[3] In his first winter in the town, Pettrequin claimed that a sailor brought him a letter from a cousin in England.
[4] A group of townsfolk, disenchanted with their living conditions, demanded to see the letter, which Pettrequin refused to do.
[5] Patrick Sutherland secured Pettrequin's release, but he was subsequently recaptured and returned to the blockhouse.
[6] At a subsequent hearing, Pettrequin claimed that another settler, John William Hoffman, told him that a letter was sent from a sailor in Halifax.
Hoffman was subsequently convicted of false libel and inciting a riot; Pettrequin's testimony was used to obtain this verdict.