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Mr. Nieskens American History



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DAY 2 NEWS STORIES OF CAPTAIN PRESTON'S ACQUITTAL
READ BELOW AND FIND YOUR CLASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is Preston Guilty or Not?
    By: Rebecca Ng
    
    Boston: Day 2 of the trial began as more witnesses were asked to go up and give their 
testimony, including Captain Preston himself. Yesterday, October 25th, was the day that 
determined the fate of Preston. After two days of the trial, the jury has finally reached their 
verdict. They have decided that he is not guilty. 
    The most prominent witnesses were James Woodall, Jane Whitehouse, and of course Preston. 
James Woodall and Jane Whitehouse both saw a gentleman in dark clothing tap a soldier and 
say, “By God I’ll stand by you whilst I have a drop of blood” and “Fire”. After the stranger 
tapped the soldier, the soldier shot when he said “Fire”. Although, both James Woodall and Jane 
Whitehouse are clueless as to whom that unknown stranger was. Ben Burdick, one of the witnesses, 
said, “Captain Preston told them to stop firing.” He also said that he did not hear “Fire” from 
Preston, but he heard it from the Sentinel. Then, Captain Thomas Preston was the next one to 
speak. He started to describe what happened. He said that he was informed that the colonists 
broke into several meeting houses. When he got there, he heard the colonists taunting the 
soldiers, calling out, “Come on you rascals, you bloody backs, you lobster scoundrels, fire if 
you dare.” Preston stood between the mob and the soldiers. He was asked if he intended to order 
the men to fire, he simply replied, “No.” One of his men got hit by a club by someone in the mob 
and fell to the floor. He quickly got up and let out the first shot. Preston 
recalled, “Instantly, three or four of the soldiers fired.” He asked them why they fired and the 
soldiers said that they thought that the command to fire came from him. Preston told the whole 
court that his exact words were, “Don’t fire! Stop your firing!” But, he was mistaken for 
saying “Fire” because someone standing behind him said, “Fire!” instead. “The confusion 
prevented control for Captain Preston,” said the Defendant, Josiah Quincy. 
    During the Press Conference, one member of the jury said, “The witnesses contradicted each 
other. Theodore Bliss and Daniel Calef was an example.” When the prosecution side was asked what 
their reaction was after the jury announced that they have reached their verdict and that 
Preston was not guilty, they said, “We were not surprised.” Josiah Quincy said, “Day 1 of the 
trial needed getting used to, but Day 2 went well,” when he was asked what his opinion was for 
the whole trial. He also said that he was shocked and happy about the results. He says, “I hope 
the innocent always stays innocent.” As a result, Day 2 of the trial ended with Captain Preston 
being not guilty. 
    









Verdict of Trial- Captain Preston is Innocent!  (Day 2)


 
Day two of the murder trial for Captain Preston- the verdict is in. The trial started with more 
dense witnesses.
Many of the witnesses like Henry Knox, Daniel Cornwall and Robert Goddad. But another witness by 
the name of Richard Palms believed that it was the colonists fault. He said that before the 
shooting, he asked Captain Preston if he was planning on shooting or not and the Captain said 
no. Also, Robert believes that Captain Preston didn’t say ‘fire’ and that the colonists didn’t 
have any right to throw things at the soldiers.
Last to be called to the stand was the Captain himself. He said that it couldn’t have been him 
who said ‘fire’ because he was trying to calm the angry colonists down, but they kept on 
provoking them. 
“I just wanted to handle it peacefully,” the Captain stated. “I had no intention to shoot.”
He believes that the soldiers mistaken the man who said ‘fire’, for himself. When asked by 
Robert Paine, a Prosecution lawyer, why he called the soldiers to the Custom House in the first 
place, the Captain said that he told them to come because he believed that there would be a raid 
that night.

 

While the jury was away making there decision, Captain Preston was extremely nervous and 
anxious. Also, Prosecution felt that the first day went better and Defense felt that day two 
went better. 
As the jury walked back into the room, one member placed a piece of paper in the hands of Judge 
Peter Oliver. He read it out loud: “The jury pleads Captain Thomas Preston as not guilty!”
A proud Captain gave credit to his lawyers and is happy to be free. He is thankful. 
Judge Peter Oliver, on the other hand thought that the jury made the wrong decision. 
“It was obvious that the Captain is guilty…” the Judge stated. “But its over.”




