"An inquisition indented and taken for our Sovereign Lord, the King, at York in the County of York, and Home district of the Province of Upper Canada, the twelfth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen, before me, Thos. Hamilton, Coroner, of our said Lord the King, for said District, on [illegible] of the body of John Ridout, then and there lying dead, upon the oath of Thos. [illegible] and fellow jurors, good and lawful men of said District, being duly sworn and charged to enquire for our Sovereign Lord the King when, where, and by what means the said John Ridout came to his death, do on their oaths say, that the said John Ridout, and one Samuel P. Jarvis, did disagree and for some time did quarrel, until at length they the said John Ridout and the said Samuel P. Jarvis did challenge each other to end their dispute by fighting, and that the said Samuel P. Jarvis not having the fear of God before his eyes, but moved and seduced by the instigation of the Devil, on the twelfth of July, in the year aforesaid, with force and arms, in a field commonly called Elmsley Field, in the Township of York aforesaid, did make an assault, and that the said Samuel P. Jarvis with a certain pistol of the value of 10 shillings, charged with gunpowder, and a leaden bullet, which he then and there held in his right hand to [illegible] against the body of him, the said John Ridout, did then and there did shoot on and discharge, by means whereof, he the said Samuel P. Jarvis, feloniously, wilfully, and of his malice aforethought, did then and there give unto him the said John Ridout, with the leaden bullet aforesaid, so as aforesaid shot [illegible] and discharged out of the pistol aforesaid, by force of the gunpowder aforesaid, in and upon the right shoulder of him the said John Ridout, one mortal wound penetrating the shoulder, neck, and jugular vein, from thence to the windpipe of him the aforesaid John Ridout, then and there instantly died, and so the jurors aforesaid, on their oath aforesaid, do say, that the said Samuel P. Jarvis, him the said John Ridout, in the manner and form aforesaid feloniously, wilfully, and of his malice aforethought, did kill and murder against the peace of our Lord the King, his Crown and Dignity."
"And the jurors aforesaid, upon their oath aforesaid, do say that Jas. E. Small and Henry J. Boulton, both of the same place, gentlemen, feloniously were present, abetting, aiding, assisting, and maintaining the said Samuel P. Jarvis, to kill and slay the said John Ridout, in manner aforesaid, against the peace of our said the King, his Crown and Dignity ; to which the Coroner as well as the jurors aforesaid have hereto set their hands and seals the day and year above mentioned."
(Signed) THOS. STOYELL, Foreman, and others.
(True copy) (Signed) T. HAMILTON, Coroner.