Document: Sentence of Jan Harmsen

Extraordinary Session Held in Fort OrangeJune 15,1660

Present:

Anderies HerpertsenJan VerbeeckFrans BaerentsenEvert Wendel

The officer, plaintiff, against Jan Harmsen, defendant.The plaintiff complains that the defendant contrary to the ordinance of the court has ventured to go into the woods and to fetch Indians with beavers, as appeared on the preceding court day by examination of the defendant on interrogatories, to which answers the defendant refuses to swear. The honorable plaintiff therefore demands that the defendant shall be punished according to the ordinance, citing in order to expedite justice the statutes of Amsterdam, folio 121, article 11, in regard to the taking of an oath, which reads as follows, “In case the defendant refuses to take the oath, he shall be condemned as [ in effect ] confessing and acknowledging the charges against him.” And in conformity with the ordinance of the said court, he [ demands that the defendant ] be fined three hundred guilders and, in addition, be suspended from his business for the period of two months.The defendant refuses to take the oath.The honorable court, having deliberated the case and seeing that the defendant refuses to take the oath, condemns the defendant to pay a fine of three hundred guilders in cash, according to the ordinance, and to be suspended from his business for a period of two months; with expenses.