The lives, last words, and dying speech of Ezra Ross, James Buchanan, and William Brooks, who were executed at Worcester, on Thursday the 2d day of July, 1778 for the murder of Mr. Joshua Spooner, of Brookfield. Bathsheba Spooner, who was convicted of being accessary to the murder, was also executed at the same time.

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The Lives, Last Words, and Dying Speech of EZRA ROSS. JAMES BUCHANAN, and WILLIAM BROOKS, who were executed at WOR|CESTER, on Thursday the 2d Day of July, 1778. for the Murder of Mr. JOSHUA SPOONER, of BROOKFIELD. BATHSHEBA SPOONER, who was convicted of being acessary to the Murder was also executed at the same Time.

_I JAMES BUCHANAN was a Serjeant in th•• Army under General Burgoyne, born in Gla••+gow, in Scotland, aged 36 years, I WILLIAM BROOKS was a private in said army, born i•• the parish of Wednesbury, in the county of Staf+ford, in England, aged 27. We together o•• February 8th, 1778, left Worcester, with an in+tent to go to Springfield to work. In passing Mr. Spooner's, w•• were called in by Alexander Cummings, whom we thought wa•• a British soldier. Having ••od some time by the fire, he told u•• his master was gone from home, but he would go and call hi•• mistress, for she had a great regard for the army, as her fath•• was in it and one of her brothers. He called her, and she came down, and appeared glad to see us. She asked us, whether we came from the Hill? We told her we had, and were going to Canada, as I, Buchanan, had left my family there. She order+ed breakfast for us, and as soon as it was ready we were desired to go into the sitting-room. We were very much surprised a•• this, for we should have thought ourselves well dealt by, to h•• received any favor she might see fit to bestow o•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the kitch|en. However we all breakfasted together. The weather bein•• very bad, we were asked to stay '••ill it cleared up. As we had 〈◊〉〈◊〉 little money, we accordingly stayed. The weather continued ve••y bad, we stayed there that day and night, I (Buchanan) a•• no positive whether it was the first or second day, she told me 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by ourselves, that she and her husband did not agree that he was gone a journey to Princetown, and that he would not be at home soon, that we should not go from thence until th•• weather was fair, there being a great fall of snow at this time▪ We very readily consented, and stayed from day to day, ex+pecting M••. Spooner home. Mrs. Spooner getting very fre•• in discourse with me (Buchanan) one day told me that she neve•• expected Mr. Spooner to return, as there was one Mr. Ross gone with him, who had an ounce of poison, which he had promised her he would give to Mr. Spooner, the first convenient oppor|tunity. The reader must needs think this a very strange circum|stance, that she should make such a discovery to an entire stran|ger. She said at the same time, we should stay 'till we sa•• whether Mr. Spooner returned or not. Accordingly we stayed and were never in better quarters, little thinking of the ba•• the seducer of souls was laying for us, we were then in a dispo|sition to c••tch at it, having no fear of GOD before 〈…〉〈…〉 entirely to ••ken of him. Having tarried ten or eleven day•• as ne••r as can be recollected, he at length came home, and ••e|ing us there, asked her who we were. She told him that I (••|cha••••••) was co••sin to Alexander Cummings. He took ••o fur|ther notice of it; but going out a••ong his neighbors, it is likely he was informed how long we had been ••here, and pro|bably

