John Adams successfully argued that most of the accused British soldiers fired their guns in self-defense. He got all but two of the soldiers acquitted of murder (found not guilty). Two of the soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter. They were punished by being branded (burned) on their thumbs. While defending the British soldiers, Adams called the crowd "a motley rabble of saucy boys, negros and molattoes, Irish teagues and outlandish Jack Tarrs." In particular, he accused Attucks of having decided "to be the hero of the night," and of having started a conflict with his "mad behavior."