法律英语经典案例:波士顿大审判
【法律英语经典案例:波士顿大审判】
Although it has been over two centuries since the onlit March ght in 1770 when British soldiers killed five Bostoans on King Street, people still debate resnsibility for the Boston Massacre。 Does the blame rest with the crowd of Bostoans who hurled insults, snowballs, oysters shells, and other objects at the soldiers, or does the blame rest with an overreacting military that violated laws of the colony that prohibited firing at civis? Whatever side one takes in the debate, all can agree that the Boston Massacre stands as a sigficant landmark on the road to the American Revolution.
The Massacre
In the snowy winter of 1770, many residents of Boston harbored deep resentment against the presence of British military in their city. Two regiments of regulars had been uartered in Boston since September of 1768, when they had landed in resnse to a call by the Governor to restore order and respect for British law. Trouble had arisen earlier that summer when Boston imrters refused to pay reuired custom duties。 Some Bostoans disliked soldiers because they peted for jobs, often willing to take part—time work during their off-duty hours for lower wages。 Seamen saw the soldiers as enforcers of the detested impresent laws,
which authorized persons to be seized and forced to serve in the British ny。
Clashes between soldiers and civis were on the rise in early March. On March 2, a fist fight broke about between soldiers and employees of John Gray's Ropewalk after one of the employees insulted a soldier. A cable-making employee rertedly asked a passing soldier, Do you t work? When the soldier replied that he did, the employee told the soldier, Wee then, go and clean my shithouse. The angry soldier returned later with about a dozen fellow soldiers, and the fight ensued。
The tragedy of March 5 began with a simple dispute over whether a British officer had paid a bill to a local wig—maker. The officer was walking down King Street when Edward Garrick, the wig-maker's apprentice, called out, There goes the fellow who hath not paid my master for dressing his hair。 The officer with the new haircut, Captain John Goldfinch, passed on without acknowledging Garrick。 But Garrick persisted, telling three passers-by that Goldfinch owed him ney. A lone sentry named Hugh White overheard Garrick’s remarks. White told the apprentice, He is a gentleman, and if he owes you anything he will pay for it。 Garrick's answer that there were no gentlemen left in the regiment caused White to lee his st and confront Garrick. After a brief, heated exnge of words, the sentry struck Garrick with his musket, knocking him down.
Soon a all crowd, attracted by the ruckus between White and Garrick, gathered around the lone guard and began taunting him。 Bloody lobster back! Lousy rascal! Lobster son of a bitch! they yelled. The crowd grew to about fifty. Some in the b of stly young men threw pieces of ice at White, and he grew fearful. As the crowd continued to increase in size and hostility, White retreated from his sentry box to the Custom House steps, loaded his gun, and began to we it about。 White knocked on the door and banged the butt of his gun against the steps. Desperate, White yelled, Turn out, Main Guard!
Meanwhile, a few blocks north, another confrontation between civis and Redcoats broke out。 Under a barrage of snowballs, a group of soldiers was hustled into its barracks. A third b, this one about two hundred strong and carrying clubs, gathered in Dock Suare. A tall man with a white wig and a red coat did his best to rile up the crowd. Trouble seemed to be erupting all over the city。 Let's away to the Main Guard! someone shouted, and the crowd began streaming down an alley toward King Street。 Someone pulled the fire bell rope at the Brick Meeting House, bringing dozens of re residents out into the restless streets.
In front of the Main Guard, officer for the day, Captain Thomas Preston, paced back in front for nearly thirty minutes, worrying about what to do. If he did nothing, he thought, White might be killed by the b. But trying to rescue Whi
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