Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/312

288 HISTORY OF actually surrounded the sheriff and his assistants^ and shot down the under sheriff, an additional similar force of forty picked riflemen was stationed in the bushes by the side of the road, and near to the place of sale, with directions to watch the posse, which it was apprehended would follow the sheriff, and come to his aid ; to order it to halt, if it should attempt to pass ; and to shoot down the men who composed it, if they should not obey the order to halt ; thus making the whole disguised and armed force, assembled upon this occasion, to resist the execution of the law, and of civil process, 260 men, «9r more than that number. That considerable portions of this disguised and armed force were drawn from two of the adjoining counties,, and were not citizens of the county of Delaware. That these organizations to resist the law and the execu- tion of its process, have extended themselves to the magis- tracy of the county of Delaware, and that justices of the peace of some of the towns in that county are found enrolled as members and officers of the associations, if not under the Indian dis- guises, bearing arms to resist the law by force ; forgetting the oath of office they have taken, and taking themselves, and administering to others, oaths to conceal violations of the law ; — to the ministerial officers of the county, and that constables are also found members of one, or both, of these combinations ; — to the officers of the towns, and that supervisors, the members of the local legislature of the county, are members of the anti-rent associations, swearing to support their constitution and pledge, if not Indians, swearing to bear arms against the law. That one of the obligations, which every person takes upon himself, on becoming a member of an anti-rent asso- ciation, is to make fixed and regular contributions to the funds of the association ; that a stipulated rent of two cents upon the acre of all the land held by the members of these associa-