The Verdict is in for the Thomas Preston Case! 
By: Kristina Naviello

Boston:  Yesterday, October 29, 1700, was the second, and last day, of Captain Thomas Preston’s 
difficult trial.  		For those who have not yet been informed, Captain Thomas Preston 
was put on trial for the death of five colonists during a confrentation between the British and 
American colonists.  Someone gave the order to the British to fire at the colonists.  Some said 
it was Preston, others said not, but it was the jury that made the final decision.  		
	After the first day of the trial, Preston was scared at what the next day might lead  to.



The final witnesses were called to the stand as the lawyers got their last chance.  Daniel 
Cornwal l was about two yards away from Preston and was postive that he did not give the order.  
However, Daniel Calef specifically stated that he saw Preston mouth  “Fire!”  To the rest of the 
soldiers.
	After the rest of the witnesses were finished, the final, and most important witness, 
was called to the stand: Thomas Preston.  Preston stated that he did not want the British to 
fire, but he would much rather solve the problem peacefully, without harming anyone that might 
possibly be in danger.  Preston that said that he was shouting “Don’t Fire,” attempting to stop 
the British.  He heard someone close to him tell the soldiers to fire, which may explain why 
some people thought it was him.  He ended his fight by telling the jury that it all could have 
been avoided if the colonists had not thrown anything at the British, and listened to him, as he 
tried to solve the problem the “correct way.”
	I later spoke with Judge Oliver, before the jury had come to a verdict.  “I will be ok 
with any decision the jury has made,” he stated.
	The prosecution had felt that they had done a far better job the first day of the trial 
because they thought some of the witnesses that had gone today, lied to save Preston.  “I 
strongly believe he will be found guilty”, Robert Paine, one of the prosecution lawyers, stated
while the jury deliberated. 
	The courtroom was filled with voices discussing their thoughts of what the final 
decision would be. I overheard Jane Whitehouse saying that she thought he would be found not 
guilty.
	At that split second, the jury had returned with the verdict.  The judge had seen the 
decision, and it was time for the rest of the courtroom to find out as well.  “We the jury, find 
Caption Thomas Preston, not guilty.”  
Robert Paine felt that he had done so much work, all for nothing.  However, the defense lawyers 
could not have been happier.  But it was Thomas Preston who was the most relieved out of every 
person in the courtroom. 
 On the day of October 29th, 1770, Captain Thomas Preston left the courtroom, a free, and 
thankful man.
	



Jury Decides Captain Preston is Not Guilty
By Julie Chen

Boston: On Friday, October 12th, Day Two of the trial of Captain Preston, the jury finally 
reached a verdict, saying that Captain Preston was not guilty.
	Day Two started off with the rest of Defense’s witnesses. Those witnesses included 
Matthew Murray, Benjamin Burdick, James Woodall, Jane Whitehouse, and Captain Preston himself. 
Many of these witnesses, like Woodall and Whitehouse, said that they saw a stranger dressed in 
blue tell the soldiers to fire. This must’ve helped Defense. Also, Burdick actually heard the 
Captain telling the soldiers to stop firing. Those witnesses strongly supported the Defense and 
were very helpful to them. 
	After the rest of the testimonies, the lawyers gave their closing statements. John 
Adams, a lawyer for Defense, said that that night was a very hectic one, and sticks and ice were 
being thrown, so it would be very easy to mistaken who cried fire. Samuel Quincy reiterated that 
Preston was responsible for the deaths of those five people.
	Finally, after the closing statements, the jury contemplated their decision. After a few 
minutes, they announced that they found Captain Preston not guilty. At the press conference 
after the trial, a relieved Captain Preston stated, “We put up a good fight.” Witness Benjamin 
Burdick said, “Inarguably, the soldiers were guilty, not the Captain. He tried to stop them.” 
The Defense lawyers looked very satisfied. John Adams said, “Day One went pretty badly, but the 
jury was on our side today, on Day Two.” Meanwhile, the lawyers for Prosecution, Samuel Quincy 
and Robert Paine, said that the trial was pretty fair and that either side could’ve won. 
Thankfully, Captain Preston is no longer a guilty man.


