Document: Complaint against Adriaen Jansen

Extraordinary Session Held in Fort OrangeAugust 13, 1660

Present:

Johan VerbeeckFrans BaerentsenEvert Jansen Wendel

Johannes La Montagne, in his capacity as officer, plaintiff, against Adriaen Jansen van Leyden, defendant.The plaintiff says that the defendant, contrary to the ordinance issued by the hon. director general and council of New Netherland, has ventured to send an Indian into the woods as a broker to fetch Indians with beavers. Having met an Indian woman with beavers who wished to go to the house of Volkert Jansen, the Indian broker enticed her by presenting her with a string of black sewant and brought her to the defendant’s house. Being there, she refused to trade and insisted on going to Volckert Jansen’s, whereupon her beavers were retained and she was pushed outdoors by the defendant’s servant, the door being then locked. The Indian woman made a complaint to the plaintiff, who went to the defendant’s house and ordered him to restore the Indian woman’s beavers, which the defendant’s wife refused to do. Finally, they forced the Indian woman to trade her beavers at their house. He requests therefore that the defendant be fined the amount mentioned in the ordinance.The defendant denies that he sent brokers into the woods and also that he retained the Indian woman’s beavers by force.The plaintiff requests that the defendant be subjected to the following interrogatory, to wit:

The officer protests and maintains that he must answer at once, yes or no, according to the best of his knowledge.The honorable court orders the honorable plaintiff to deliver to the defendant copies of the documents to make answer thereto on the next court day.

Gerrit Swardt, schout of the colony of Rensselaerswijck, enters an attachment against the person of Carel Jansen, and requests that he not be allowed to depart until he makes satisfaction of one beaver.The honorable court orders fiat.