heard at the tavern of the quantity of liquor he had to pay for, since his going on his journey. Be that as it may, at night he came home, and seeing we were not gone, he desired us to go immediately. We begged he would let us stay 'till morn|ing: He after some time consented that we should stay by the ••re all night. He was in the sitting room by himself, and Mrs. Spooner went to bed. There was one Reuben Old, came upon some business with Mr. Spooner, and after some time came out and told us that Mr. Spooner told him he was afraid we should rob him, adding, that he had lost a silver spoon, and a great deal of pewter. This vexed us, as we were conscious we had no thought of stealing from him. Had we been so inclined, we had as much opportunity as we could have desired. The spoon, he found where he laid it, Cummings convinced him there was none of the pewter missing. Mr. Spooner went up stairs and brought down a box, which he had his money in, and laid down on the floor with it under his head. Every thing Mr. Spooner did or said, Old came and told us, and was out with us all the time he was asleep, and we were all merry to|gether, sitting by the kitchen fire. Said Old declared in court, that I (Buchanan) said, if Mr. Spooner came out I would for two coppers put him in the well, which is false. In the morn|ing, it not being convenient to see Mrs. Spooner to take our leave of her, we, Buchanan, Brooks, and Cummings, ••ent to Mrs. Stratten's to pass the day, 'till we could get an opportu|nity to bid Mrs. Spooner farewell. We stayed at Mrs. ••|ten's the best part of the day, Cummings having received five dollars from Mr. Spooner, to treat his pretented cousin with we went to Mr. Cooley's tavern and had some drink, from thence to Dr. Foxcrofts, stayed there until cummings came and told us Mr. Spooner was in bed. We then went to the house, and had supper and liquor, retired to the barn, and tarried all night. In the morning had breakfast sent to the barn for us. And as Mrs. Berry and Mrs. Tufts had been there the day be|fore, and wanted to see me (Buchanan) I said I would go and see them. Mrs. Spooner said she would also go, which was agreed on. Buchanan and Brooks went there, and we all stayed at Mr. Green's drinking 'till late; some distance from thence, she said she had given a handkerchief to a British soldi••r that had some words in anger with me, Buchanan, upon which, Brook•• ••ent back on her horse, and she and I went home.—Brooks miss'd his road on his return, but got to the house some time after us, but did not get the handkerchief, as the soldier would not deliver it, until he saw Mrs. Spooner. Buchanan and Brooks stayed that night in the barn, in the morning went to Gilbert's Tavern,

and staid there some time, and on coming out from his house, we saw Cummings coming on one of Mr. Spooner's horses, he told us his master was gone to the tavern, and that his mistress desi••ed we would come there, which we did, and had supper, we went to the barn that night, and in the morning she s••nt 〈◊〉〈◊〉 word that her husband was gone abroad into the count••y 〈◊〉〈◊〉 get some oats. The boy Parker, had proposed to Brooks, 〈…〉〈…〉 would come and meet Mr. Spooner and him on their return, he, said Parker, said he would help to take Mr. Spooner's life. We went over from the barn to the house, and found he was gone▪ and stayed there all day, and lived on the best the house afforded o•• meat and drink: Mr. Spooner came home in the dusk of the evening, so that we had like to have been seen; but we heard him come with the ••ey to the door, and Brooks ran into the cel|lar, and I went and stood on the back stairs, until he went into the sitting room. We then came out, and went to the barn, there stayed all next day, and at night, when Mr. Spooner was in bed, we were sent for to the house, and received supper and liquor, to encourage another plan, which Cummings and Parker (who have for this time escaped punishment) proposed to poor Brooks, which was, they all three to go up stairs, and Brooks to take his life from him, for which he w•••• to receive one thousand dollars, Mr. Spooner's watch, his buckles, and as much cloth as would make a suit of cloaths; but Brooks's heart failed him; and Mrs. Spoo|ner said she did not think he was so faint-hearted. H•• this been done he was to be put into the well as he was ta|ken out of bed; for she observed it would be thought he had fallen in, drawing water in the night; next day had breakfast brought us by Cummings. He informed us, there was another plan formed by her, which was to have been executed as follows. Either Cummings or Parker to tell Mr. Spooner one of his hor|ses was sick, and as he came to the barn to kill him, and put him amongst the horses feet, to make the people believe when he was found that the horses had killed him. But Brooks told Parker not to tell him, but to make her believe he would not go over. The boy conducted accordingly. We stayed all that day and night. Next day, being Sunday, we stayed there; she came over at night; we told her we would go away the next morn|ing; she desired we would not; but we wou••d not stay. We set out to go to Springfi••ld, as we went thro' Western, on that road, we en••ged to wo••k with one Mr. Marks a smith; I Bu|chanan worked there two days; but as he had no files fit for the b••ch ••ade, ••ooks followed, we proposed to go to Wor|cester to g••t some, which was agreed to.

