Goodell, who had been working on Corey's farm, was carried home to his
friends by Corey's wife, in a feeble state of health, and died soon
after. It was whispered about, and before long openly asserted, that
he had come to his death in consequence of having been violently
beaten by Corey, who was accordingly arrested and brought to trial for
killing the man. There was a great excitement against him. He probably
had punished the man severely for some alleged misconduct; and it was
charged that the castigation had been so unmerciful and excessive as
to have broken down his constitution and caused his death. There was
conflicting evidence going to show that the man had been beaten, for
some misconduct, after he had returned to his family. It was a
circumstance in favor of Corey, that his wife had taken the invalid
to his home; and there was no evidence of any ill feeling between her
and the sick man during a stop they made at Procter's house on their
way. The death, too, it was supposed by some, might have resulted from
ordinary disease, and not from whipping, either at Corey's or at home.
The result was, that, notwithstanding the prejudice against Corey, he
was discharged on paying a fine; showing that the Court did not
consider it a very serious offence. We shall hear of this affair
again.

In the year 1678, there was a suit at law between Corey and a man
named John Gloyd, a laborer on his farm, on a question of wages. The
case was, by agreement of the parties, passed out of court into the
hands of arbitrators mutually chosen. John Procter was one of the
arbitrators, and, as it would seem, chosen as the friend of Gloyd:
Nathaniel Putnam and Edmund Bridges were the others; one of them
chosen by Corey, and the other mutually agreed upon. They brought in
their award. Its precise character is not stated; but the
circumstances indicate that it was favorable to Gloyd. The conduct of