Document: Order in the case of William Becker

The director-general and council of New Netherland have examined and carefully considered the complaints and testimony by the magistrates of the village of Middelborgh, submitted against the person of Willem Becker from Wesel,[221] 235 presently a prisoner for the manslaughter of Ritsert Coolfax, who presumably came to a very unlucky end on Tuesday the 6th of October; however, he was not found until 8 or 9 days later. Because his body was full of worms and rotten, the people of Middelborgh buried him before the fiscal could come by; therefore, he is uncertain about how and in what manner he died. However, it appears by the papers that the aforesaid Ritchert Coolfax went out shortly after midday on Tuesday, the 6th of October, and about two hours before sunset met another Englishman named [ left blank ] who was looking for his cows. Together they smoked a pipe of tobacco and drank, and then he said to the aforesaid Englishman, "I'm going on a bit farther to see if I can shoot a deer and then I'm going back home." From these circumstances and the intentions of the deceased Coolfax, it can be deduced with some certainty that it happened shortly thereafter;