We set off on Wednesday about noon, and in going by Mr. Spooner's we called in and told her where we were going; she said she would follow us down next day as she wanted to see her sister, saying she was glad we had got work so near; and fur|ther added, that she had two notes, one of twenty pounds law|ful, and another of three hundred dollars, which she would an|•• to get changed, and let me, Buchanan, have one hun|dred dollars, to purchase any thing I might want. We staid in the barn 'till morning, and then set out for Worcester, and she followed us the same day and called at Mrs. Walker's 〈◊〉〈◊〉 us, according to agreement; she came in and staid some 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ and gave me, Buchanan, a note, as much cloth as made a shi•• and 6 or 7 dollars; observing to me they came from one M•• Donald, an acquaintance of mine; she then went to see her sis|ter, and desired us to stay 'till she came back, which we did▪ she returned on Friday morning about 10 o'clock, and staid 'till night; she told me, Buchanan, at parting, that she had no 〈◊〉〈◊〉 paper money, but what she had given me; but begged I would procure her some poison to give Mr. Spooner; I accordingly that day got one drach•• of Calomel, and made it into 2•• pa|pers. I desired her to give one in the morning; she told 〈◊〉〈◊〉 she never gave him any; she went to her sister's late that nigh•• and call'd on us in the morning, about 10 o'clock. I went 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the door; she would not come in, but desired me to come 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to Mr. N••zro's shop, and she would get files for 〈…〉〈…〉 h•• not money sufficient to get what we wanted; she ask•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 when we would come through Brookfield. I told her if 〈◊〉〈◊〉 would set up, we would call on Monday night at eleven o'cloc••; she said she would; I parted with her, and sent Brooks up to the shop. But as he came in sight he saw her ride from the door and therefore did not go there; we staid at Walker's un|til Sunday afternoon, and then left Worcester, and about 8 o|clock at night got to Mr. Spooner's; we saw Mrs. Stratten a•• the well. I Buchanan, spoke to her, she told me there was ••n company in the house, but she would ••et Mrs. Spooner know we were there; Mrs. Spooner came out, and told us that one Mr. Ross was in the house, who had a brace of pistols loaded, and that ••e had promised her he would kill Mr. Spooner as ••e came home from the tavern, she desired us to come in, which we did, he shewed us a pistol, and said Mr. Spooner should die by that to night. Either Brooks or Buchanan said it would alarm the neighbors.

Brooks said, if Ross would help him he would knock him down, accordingly, it was agreed on, and there was a look out kept a••

the sitting room door for his coming, in the mean time there was some supper brought by Mrs. Stratten to us, we had some ••lip before, there was now some rum brought, which we drank, each of us by turns giving a look out. We are certain Mrs· Stratten could not but know what was going forward. That we leave to the judgment of the public. Mr. Spooner was at length seen coming, and then was the time for the Devil to show his power over sinners who had forsaken GOD.

An Account of the MURDER as it was committed▪

William Brooks went out and stood within the small gate leading into the kitchen, and as Mr. Spooner came past him he knocked him down with his hand. He strove to speak when down, Brooks then took him by the throat and partly strangled him. Ross and Buchanan came out; Ross took Mr. Spooner's watch out and gave to Buchanan; Brooks and Ross took him up and put him into the well head first; before they carried him away, I, Buchanan, pulled off his Shoes: I was in|stantly struck with horror of conscience, as well I might; I went into the house and met Mrs. Spooner in the sitting room, she seemed vastly confused: She went immediately up and brought the money which was in a box. She not having the key desired me to break it open, which I did; at the same time Brooks and Ross came in: She gave two notes of 400 dollars each to Ross to change and give the money to Brooks; but there was found some paper money, which Brooks receive••, being 243 dollars, and the notes were returned.

At the same time she gave Ross four notes, each of them ten pounds, to purchase camblet for a riding dress. Ross gave Brooks his waistcoat, breeches and shirt. She went and brought Ross a waistcoat, breeches and shirt of Mr. Spooner's. When they were shifted, she gave me▪ Buchanan, three eight dollar bills, and asked me when she should see me again? I told her in fourteen days, but it pleased GOD to order it sooner, and in •• dreadful situation. Had we all been immediately struck dead after the perpetrating so horrid a murder, and sent to hell, GOD would have been justified and we justly comdemned.

About 11 o'clock at night, we ••et off for Worces••er. About 4 o'clock in the morning we reached Mrs. Walker's house▪ Mary Walker and a Negro girl were within; we told them a parcel of lies to excuse ••r sudden return; in the morning we went to drinking, to endeavor to drown the horrid action we had been guilty of; we tarried there all day, with a view to go off at night, but it pleased GOD to order it otherwise. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Brooks being i•• liquor, went d••wn to Mr. B••own's tavern, there shewing Mr. Spooner's watch, and the people seeing him

have silver buckles, became suspicious of him, and one Ensign Clark going to Mrs. Walker's and seeing what passed there gave information concerning us. The news of the murder had now rea••hed the town, and we were all taken and brought to trial before the Committee, examined and committed to goal. On the 24th of April last we were brought to trial before the Superior Court, found guilty and received sentence of death.

• JAMES BUCHANAN,
• EZRA ROSS, a Cont. Soldier, born at Ipswich, in the parish of Lyndebrook, (New-England) aged 18.
• WILLIAM ✚ BROOKS's Mark.

