At a Court of Sessions of the Peace, Oyer and Terminer, and General Gaol Delivery held for the District of Edenton at the Court house in Edenton on the third Tuesday in September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & seventy seven, being the sixteenth day of the same month, before the Honorable John Baptist Beasley Esquire Judge of the said Court.

The Jurors for the State aforesaid upon their oath present, that William Tyler, late of the County of Martin County, disregarding and contemning that true & due obedience, fidelity and allegiance, which every Subject of the said State should and of right ought to bear towards the said State, on the twentieth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & seventy seven, in the County of martin aforesaid, and at divers other times and places, both before & since, did [maliciously] attempt to convey Intelligence to the Enemies of this State and the United States, of America, and for that purpose did agree to go in Company with two other Persons to General Howe, Commander in chief of the Forces of the King of Great Britain in America, the said King being an Enemy of the said State and States, in order to convey Intelligence of the situation of the said State to him, with a view to facilitate the success of the army under his Command against the said United States; against the Peace and Dignity of the said State, and also against the form of the Act of Assembly in that Case made and provided.