re accused of a
conspiracy to surprise the castle, and must therefore remain prisoners,
until tried for the same. The Dutch, immediately after this, took into
custody the person who had been left in charge of the English factory,
sequestrated all the merchandize belonging to the English Company, under
an inventory, and seized all the chests, boxes, books, writings, and
other things in the English house.
Captain Towerson was committed prisoner to his own chamber in the
English house, under a guard of Dutch soldiers. Emanuel Thomson was
imprisoned in the castle. All the rest, namely, John Beaumont, Edward
Collins, William Webber, Ephraim Ramsay, Timothy Johnson, John Fardo,
and Robert Brown, were distributed among the Dutch ships then in the
harbour, and secured in irons. The same day, the governor sent to the
two other factories in the same island, Hitto and Larica, to apprehend
the rest of the English residents, who were all brought prisoners to
Amboina on the 16th; Samuel Colson, John Clark, and George Sharrock,
from the former, and Edward Collins,[2] William Webber,[2] and John
Sadler, from the latter. On the same day, John Pocol, John Wetheral,
Thomas Ladbrook, were apprehended at Cambello, and John Beaumont,[2]
William Griggs, and Ephraim Ramsay,[316] at Loho; and were all brought
in irons to Amboina on the 20th of February.
[Footnote 316: These four persons are already named, as apprehended at
Amboina.--E.]
On the 15th of February, the governor and fiscal began to examine the
prisoners. John Beaumont and Timothy Johnson were first brought to the
castle, John Beaumont being left in a hall under a guard, while Johnson
was conducted into another room. Beaumont soon after heard him cry out
very pitifully, then become quiet for a while, and afterwards cried out
aloud. Abel Price, the surgeon, who was first questioned and put to the
torture, was brought in to confront and accuse him; but as Johnson
refused to confess any thing laid to his charge, Price was soon taken
away, and Johnson again put to the question, when Beaumont heard him
repeatedly roar under the torture. At the end of an hour, Johnson was
brought out into the hall, weeping and lamenting, all cut and cruelly
burnt in many parts of his body, and so laid aside in a corner of the
hall, having a soldier to watch him, with strict injunctions not to
allow him to speak to any one.
Emanuel Thomson was next brought in for examination, not in the same
room w
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