R.I. Gen. Laws § 10-2-3
Whenever any defendant shall unreasonably refuse or neglect to appear at the time and place assigned by the auditors or, after appearing, shall refuse or neglect to render an account, the auditors may award to the plaintiff the whole of his or her demand, and the auditors may administer an oath to the parties, respectively, and examine them respecting their accounts and the matters submitted to them, and upon either of the parties refusing to take an oath truly to answer such questions as shall be asked or to answer directly to the interrogatories put to him or her, the auditors may commit him or her to jail, there to remain at his or her own charge until he or she consent to take the oath and answer the interrogatories.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 10-2-3