O.C., Secre^y."

In this you may observe a delusory design to create a public belief that
the factors had consented to resign their trust on Wednesday, the 3^d
inst., on which day we were summoned by the above-mentioned letter to
appear at Liberty Tree, at 11 o'clock, A.M. All the bells of the
meeting-houses for public worship were set a-ringing and continued
ringing till twelve; the town cryer went thro' the town summoning the
people to assemble at Liberty Tree. By these methods, and some more
secret ones made use of by the authors of this design, a number of
people, supposed by some to be about 500, and by others more, were
collected at the time and place mentioned in the printed notification.
They consisted chiefly of people of the lowest rank, very few reputable
tradesmen, as we are informed, appeared amongst them. There were indeed
two merchants, reputed rich, and the selectmen of the town, but these
last say they went to prevent disorder. The gentlemen who are supposed
the designed factors for the East India Comp^y, viz: Mr. Tho^s.
Hutchinson, Mr. Faneuil, Mr. Winslow & Messrs. Clarke, met in the
forenoon of the 3^rd instant, at the latter's warehouse, the lower end
of King Street. Mr. Elisha Hutchinson was not present, owing to a
misunderstanding of our intended plan of conduct, but his brother
engaged to act in his behalf. You may well judge that none of us ever
entertained the least thoughts of obeying the summons sent us to attend
at Liberty Tree. After a consultation amongst ourselves and friends, we
judged it best to continue together, and to endeavour, with the
assistance of a few friends, to oppose the designs of the mob, if they
should come to offer us any insult or injury. And on this occasion, we
were so happy as to be supported by a number of gentlemen of the first
rank. About one o'clock, a large body of people appeared at the head of
King Street, and came down to the end, and halted opposite to our
warehouse. Nine persons came from them up into our counting-room, viz:
Mr. Molineux, Mr. Wm. Dennie, Doctor Warren, Dr. Church, Major Barber,
Mr. Henderson, Mr. Gabriel Johonnot, Mr. Proctor, and Mr. Ezekiel
Cheever. Mr. Molineux, as speaker of the above Com^tee, addressed
himself to us, and the other gentlemen present, the supposed factors to
the East India Com^y, and told us that we had committed an high insult
on the people, in refusing to give them that most reasonable
satisfaction which had be