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Scanned Document:

Interrogatory of Marten Bierkaecker, inhabitant and innkeeper here, held at the request of J. Lamontagne, in his capacity as officer of Fort Orange and the village of Beverwijck, before the magistrates of the said court, the 15th of August Anno 1657.

1. How old he is and where born?	Answers, 30 years, bom in Oldenborch. Susanna, his wife, answers, Aged 23, bom in New England.
2. Whether he ever sold brandy to the Indians?	Marten answers, No. Susanna answers, Yes.
3. Whether his wife, to his knowledge, ever sold any brandy to the Indians?	Answers, No.
4. Whether anybody in his house ever sold any brandy to the Indians?	Answers, No.
5. Whether on Monday, the 13th, he did not see or know that an Indian with a white blanket came into his house about nine o’clock in the evening and asked to buy a beaver’s worth of brandy?	Answers, He saw the Indian and threw him out of doors in the presence of Marten Comelissen and Seger Comelissen. His wife answers: Yes.
6. Whether the said Indian, about three quarters of an hour later, did not come into his house and again asked to have a beaver’s worth of brandy?	Answers, He did not see the Indian again. His wife answers: Yes.
7. Whether he, himself, or his wife, to his knowledge, did not sell brandy to the said Indian for one beaver?	Answers, He does not know. His wife answers. Yes.

References

Translation: Gehring, C., trans./ed., New Netherland Documents Series: Vol. 16, part 2, Fort Orange Court Minutes, 1652-1660 (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press: 1990).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.