ol , ▁pet itions ▁made ▁to ▁the ▁Governor ▁were ▁rejected ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁sign ator ies ▁were ▁all ▁ow ed ▁money ▁by ▁the ▁accused . ▁Later ▁investig ations ▁showed ▁that ▁the ▁largest ▁deb t ▁involved ▁was ▁ 2 5 ▁pounds . ▁After ▁consideration ▁by ▁the ▁jud ges , ▁the ▁two ▁were ▁released ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁British - born ▁despite ▁the ▁arguments ▁described ▁earlier . ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁Sc ar lett ▁released ▁them ▁without ▁b ail ▁as ▁there ▁were ▁no ▁charges . ▁ ▁Later , ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁moved ▁that ▁a ▁secret ▁committee ▁be ▁formed ▁to ▁look ▁at ▁this ▁case . ▁This ▁man , ▁H ector ▁Mitchell , ▁was ▁made ▁the ▁chair ▁of ▁this ▁committee , ▁compr ising ▁three ▁others ▁including ▁the ▁Mayor ▁of ▁King ston . ▁Their ▁investig ations ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁forced ▁ex ile ▁of ▁L ec es ne ▁and ▁Esc of fer y ▁to ▁St ▁Dom ingo . ▁It ▁had ▁been ▁said ▁that ▁L ec es ne ▁had ▁sold ▁arms ▁to ▁an ▁ins urre ction ▁in ▁St ▁George ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁two ▁of ▁them ▁kept ▁correspond ence ▁with ▁people ▁in ▁H ait i ▁for ▁tre ason able ▁purposes . ▁ ▁Having ▁been ▁separated ▁from ▁their ▁families ▁and ▁poss essions , ▁the ▁pair ▁had ▁to ▁sell ▁their ▁watch es ▁and ▁with ▁this ▁money ▁and ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁British ▁people ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁they ▁set ▁out ▁for ▁England . ▁With ▁L ec es ne ▁and ▁Esc of fer y ▁deport ed , ▁the ▁free