OCTOBER 31ST, 1770
Captain Thomas Preston acquitted unanimously by jury
Preston proved to be innocent after insufficient evidence to the contrary
By Amy Ho
BOSTON—The trial of Captain Thomas Preston, having been continued for five days, finally ended 
yesterday afternoon with the acquittal of said captain. The captain, who had been released only 
to participate in the trial, seemed very thankful to walk out of the court doors as a free man 
after seven months in jail, starting with his arrest the day after the Boston Massacre until 
just yesterday.
The third witness was a slave named Andrew. There occurred a slight argument among the 
prosecution lawyers when the witness answered in the negative to Robert Paine’s question, “Were 
the bayonets used as weapons?” Seeming slightly angry at his colleague for stepping down after 
just the one question, Samuel Quincy stood up and asked Andrew why he was a reliable witness.
At long last came the witness everyone, whether they showed it or not, had been waiting for. As 
promised on the first day, against all normal courtroom procedures, Captain Preston himself 
testified. John Adams’s questions seemed never-ending as the captain poured forth his 
experiences from the night of the fifth of March. Although graciously allowing room for 
confusion, the captain never deviated from his story.
According to his testimony, Captain Preston had gone to the scene of the firing because he 
wanted to see for himself what was going on. At this point, there ensued a very irritating and 
sharp noise, repeated again and again, which later on was shown to be Samuel Quincy in his 
agitation. “I believe I was wearing a red coat with a surtout,” the captain had said, rolling 
his head in a defiant gesture towards Samuel Quincy. This seemed to belie many witnesses’ 
testimonies. During the cross-examining, when objected to with the accusation of leading the 
witness, the aforesaid Quincy simply rephrased the question he had just asked.
When giving the defense’s closing statements, Josiah Quincy played on the confusion of the night 
and the stranger in the blue velvet surtout. He also pointed out that the witnesses differed on 
the color of the captain’s surtout; some witnesses claimed that it was red, while others 
insisted it was blue. While Josiah Quincy spoke of the facts of the trial, Robert Paine appealed 
to morals and emotions of the human heart, calling Preston cold and heartless.
After the jury had filed out, Samuel Quincy requested and was granted the permission to make a 
small speech. “We have realized that Captain Preston is a very excellent liar,” he had said, 
causing many in the room to smile and laugh.
All too soon, the jury reached a verdict; the captain had been unanimously acquitted. Although 
severely disappointed after a long five days of grueling hours in the courtroom, the prosecution 
accepted the decision with good grace. Samuel Quincy even shook hands with the defense, 
congratulating them on a case well fought.
When asked later on, Captain Preston answered, “I believe that everyone shares the blame for the 
Boston Massacre: the crowds, the soldiers, the strange man in blue…everyone.” Obviously, he was 
excluding himself.



Captain Preston: Guilty or Innocent?
									By: Joey Hajjar

	Boston: In Day two of the Captain Thomas Preston trial, the jury has reached a verdict.  
On October 13, 1770 in Boston Massachusetts, the two day trial of Captain Preston came to a 
final result.  All the witnesses have been examined and the lawyers provided their closing 
statements and the jury was able to come to a conclusion.
	Captain Thomas Preston - accused of authorizing his soldiers to fire their weapons at 
the colonists, is found innocent by a five to two vote from the jury.  Five members voted 
innocent and two members voted guilty.  Their reasons were that the witnesses who accused him of 
yelling fire were either a considerable distance away from the Captain at the time or unaware of 
what clothes he was wearing or the events that followed the incident.  What choice did the jury 
have if they did not have much evidence to prove him guilty?
	The witnesses once again were the most important part of drawing this verdict.  Richard 
Palms supplied the defense with an abundant amount of useful information.  He only heard the 
shots being fired and someone screaming “Fire!” but he was unsure of whom it was.  Palms accused 
Theodore Bliss of trying to convince the Captain to fire their weapons, but the Captain 
refused.  Captain Preston earlier told his soldiers, “Under no circumstances may you fire your 
weapons at anyone.”
	Captain Preston had some opinions of his own as well.  The mobs were threatening and 
cursing the soldiers off.  Captain Preston seemed to think soldiers heard the mobs 
yelling, “Fire your weapons!” and confused it with his voice.  The captain even attempted to 
control his soldiers after the first firing but couldn’t get them to listen.
	The defense used the clothing that Captain Preston was wearing to their advantage very 
well.  Captain Preston informed the courtroom that he was wearing a blue coat on that fatal 
night.  Some people may have charged him of wearing different clothing that night and therefore 
may have confused him with someone such as Theodore Bliss.
	Adams and Quincy feel they performed very well on the second day of the trial as well.  
They got several strong points out and the witnesses were defending their side more often 
today.  However, Quincy believes that the witnesses could have been a little bit more detailed 
in their stories which could have helped them even more.
	Looking at the facts, numerous civilians inside that courtroom this morning would admit 
Captain Thomas Preston innocent of telling his soldiers to fire at the colonists.  Judge Peter 
Oliver agrees, “I think he deserves to be free.  Congratulations to Captain Preston.”  John 
Adams is a patriotic supporter, and he states, “I am protecting this man with my life because I 
admire justice more than patriotism.”  Some people are dedicating their lives to saving this 
man, and he deserves to be free.

