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� The Government of the Massachusetts Bay in New England

To the Sheriff of our County of York, his Under-Sheriff or Deputy, Greeting.

We Command you to attach the Goods or Estate of (William Keating of Kittery in our County of York, Yeoman, to the Value of ninety Pounds, and for Want thereof to take the Body of the said William (if (he may be found in your Precinct) and him safely keep so that you have him before our Justices of our Inferior Court of Common Pleas, next to be holden at York within and for our said County of York on the Second Tuesday in April next, then and there in Our said Court to answer unto John Main of York aforesaid yeoman in a Plea of Trespas upon the case for that[?] Whereas one Prince (so called), a Negro man, on the first Day of January 1770 at York aforsaid being Duly and Law fully Retained in the Service of the said John to serve him as a menial Servant for the Term of Life and he the said Prince having Served the said John Everline[?] the said first Day of January to the Twentyeth Day of December 1777 whereby the [?] had and received great Profit and very considerable advantage in his affairs by means of the service of Said Prince yet he the said William being not Ignorant of the Premises but contriving and Fraudulently Intending to Deprive the [?] of the Service of the Said Servant and of all the advantages Gain and benefit Which he the [?] John had or should have or Gain by [?] of the Service of the Said Serv; Did Craftily and Subtily Persuade and Procure the said Prince being So Retained by the [?] a Serv. as to enjoin himself from and to Leave the Service of the P[?]. against his the [?] Will and also the said William Did Entertain the Said Servant at Divers Day, and times [?] between the Said twentyeth of December and the first day of January Last has With rum and Mixed Spiritus Liquor Whereby the said Servant was from time to time Within the said times Last mentioned at york aforsaid Drunken and unfit for any Duty or [?] and [?] the said Wm at Kittery afor[?] Divers Days and times between the twentyeth Day of Dec. and the Day of Date hereof had and received of the Said Servant Divers Sums of the [?] money to the Value of Forty Shillings to Satisfy himself for the Said Spiritus Liquor by means Whereof the Said Serv. has become Intirely usless and also is Wholly Deprived of any benefit of the said Serv. Ever since the Said 20. of Dec. 1777 To this Day all which is) To the Damage of the said (John Main [?]hesaith) the Sum of (Ninty) Pounds, which shall then and there be made to appear with other due Damages: and [?]ve you there this Writ, with your Doings therein, Witness (James Gow[?]) Esq; at (York) the (tenth) Day of (February) 177[?] Anno Domini, 1[?]8 Tim. Frostler[?]