insurgents
broke faith with the committees, and appeared in great
force at Concord under command of Job Shattuck. They
took possession of the Court-House, and prevented the ses-
sion of the court. Simultaneously with the unlawful acts
in Hampshire, a convention was held in Lenox, Berkshire
County. This body contained a majority of conservatives,
and the results of its deliberations were not what the mal-
contents desired or expected. Instead of treason it pro-
fessed loyalty to the government, and voted to support the
courts of justice. Contrary to its suggestions, however,
when the court opened at Great Barrington, a few days
afterwards, a mob of eight hundred persons assembled.
They not only prevented the court from sitting, but re-
leased the prisoners confined in the jail. This mob went a
step beyond the others, and compelled three of the four
Judges to sign an agreement not to act under their commis-
sions till the grievances complained of had been redressed.
In Bristol County, though the orders for assembling the
militia were partially countermanded, yet the people appeared
under arms, and the courts were not interrupted.
The Criminal Courts Up to tliis time the demonstrations of the
Attacited. insurgcuts had been confined to the courts
which had power in civil suits only, including
those for the non-payment of debts and taxes,
though some opposition had also been manifested to certain
features of the Probate Courts. The proceedings of the
rioters against the judiciary brought them under the cog-
nizance of the criminal courts, and rendered them liable to
arrest and trial for treason. Through the same means by
which they had for the time being escaped the payment of
their honest debts, they now sought to evade punishment
for their misdeeds. By silencing the criminal courts they
thought they could save their necks in a manner similar to
that by which the}^ had saved their money. To this quar-
ter the attention of the insurgents was now directed.