The three volunteers searched Andre, and David Williams, one of the party, relates this part of the story most minutely:
“We took him into the bushes,” said Williams, “and ordered him to pull off his clothes, which he did; but on searching him narrowly we could not find any sort of writings. We told him to pull off his boots which he seemed to be indifferent about, but we got one boot off and searched in that boot and could find nothing. But we found there were some papers in the bottom of his stocking next to his foot, on which we made him pull his stocking off and found three papers wrapped up. Mr. Paulding looked at the papers and said he was a spy. We then made him pull off his other boot, and there were found three more papers at the bottom of his foot within his stocking.
“Upon this we made him dress himself and I asked him:
“‘What will you give us to let you go?’
“He said:
“‘I will give you any sum of money.’
“I asked him:
“‘Will you give us your horse, your saddle, bridle, watch and one hundred guineas?’
“He said:
“‘Yes, and I will direct them to any place, even this very spot, so that you can get them.’