Oct.13, 1770



Colonial Times

Captain Thomas Preston Found Not Guilty
By Katherine Ritter   

Boston-
Earlier today, at around 10 A.M. in the Boston Courthouse, the second and final day of Captain 
Thomas Preston’s trial took place.
  	Accused of ordering his British troops to fire in a mob fight (later known as the Boston 
Massacre), on March 5th, 1770, thus killing five people, Preston awaited the verdict that would 
decide of he were to live or die, for if he be found guilty, he would be hanged. The verdict was 
to be announced today.
	There were a few remaining witnesses that testified today. Among the more memorable 
quotes during these testimonies was, from the defense’s witness, Jane Whitehouse, “The Captain 
didn’t play any role in ordering the troops to fire.” Even a few from Preston himself, “I 
said ‘stop your fire’!” He also quoted, “I did not give the order to fire.” 
	That’s not to say the prosecution didn’t have a strong side today. One of their 
witnesses, Daniel Calef, stated specifically, “I saw a red-coated officer order fire.”
	All these confusing pieces of evidence made the jury more conflicted than ever. So when 
they went to deliberate, everyone, especially Captain Preston, was waiting on tenterhooks for 
the verdict. In the defense’s closing statement, they quoted, “I see truth is this man’s 
[Preston] eyes when he said he didn’t give the order to fire.” On the prosecution’s side, one of 
their closing statements was, “I am sure the Captain gave the order that killed five people.” 
	While waiting for the verdict, I spoke with the honorable Judge Peter Oliver. He 
stated, “Both sides did very well for the trial.” I also spoke with a witness, John Cole. He 
said, “Preston is guilty. He deserves a consequence.” Both the defense and prosecution lawyers 
were confident as the jury entered the room. The verdict that the Captain was found not guilty 
by the jury came as a blow to the prosecution and a joy to the defense.
	While talking to Preston after the trial, he said his immediate reaction “was relief.” 
Captain Thomas left the courthouse today as a free and light hearted man. 

	








Period 4 articles below - others to be posted as they come in!   
Keep scrolling down and read Period 3 articles!
Now we have Period 5/6 and Period 12 too!

Captain Preston Accused of the Death of 5 Men
                                                              By: Joey Hajjar
 
            Boston: A trial is being held in Boston for Captain Thomas Preston.  He has been 
accused of telling his soldiers to fire their guns at the colonists during a mob fight.  On the 
tragic night of March 5, 1770 five men were shot and killed.  The shooting occurred in Boston, 
Massachusetts in front of the custom house.  There were sticks and snowballs being thrown about, 
there were many screams and nasty language among the crowds during the mob fight.  The question 
is, did Captain Preston tell his soldiers to fire?
            During day 1 of the court session, several important events occurred.  The 
prosecution has been fighting to put Captain Preston in jail, but with John Adams and Josiah 
Quincy defending him, it has been a tight battle.
            The testimonies of the witnesses have been the most important part of making this 
decision.  Many say that they were very close to the Captain and that they heard him tell his 
soldiers of fire.  However, the witnesses did say that they were unsure about other things; such 
as the clothes that the Captain was wearing, and anything that happened after the firing.  Some 
of them have never even met the Captain before.  There could just be lies in the courtroom from 
the people that want the captain in jail for other reasons.
There were a few witnesses with more likely stories that claimed they never heard Captain 
Preston tell his soldiers to fire.  Henry Knox, who was standing about 50 feet away when the 
shots were fired, claimed that he took Preston by the coat and told him to take care of his men 
before the shooting.  He did not hear anyone say fire, but thought Captain Preston was being 
irresponsible by not controlling his soldiers.  James Woodall claimed he saw a soldier get hit 
by a stick and fire at a colonist and Captain Preston didn’t do anything about it.
The defense, represented by Adams and Quincy, seem to think they started off a little rough but 
ended the session well.  They got all the information they wanted out of their witnesses and 
could not agree with the Captain anymore then they already do.
The prosecution thinks they started off a little rocky as well, but when they put together all 
the little details, they will find Captain Thomas Preston guilty of telling his soldiers to fire 
at the colonists.  
Judge Peter Oliver seems to believe that there have been good witnesses, all the lawyers are 
doing a great job of defending their case, and the race is just about dead even.  Anyone can win 
at this point in time.
Captain Thomas Preston quotes, “I’m completely innocent and we are definitely going to win.  I 
would just like to thank my defense for their time and risking their lives to save mine.”  As 
most people will agree, the debate is very close up to this point, so we will see what happens 
tomorrow, in day 2 of the trial.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

