About this time he discovered symptoms of a severe cold, being troubled with a hollow sounding cough, and complained of a pain in the side, but still submitted to his confinement without a murmur or complaint. He would frequently advert to the ill usage which he said he had received by the way from Pictou, after he was made prisoner, particularly of a blow in the side with a pistol, given by Mr. Knox, which felled him to the ground, as he expressed it, like a dead man; that when he had recovered his respiration which had been for some time suspended, he raised blood, and continued to raise blood occasionally by the way for two or three days; that the pain had never left him since, and was, as he believed, approaching to a gathering in the inside, which he feared would finally prove fatal to him. He showed a bruised spot on his side which was swelled and much discolored, and apparently very painful. All this was accompanied with loss of appetite and increased feebleness of body; but he still discovered a remarkable resignation to his fate. His situation was such as to excite sympathy and feeling, so that an endeavor was made to render him as comfortable as possible, by keeping his apartment properly tempered with heat, and providing him with such food as was adapted to the delicacy of his constitution.
His disease, however, continued to increase, and his strength to decline, with all the symptoms of approaching dissolution; pain in the head and eyes, dizziness, with sickness at the stomach, frequent raising of blood, and of increased painfulness of the contusion on his side. It was now considered high time to apply to a physician, and on the 11th of September I sent for a doctor, who examined his side, and the general state of his disease, and gave him some medicine. On the 12th, he appeared a little better. Thirteenth, at evening, grew worse. Fourteenth, unable to walk,—very high fever, with frequent chills of ague. Fifteenth, vomiting and raising blood more frequently. Sixteenth, the Rev. Mr. Scovil visited him in the morning, found him very ill, and sent him toast and wine and some other cordials. Same day the doctor attended him at 3 o’clock, and gave him medicine. At 6 o’clock, no better, and vomiting whatever he took. Eighteenth, appeared still to grow worse; was visited by Judge Pickett and several other neighbors, and being asked whether he wanted anything, or what he could take, answered “nothing, except an orange or a lemon.” Nineteenth, appeared to decline very fast; at 2 o’clock, was visited by the doctor, who said the man must be removed out of that room, that he was too ill to be kept there, and that it was of no use to give him medicine in so damp a place. Twentieth, in the morning, found him still declining; at ten o’clock, Mr. Thaddeus Scribner and others went in to see him, inspecting the room, but found no dampness that could injure even a sick man taking medicine.
The Rev. Mr. Scovil visited him in the afternoon, and introduced the subject of his approaching end. The prisoner conversed freely on the subject, and expressed his conviction that there was little or no hope of his recovery. He stated to Mr. Scovil that he was born in England, that his parents were formerly attached to the Church of England, but had lately joined the Methodists; that he came from England, on account of the war, and that he expected his parents to come to the country next spring, which last circumstance seemed to excite in him strong emotions. Twenty-first, the Rev. Mr. Scovil with others of the neighborhood visited him in the morning; no favorable symptoms. Twenty-second, the prisoner very low; violent fever, accompanied with chills and ague. Inflammation of the bowels, with evacuations of blood for the last two days, extremities cold, and strength greatly reduced, insomuch that he could only just articulate above his breath. Was understood to say, that he should die for want of medical assistance, as the doctor had refused to attend him any more in that place, and the sheriff refused to remove him.
His situation had by this time excited general sympathy and pity; his seeming simplicity, passiveness and resignation, greatly contributing to produce the effect. At 6 o’clock, Rev. Mr. Scovil and a great number of the neighbors came and sat with him till ten o’clock, and then left him with the impression that he would not live till morning. Friday, 23rd, went to the gaol early in the morning, found the prisoner lying on the floor, naked, and seemingly in great distress; said he had fallen through pain and weakness, and could not get up again. He was taken up and carried to his bed; appeared as though he would instantly expire; continued in a low and almost lifeless state till 5 o’clock in the afternoon, when he appeared to all present to be really dying. Rev. Mr. Scovil, Mr. Perkins, Mr. G. Raymond, all near neighbors, and Mr. Eddy, from Saint John, who happened to be in Kingston at the time, all supposed him to be in the agonies of death. He fell into a state of insensibility, and continued so until a phial of hartshorn was brought from an adjoining room, the application of which seemed to revive him a little.
After some time he recovered so far as to be able to articulate, and upon its being observed to him that he had a fit, he replied that he was sensible of it, and that it was his family infirmity, and that many of his connections had died in the same way; and further remarked that he did not think he could survive another, which would probably come upon him about the same time next day; that he was sensible he should not recover; but that God would have him. He then asked Mr. Scovil to pray with him; his desire was complied with, and prayer offered up in the most solemn and devout manner; the occasion was deeply affecting, and all departed with the full conviction, that the patient would not linger till the morning.
Previous to this, no regular watchers had attended him; but it was now considered highly necessary that some persons should sit with him till the morning; consequently John Dibble and Charles Cambreau were appointed by the sheriff to watch him through the night.
The next morning the following letter was dispatched to Mr. Peters, the prisoner’s attorney:
Dear Sir:—I fear we shall be disappointed in our expectations of the trial of the prisoner, More Smith, at the approaching Court, as I presume from appearance, he will be removed by death before that time. He is dying in consequence of a blow that he received, as he says, from Mr. Knox, with a pistol, which he has regularly complained of since he has been in gaol, and is now considered past recovery. As it will be a matter of enquiry, and new to me, I will thank you to let me know by the bearer what would be the necessary steps for me to take; and not fail, as I have but little hopes of his continuing till morning.
Yours, &c.,
Walter Bates.