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Chapter XVIII
Crimes and Punishments.
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| records which have been preserved incidentally in correspondence and official reports do not enlighten us as to the manner of trial or the authority exercised by those holding the courts at that early day. Hence the most important criminal case which presents itself in our annals, if the proceedings can be designated a trial, when the instructions given by Governor Lovelace and Council are considered, wherein the sentence is actually pronounced on the prisoner nearly two months before he was arraigned, is that of the "Long Finn." The circumstances of the case are briefly these: It was near the middle of the year 1669 that an adventurer, one Marcus Jacobson, alias John Brinckson, etc., but better known to the then inhabitants of the Delaware as the "Long Finn," because of his lofty stature, had succeeded in imposing himself on the Swedes as the son of Konnigsmark, a noted general of Sweden. Jacobson, it was alleged, was inciting the settlers of that nationality to rebellion against the English authority, with the design of re-establishing the Swedish power in the province. With him was associated a wealthy Finn, Henry Coleman, while Rev. Lawrence Lock, the former Swedish chaplain, was said to have "played the Trumpeter to the disorder," and Mrs. Pappegoya, the daughter of Governor Printz, was charged with intermeddling "in so unworthy a design." Governor Lovelace, Aug. 2, 1669, issued an order for the arrest of the Long Finn and his fellow-conspirators, accompanying the order with instructions as to the manner in which the trial should be conducted. In accordance therewith Capt. Carry caused the arrest of the Long Finn, who was thrown into the fort at New Castle, in irons (in those days the irons were riveted on the limbs of a prisoner, and at West Chester, among the records in the commissioners' office, in the next century, are bills paid to blacksmiths for removing the fetters from culprits), while Henry Coleman, learning of his intended apprehension, abandoned his property, fled to the Indians, with whom he seemed to have had great influence, and is never more heard of. Dominie Lock and Mrs. Pappegoya gave security for their appearance to answer the charges against them when required. The commissioners appointed by the Governor to try the case sat at New Castle, Dec. 6, 1669, and, as was to be expected, the jury returned a verdict of guilty against Jacobson, who was thereupon sentenced in accordance with the punishment prescribed by Council, the 18th of October previous, which was, "that the Long Finn deserves to die for the same, yet in regard that many others concerned with him in that insurrection might be involved in the same Premunire, if the rigor of the law should be extended, and amongst them divers simple and ignorant people, it is thought fit and ordered that the said Long Finn shall be publicly and severely whipped and stigmatized or branded in the face with the letter R, with an inscription written in great letter and put upon his breast, that he receive that punishment for attempted rebellion, after which he be secured until he can be sent and sold to the Barbadoes, or some other of those remote plantations." On Jan. 25, 1670, the Long Finn was placed on board the ship "Fort Albany," to be transported and sold to the Barbadoes, after which date nothing further respecting him is now known. His accomplices were sentenced to forfeit to the king one-half of their goods and chattels, while a small fine was imposed upon those of lesser note who had taken part in the rebellion. The case will always be an interesting one to the annalist, for therein is the first recorded trial under English procedure on the Delaware, in which a prisoner was formally indicted, arraigned, and a jury of twelve men impaneled, subject to challenge on the part of the prisoner, who are charged to render a verdict in accordance with the evidence. |
of York's Book of Laws, p. 459). The following account of the seditious false Königsmark in New Sweden was translated by Professor G. B. Keen (the original manuscript, date 1683, is preserved in the Royal Library at Stockholm), and published in Penn. Mag. of History, vol. vii. p. 219: "In Provost Acrelius's 'Beskrifning om de Swenska Törsamlingars Tilständ uti Nya Swerige,' p. 123, is introduced what Pastor Rudman noted in the Wicaco Church-book about the rioter among the Swedes, who called himself Königsmark. These are the particulars which I received from the oldest Swedes. This impostor was by birth a Swede, but, for some crime committed by him in England, he was sent to Maryland, to serve there as a slave for a number of years. He ran away from there, however, and came to the Swedes in New Sweden, who were then subject to the English government. Here he made the Swedes believe he was descended from a great and highly-honorable family in Sweden; that his name was Königsmark; that a Swedish fleet of war-ships lay outside of the bay, and were, as soon as they entered, to take the land again from the English; and that he was sent to encourage the Swedes who lived here to shake off the foreign yoke, and to fall upon and slay the English as soon as they had heard that the Swedish fleet had arrived. A great many of the Swedes permitted themselves to be persuaded by this. They concealed the pretended Königsmark for a long time, so that no one else knew anything of him, supplying him with the best meat and drink they had, by which means he fared very well. Moreover, they went to Philadelphia* and bought powder, balls, shot, lead, etc., to be ready at the first signal. Hereupon be caused the Swedes to be summoned to a supper, and after they had been drinking somewhat exhorted them to free themselves from the yoke, reminding them what they suffered from the English, and how the latter, partly by fraud and partly by force, had taken from them one large piece of land after another, and finally asked them whether they held allegiance to the king of Sweden or to the king of England. A part immediately declared themselves for the king of Sweden; but one of the most honorable of the Swedes, Peter Kock by name, said that as the country was English, and had been surrendered by the king of Sweden to the crown of England, he deemed it just to hold with the king of England. Thereupon Kock ran out and closed the door again, laying himself against it, that the so-called Königsmark might not slip out, and called for help to make him prisoner. The impostor labored with all his might to open the door. Kock endeavored to prevent him by hurting him in the hand with a knife. Notwithstanding, he effected his escape, wherefore Kock immediately hastened to give information to the English, who then made search for him, and in a short time took him prisoner. The above-named Peter Kock then said to him, 'You rascal, tell me what is your name, for we can see well enough that you are no honorable person?' The impostor then answered that his true name was Marcus Jacobson. He proved, besides, to be so ignorant that he could neither read nor write. Thereupon he was branded and sent to Barbadoes, where he was sold as a slave. The Swedes who permitted themselves to be imposed upon by him were punished by the confiscation of half their property, land, cattle, goods, clothes, etc."
* This, of course, is a mistake. ln 1669 Philadelphia had not been located. | ||