October 12th, 1770			

Colonial Times

First Day of Captain Thomas Preston’s Trial Held Today

By Katherine Ritter
Boston- 
Today, at around 10:00 A.M. in the Boston Courthouse, Captain Thomas Preston, accused of 
ordering British troops to fire in a mob fight, thus beginning the Boston Massacre in which 5 
people were killed, was put on trial. 
	Today, the first day of the trial of Preston, unveiled many interesting pieces of 
information, so conflicting as to which side is the truthful one, that in my opinion, Judge 
Peter Oliver said it best- “I would not want to be part of the jury in this case.”
	The Boston Massacre occurred on the night of March 5th, 1770, in front of the customs 
house. It was made up of a mob of colonists and a group of British soldiers. As the prosecution 
states, “Thomas Preston was responsible for giving the order to fire during the massacre.” 
However, the defense retaliates that there was “confusion during the battle and Preston was 
trying to stop the firing.”
	Both sides have valid witnesses. For the prosecution’s part, one of their witnesses, 
Ebenezer Hinckley, stated, “I heard Captain Preston say, ‘Fire upon them! Damn them!’”. However, 
in the defense’s favor, their witness, Benjamin Burdick, made the statement, “He told them to 
stop firing!” As anyone can see, there are many things to ponder upon, as both sides had valid 
reasons for their points. 
	 As I was looking around the courtroom, I noticed how absorbed the jury was in this 
case. They have a lot to think about in terms of the verdict. Captain Preston was also very 
gripped in the trial-waiting to see if his life will, in fact, end earlier than he expected, for 
if he be found guilty, he shall be sentenced to death. However, Preston seemed very confident at 
the end of the day, when I asked him if he thought the trial went well, replied, “Absolutely, my 
defense lawyers made great points, and the prosecution is running out of options.”
	The witnesses were also confident in their testimony. In fact, when talking to one after 
the trial and asked them how their recollection of the event went, they replied, “It went well 
because I was there, I know what happened, and I told the truth.”
	At the closing remarks, both the prosecution and defense lawyers admitted that their 
part of the trial “started of rocky.” However, the next and final day of the trial is tomorrow, 
and we shall see what a new day brings to this fascinating trial.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Day One of Captain Preston’s Murder Trial
-Danielle Violette-Birnberg

 
Boston: March 12, 1770, Captain Preston is on trial for murdering five colonial protestors.
On the cold night of March 12th, about fifty colonial citizens protested against the Townshend 
Acts which placed duties on certain imported goods such as glass and tea. Snowballs and sticks 
were thrown at soldiers who has there guns loaded and ready on King Street. The soldiers were 
led by Captain Preston. The word “Fire!” was exclaimed and colonial protesters fell dead to the 
ground. 
Now in court, Captain Thomas Preston is being accused of ordering the soldiers to fire the 
shots, resulting in deaths. Judge James Oliver is on the case. 
The prosecution lawyers say that Captain Preston is guilty and that he told them to fire.  In 
addition, they stated that even if he was not the one to order them to fire he “should have been 
able to retain his soldiers”. 
The defense lawyers say that Preston was not the person that yelled “Fire!” Also, according to 
them, the colonists didn’t listen to the warn of the soldiers and that they provoked, annoyed, 
and harassed the soldiers by throwing things at them. 
Called to the stand as the 6th witness by prosecution, John Cole stated that the colonists 
didn’t throw anything at the soldiers. Claiming he was about four feet away from the Captain at 
the time, he believes that he did hear him say ‘fire’. 
After John Cole, a very interesting witness was called up to the stand. Jane Whitehouse stated 
that while agreeing with other witnesses that the colonists threw things at the soldiers and 
provoked them that she also believes that a man in velvet ordered to soldiers to fire and was 
encouraging them to do so. 
Another witness called to the stand by the defense lawyers by the name of James Woodall agreed 
with Jane Whitehouse. He too believes that the man in velvet told the soldiers to fire. 
After the trial, Judge James Oliver made some statements. 
“The trial went well today,” he said, despite the fact that he felt that some of the witnesses 
did not tell the truth or did not know the truth, on the stand. 
“I’m not leaning to any side yet,” was his concluding statement, “but I will know after 
tomorrow’s trial.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Captain Thomas Preston Put        
                   On Trial!
 
