Report of the case : John Dorrance against Arthur Fenner, tried at the December term, of the court of common pleas, in the county of Providence, A.D. 1801 ; to which are added, the proceedings in the case [of] Arthur Fenner vs. John Dorrance / carefully compiled from notes correctly taken by several gentlemen who were present during the whole course of the trial.

  • Dorrance, John, 1747-1813.
Date:
1802
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the case : John Dorrance against Arthur Fenner, tried at the December term, of the court of common pleas, in the county of Providence, A.D. 1801 ; to which are added, the proceedings in the case [of] Arthur Fenner vs. John Dorrance / carefully compiled from notes correctly taken by several gentlemen who were present during the whole course of the trial. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    THIS was an Action of the Cafe commenced at the prefent Term bv John Dorrance, Efq. againft Arthur Fenner, Efq. Governor of the State of Rhode-] fland, charging the Defendant with hav- ing, falfely and malicioufly, flandered and defamed the good name, fame and reputation of the Plain- tiff. The Declaration confifted of fixteen counts j the firft of which charged the Defendant, that he, at Providence, on the firft dav of May, A. D. 1801, then and there having difcourfe of and concerning the Plaintiff with divers good, faithful and credible citizens of faid State, and of the United States, falfely and malicioufly, openly and publicly, fpoke, uttered, pronounced and publifhed, in the prefence and hearing of divers of the aforefaid good, faithful and credible citizens of faid State, and the faidUni- ted States, thefe falfe, feigned and fcandalous words following, of and concerning the Plaintiff, to wit: John Dorrance (meaning the Plaintiff) has fold to Doctor Pardon Bowen, for thepurpofe of diffection, the dead body of a certain man, who hung himfelf in Scituate, in the county of Providence aforefaid, In the year, 1799 : Which faid dead body had been left in the care of the faid John Dorrance (meaning the Plaintiff) by fome cf the inhabitants of faid Sci- tuate, to be decently buried, according to his (mean- ing the Plaintiff's) directions : That he the faid John Dorrance (meaning the Plaintiff) had received from faid Pardon Bowen a beaver hat, in payment for the aforefaid dead body, fold to the faid Pardon Bowen as aforeiaid, by the faid John Dorrance (meaning the Plaintiff) and that the laid John Dor* ranee (meaning the Plaintiff) had the impudence to wear the aforefaid hat on his (meaning the Plain- tiff's) head, while he (meaning the Plaintiff) offici- ated as Moderator of a Town-Meeting of the town ©t Providence aforefaid, The fecond, third, fourth* and