We, Buchanan, Brooks and Ross, are conscious to ourselves that we are indeed guilty of the above murder, and that here|by we have forfeited our lives into the han•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 public justice, and expos'd ourselves to have our part in the ••ke which burn|eth with fire and brimstone. We desire to give glory to GOD by a free and full confession of our heinous guilt. We trust we have, with deep penitence and contrition of soul, confessed it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 GOD, hoping in his infinite mercy and compassion, through 〈◊〉〈◊〉 atoning blood of his Son Jesus, that our scarlet and crimson guilt may be done away, that we may be saved from etern•• damnation, which we know we j••stly deserve, and obtain eter|nal life and salvation. We would, as dying men, who 〈…〉〈…〉 made to feel what an evil and bitter thing sin is, earnest|ly 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all, especially young people that they would avoid the vices we have been addicted to, and which prepared the way for our committing the heinous wickedness for which we are to suffer an immature and ignominious death 1. That they would avoid bad company, excessive drinking, prophane cursing 〈◊〉〈◊〉 swearing, shameful debaucheries, disobedience to parents, the pro|fanation of the LORD's-day, &c. That they would be pious, so|ber and virtuous, that so they may be in favor with GOD and man.

And now we commend our departing souls into the hands of a merciful GOD and Savior, earnestly desiring that all who may be spectators or hearers of our tragical end, while we are the subjects of prayer, would lift up their hearts in fervent supplications for us, that GOD would receive us to his everlasting mercy.

The CRUEL MURDER: Or, a MOURNFUL POEM, occa|sioned by Sentence of D••ath being pass'd upon WILLIAM BROOKS, JAMES BUCHANAN, EZRA ROSS, and ••ATH|SHEBA SPOONER, who were tried and found guilty of mur|dering Mr. JOSHUA SPOONER, of Brookfield, and who were all executed at Worcester, on Thursday the 2d Day of July, 7••▪

YOU sinners all both young and old attend to what I write, And 〈◊〉〈◊〉 heart while you have time 'twill be a doleful 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

〈…〉〈…〉 I say a sinful 〈…〉〈…〉 for their wicked crime••, Soon going to the gallows tree to die before their times. Who being wicked over much, can't live out half their days; This is the portion of all such as follow sinful wa••s. And tho' for wi••e and holy ends, their doom may yet suspend, Judgment will most assuredly o'ertake the•• in the end. Unless they do by times forsake all their most wi••ed ways, And turn to God w•• their heart and live unto ••s praise. Be••d the Murd'rers, now in chain 〈…〉〈…〉 and heavy hear•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••hing 〈…〉〈…〉 where 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈…〉〈…〉 their 〈…〉〈…〉 No hope of favor can they have from any humane hand. 〈…〉〈…〉 they have spi•• must be 〈…〉〈…〉 ••and. Yet if they in sincerity, to GOD 〈…〉〈…〉 They may find mercy at his hand, For JESUS CHRIST his s•• No human pardon can be got, By 〈◊〉〈◊〉 made. But 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they must unto the pi••▪ and by no man be stay'd. Their sad and woful case an awful sight reveals. Of those whom vengeance in his chace hath taken by the heels. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 see the fall of those that cas•• their lot in by degree, With those that wait the twilight ••as•• that so no one might see. That ••d'r••s action which the tho'•• by night would be conceal'd By Providence was strangely bro't thus far to be reveal'd. By which we see apparently, there are no places sure, Where workers of iniquity, can hide themselves secure. There are no men by human wit, can keep their crimes conceal'd, When he that made them thinks it fit the same shall be reveald. How odious Murder i•• we see, how dear for it we pay. By the sad anguish of those folks, that are thus ••oon to die. We pray that all would notice take of their untimely death, And make their peace with GOD bet••mes, While t••ey have life and breath. They that get wealth by bloody ways, and slight the righteous rules, Do leave them here amidst their day••, and die at last like fools. Then take a caution high and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for warni••g here you have▪ From those whose 〈…〉〈…〉 the borders of the 〈…〉〈…〉 Repeat of all your errors past▪ and eye the stroke of fat••, ••est you should come to shame at last and mourn when 'tis too late▪ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 O that all who reads this vers•• would warning take by them, That ••o they may avoid the snare▪ that they were taken in. Be sure young men do yea attend to what the Scripture says, "He that i•• wicked overmuch▪ "s••n't live out half his days. And let this warning loud and shrill, be heard by ev'ry one, "O do no more such wickedness, "as has of late been done."