By: Kristina Naviello

Boston:  Yesterday, October 24th, 1770, Captain Thomas Preston was put on trial for the massacre 
of five people.  The colonists were confronted with British soldiers a few nights ago.  The 
soldiers were armed, and little did the colonists know, they were deadly as well.  Someone gave 
the command to fire, but no one is sure who actually did.  The courtroom was hushed while the 
prosecution made it’s opening statement, trying to prove that Mr. Preston gave the first order 
for the soldiers to fire.  Then the defense made their opening statement as well, then, the 
witnesses began taking the stand.  According to Ebenezer Hinckley, it all started when a young 
boy threw a stick at 


Private Montgomery’s breast.  “Then I heard the word ‘fire’ and in 1/4 minute, he fired.”   
Joseph Petty, a bystander who witnessed the entire account, stated that the soldiers were armed, 
but the colonists were only armed with sticks and snowballs, around the size of an egg.  He as 
well, did not know who gave the word to fire.  At this point in the trial, both the defense and 
the prosecution were looking a little nervous, worried that if they didn’t do well today, it may 
be too late.  Theodore Bliss stated that he was positive Captain Preston did not give the order 
to fire.  James Woodall said a man in a black; velvet coat was the one who said that one, deadly 
word.  All witnesses stated that they saw most, or little of the account, and all have different 
answers.  We will see tomorrow what the jury’s verdict will be, and discover Captain Thomas 
Preston’s fate.


_______________________________________________________________________________________________

OCTOBER 25TH, 1770
Captain Thomas Preston to stand trial for murder
Preston blamed by many to be the cause of five deaths
By Amy Ho
BOSTON—The town was filled with rumors flying from mouth to ear yesterday as Captain Thomas 
Preston of the 29th Regiment stood on trial for murder. As most people already know, the night 
of March 5, 1770, otherwise known as the Boston Massacre, was the night of a riot between the 
soldiers and some unruly Bostonians, ending in the deaths of five colonists. There have been 
arguments ever since. Someone had given the order to fire; was that someone Captain Preston?
The Boston Massacre was the culmination of many nights’ worth of colonial-military tensions. 
What started out as a slight scuffle between a British sentry and a shop owner soon escalated 
into a large mob of 400 people insulting the 29th Regiment. “Fire; why don’t you fire” was 
shouted by the colonists. A voice cried out, “Fire!” As if on cue, a few of the soldiers shot 
into the crowd. Three colonists died instantly; two others of wounds a few days later.
Preston was defended by Samuel Quincy and Robert Paine; the prosecution was none other than John 
Adams and Josiah Quincy, brother of Samuel Quincy. Beginning with the words “Captain Thomas 
Preston is a guilty man,” the aforesaid Samuel Quincy started off the first day of the case with 
a powerful yet concise opening statement. John Adams, who opened for the defense, gave an 
equally strong and confident speech.
As the case began in all earnestness, the prosecution’s witnesses came and left one by one. The 
defense tried unflaggingly to disprove the witnesses’ reliability, but were mostly unsuccessful 
despite the use of clever questioning. However, John Adams was accused several times of 
speculation and leading the witness; almost all of the objections were sustained by the 
Honorable Justice Peter Oliver.
After the prosecution’s witnesses had all been cross-examined, it was time for the defense to 
call up their own witnesses. The witnesses were levelheaded and spoke clearly, apparently 
unfazed even when cross-examined by the prosecution.
In spite of this, when the first day of the case drew to a close, Samuel Quincy spoke of his 
belief that it had been a “good day” for the prosecution. “We got a lot of information out to 
the jury, and I hope that they can see our point and that Preston is [found] guilty.” Robert 
Paine seemed to feel the same confidence in their ability to prove Captain Preston guilty of the 
charges.
Defense’s John Adams hinted strongly that Captain Preston himself would be testifying the next 
day of the trial during his closing statement. He too had faith in the witnesses’ ability to 
clarify the defense’s point to the jury.
When asked to comment, Captain Preston was restrained from answering by his lawyers. His only 
response was, “I will give my full testimony tomorrow.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

