Robert Brown, A Tailor, Was First Called In, And Being Subjected
To Torture By Water, Confessed All In Order, As Interrogated By The
Fiscal.
Edward Collins was next called in, and told that those who were
formerly examined had accused him as accessory to the conspiracy for
taking the castle.
Denying all knowledge of or participation in any such
plot, with great oaths, his hands and feet were made fast to the rack,
and a cloth bound about his throat, ready to administer the water
torture, upon which he entreated to be let down, saying that he would
confess all. On being loosed, he again protested his entire innocence
and ignorance of every thing laid to his charge; yet, as he knew they
would make him confess any thing they pleased by means of torture,
however false, he said they would do him a great favour by informing him
what they wished he should say, which he would speak as they desired, to
avoid the torture. The fiscal said he mocked them, ordered him to be
fastened up again, and to receive the water torture. After suffering
this for some time, he desired to be let down again to make his
confession, devising as well as he could what he should say.
Accordingly, he said that he, with Thomson, Johnson, Brown, and Fardo,
had plotted about ten weeks before, to surprise the castle with the aid
of the Japanese.
While making this contrived confession, he was interrupted by the
fiscal, who asked whether Captain Towerson were privy to this
conspiracy. He protested that Towerson knew nothing of the matter. "You
lie," said the fiscal, "did not he call you all before him, telling you
that the daily abuses of the Dutch had instigated him to devise a plot,
and that he wanted nothing but your consent and secrecy?" Then a Dutch
merchant who was present, named Jan Igost, asked him, if they had not
all been sworn to secrecy on the Bible? Collins declared with great
oaths, that he knew nothing of any such matter. He was again ordered to
be seized up again to the torture, on which he said that all was true
they had said. Then the fiscal asked, if the English in the other
factories were consenting to this plot? To which he answered, no. The
fiscal then next asked, if the English president at Jacatra, or Mr
Weldon the agent at Banda, were engaged in this plot, or privy to its
contrivance? He again answered, no. The fiscal next enquired by what
means the Japanese were to have executed their purpose? And, when
Collins stood amazed, and devising some probable fictions to satisfy
them, the fiscal helped him out, saying, "Were not two Japanese to have
gone to each bulwark, and two to the door of the governor's chamber, to
have killed him on coming out to enquire into the disturbance you were
to have raised without?" Upon this, a person who stood by, desired the
fiscal not to put words into the mouth of the witness, but to allow him
to speak for himself. After this reproof, without waiting any answer to
his former question, the fiscal asked what reward was to have been given
the Japanese for their services? Collins answered 1000 dollars each. He
was then asked, when this plot was to have been carried into execution?
But, although he made no answer to this question, not knowing on the
sudden what to say, he was dismissed, glad to get away from the torture,
yet certainly believing they would put him to death for his confession.
Samuel Colson was next brought in; and, for fear of the tortures that
Collins had endured, whom he saw brought out in a pitiable condition,
with his eyes almost starting out of their sockets, he chose rather to
confess all they asked, and so was quickly dismissed, yet came out
weeping and lamenting, and protesting his innocence. John Clark was then
taken in, and tortured with fire and water for two hours, in the same
manner as had been done with Johnson and Thomson.[317]
[Footnote 317: The minute description of these tortures, in Purchas, and
copied in Harris, are disgusting; insomuch, that Purchas exclaims at one
place, I have no heart to proceed. They are here therefore
omitted, - E.]
Finding that all their cruelties could not force him to any consistent
confession of himself, they helped him along to particular circumstances
of their own contrivance, by leading questions. Thus wearied out and
overpowered, by terror of the tortures being renewed, he answered,
yes, to whatever they asked, by which means they trumped up a body of
evidence to this effect: - "That Captain Towerson, on new-year's-day
last, had sworn all the English at Amboina to be secret and aiding in a
plot he had devised for surprising the castle, by the aid of the
Japanese, putting the governor and all the Dutch to death."
On the 17th, William Griggs and John Fardo, with some Japanese, were
brought to examination. The Japanese were first cruelly tortured to
accuse Griggs, which at last they did; and Griggs, to avoid torture,
confessed whatever the fiscal was pleased to demand. The same was next
done with Fardo and other Japanese. Fardo endured the torture for some
time, but at length confessed all they pleased to ask. That same day,
John Beaumont was brought a second time to the fiscal's chamber, when
one Captain Newport, the son of a Dutchman, but born and educated in
England, acted as interpreter. Griggs was also brought in to accuse
Beaumont of being present at the consultation for surprising the castle.
Beaumont denied all, with great earnestness, and many oaths; but, on
enduring the torture, was constrained to confess every thing laid to his
charge.
George Sharrock was then brought in and examined. He fell on his knees,
protesting his innocence, telling them he was at Hitto on
new-year's-day, when the pretended consultation was held, and had not
been at Amboina since the preceding November, as was well known to
several Dutchmen who resided at Hitto along with him.
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