Had the Bordens been killed in the melee, he said, the mob would have murdered him. Governor Hamilton had felt that his life was in danger. The mob then seized Hamilton, his followers, and the sheriff, taking them prisoner in Butterworth’s place.Ī witness claimed this was not a spontaneous uprising but “a Design for some Considerable time past,” as the ringleaders had kept “a pyratt in their houses and threatened any that will offer to seize him.” Soon, however, the judge and sheriff were beaten back by the crowd, which succeeded in taking Butterworth away. “Commanding ye Kings peace to be keept,” the judge and sheriff drew their swords and injured both Bordens in the scuffle. The shouts of the men, along with the “Drum beating,” made it impossible to examine Butterworth and ask him about his financial and social relationships with the local Monmouth gentry.Īrmed with clubs, locals Benjamin and Richard Borden freed Butterworth from the colonial authorities. One report estimated the crowd at over a hundred furious East Jersey residents.
In a surprising turn of events, Samuel Willet, a local leader, sent a drummer, Thomas Johnson, to sound the alarm and gather a company of men armed with guns and clubs to attack the courthouse. But the swashbuckling Butterworth was not without supporters. Governor Andrew Hamilton and his entourage rushed to Monmouth County Court to quickly try Butterworth for his crimes. When Butterworth was captured, he admitted to authorities that he had served under the notorious Captain William Kidd, arriving with him in Boston before making his way to New Jersey.
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