The Trial of Captain Preston Starts
By Julie Chen

	Boston: Today, on Thursday, October 11th, the trial of Captain Thomas Preston began. The 
trial is about the events that happened on March 5. Boys were causing trouble by throwing around 
snowballs and sticks, so Captain Preston and his soldiers came to sort the problem out. A mob 
fight broke out, and five men were killed from a gunshot. Captain Preston is accused of ordering 
the soldiers to fire.
	Today, during Day One of the trial, the lawyers began with their opening statements. The 
Prosecution side claimed that Captain Preston did say fire, while Defense rebutted that he is 
not guilty.
	Then came the testimonies. Many witnesses, such as Robert Goddard and Ebenezer Hinckley, 
confidently declared that they definitely heard the Captain order the soldiers to fire. Those 
witnesses helped the Prosecution side very much. On the other hand, witnesses like Daniel 
Cornwall and Diman Morton have different accounts of the night. Daniel Cornwall told the court 
that he was within two yards of the Captain and never heard him say fire. Instead, he heard him 
say, “Damn you, why do you fire. Don’t fire.” That testimony was very helpful for Defense’s 
arguments. Diman Morton only heard the Captain order the soldiers to load, not fire. Thus, both 
Prosecution and Defense had their fair share of supportive witnesses. What did they think of Day 
One?
	The lawyers for Prosecution stated at the press conference, “Day One went good. We had 
witnesses that helped us, and very few disagreed with us.” When asked which witnesses were most 
helpful, they said, “John Cole help a lot—he told the jury that Captain Preston commanded the 
soldiers to fire.” The lawyers defending Captain Preston said, “Day One went okay. We had 
agreeing witnesses.”
	Looks like both sides are happy about Day One. We’ll see what happens tomorrow, on Day 
Two of the trial.


Captain Preston put on Trial
By: Rebecca Ng

    Boston: Yesterday, October 24th, the trial of Captain Preston began regarding why five 
Bostonian soldiers lay dead in front of the Custom House on the night of March 5th. Many say 
that the shooting began somewhere around nine and ten o’clock.  Young and old colonists 
surrounded a group of British soldiers, throwing snowballs. The soldiers had asked them to stop, 
but the colonists ignored their request. Someone ordered the soldiers to fire. Captain Thomas 
Preston was accused of the murdering of the five laying dead. 
    For the first day of the trial, a total of 10 witnesses were called up to give their 
testimony. Most of the witnesses recalled someone saying, “Fire.” Some witnesses claimed that 
Captain Preston said it, but some are still unsure. Richard Palmes, who had accidentally hit the 
captain with the stick, said, “The captain said he did not attend to hurt the colonists when he 
was asked.” Robert Goddard, who was near the captain during the event, said, “The soldiers had 
formed a half circle and the captain was behind them.”  Almost all witnesses have recollected 
during their testimonies that the colonists were throwing snowballs at the soldiers, even though 
the soldiers commanded them to stop. Prosecution claims that the witness, John Cole, was one of 
the most important of the witnesses. John Cole states that he remembers seeing soldiers pushing 
colonists into the street and arms moving, but no sticks. Many witnesses including Cole have 
been questioned concerning what clothing was Captain Preston was wearing. They all responded 
that the captain was wearing a red coat, but weren’t sure if he had a surtout or not. Cole told 
the court that he remembered seeing a rose on the shoulder of his jacket. A witness, who was 
standing within two yards of Captain Preston, heard a voice say, “Damn you why do you fire. 
Don’t fire.” 
    At the press conference, the Prosecution and the Defense stated, “Day1 of the trial went 
good.” The witnesses were asked if they were part of the mob and Richard Palmes and Theodore 
Bliss replied that they were. 
    Day 2 of the Trial of Captain Preston begins tomorrow. Will the captain be sentenced to his 
death or will he be let go?


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