The New York Conspiracy: A History of the Negro Plot. Daniel Horsmanden

the aldermen pressed him very home and admonished him (if it was in his power) to discover those who had committed this piece of villainy; little suspecting him to have been previously concerned; he was at last prevailed with to acknowledge he knew where some of the things where hid, and he went home, fetched and delivered them.

      Wednesday, March 4.

      This day the mayor having summoned the Justices to meet at the City-Hall, several aldermen met him accordingly, and sent for Mary Burton and John Hughson and his wife; and Mary Burton, after examination, made the following deposition before them.

      “Mary Burton, of the city of New-York, Spinster, aged about sixteen years, being sworn, deposed,

      1. “That about two o'clock on Sunday morning last, a negro man who goes by the name of John Gwin (or Quin) came to the house of John Hughson, the deponent's master, and went in at the window where one Peggy lodges, where he lay all night.

      2. “That in the morning she saw some speckled linen in the said Peggy's room; that the said negro then gave the deponent two pieces of silver, and bid Peggy cut off an apron of the linen and give to the deponent, which she did accordingly.

      3. “That at the same time the said negro bought a pair of white stockings from her master, for which he was to give six shillings; that the said negro had two mugs of punch, for which, and the stockings, he gave her master a lump of silver.

      4. “That her master and mistress saw the linen the same morning.

      5. “That soon after Mr. Mills came to inquire for one John Quin, a soldier, who he said, had robbed Mr. Hogg of some speckled linen, silver, and other things.

      6. “That after Mr. Mills was gone, her mistress hid the linen in the garret; and soon after some officers came and searched the house; and when they were gone and found nothing, her mistress took the linen from the place she had before hid it in, and hid it under the stairs.

      7. “That the night before last, her master and mistress gave the said linen to her mistress's mother, who carried it away.

      8. “That yesterday morning, one John Romme was at her master's house, and she heard him say to her master, if you will be true to me, I will be true to you; and her master answered, I will, and will never betray you.

      9. “That the said negro usually slept with the said Peggy, which her master and mistress knew of.”

      Upon this occasion, it seems, Hughson and his wife, finding that Mary Burton was inclinable to discover them in their villainy, touching this robbery, thought proper to say something to blacken her character, in order to take off from the credit of her testimony, and declared, that she was a vile, good-for-nothing girl, or words to that purpose; that she had been got with child by her former master, &c. the truth whereof, however, was never made out. But at length Hughson finding that he was near going to jail, and as fearing the consequence of provoking her, changed his note, and said she was a very good girl, and had been a trusty servant to them: that in the hard weather the last winter, she used to dress herself in man's clothes, put on boots, and went with him in his sleigh, in the deep snows into the commons, to help him fetch firewood for his family, &c.

      The deputy town clerk, when Mary Burton was under examination, as he was taking her deposition, exhorted her to speak the truth, and all she knew of the matter; she answered him, that she hardly dared to speak, she was so much afraid she should be murdered by them; or words to that purpose. Whereupon the clerk moved the justices, that she might be taken care of, not knowing that she had been removed from her master's the the night before, by order of a magistrate.

      After Mary Burton, John Hughson and his wife, and Peggy, were examined: Peggy denied every thing, and spoke in favour of Hughson and his wife: Peggy was committed, and John Hughson confessed as followeth.

      Examination.—1. John Hughson said, “That on Monday evening last, after Mr. Mills had been to search his house for goods which had been stolen from Mr. Hogg, one Peggy, who lodged at his house, told him that John Quin had left some checked linen and other things with her; that she delivered to the examinant the said checked linen, which he delivered to the mother-in-law Elizabeth Luckstead, with directions to hide them: that soon after the said Peggy delivered him sundry silver things in a little bag; which he carried into the cellar, and put behind a barrel, and put a broad stone upon them, where they remained till last night about ten or eleven o'clock, when he delivered them to alderman Johnson and alderman Bancker.

      2. “That while the said silver things lay concealed in his cellar, the constables came and searched his house for the said stolen goods, but did not find them.

      3. “That this morning the said Peggy gave him a little bundle with several silver pieces in it; which he soon afterwards brought into court, and delivered it to the justices then present.”

      Hughson absolutely refused to sign the examination, after it was read over to him; and thereupon the deputy town clerk asked him if it was not true as he had penned it; he aaswered, yes, it was, but he thought there was no occasion for him to sign it. He was admitted to bail, and his wife Sarah likewise; and recognizances were entered into with two sureties each, for their appearance in the Supreme Court on the first day of the next term.

      Cæsar and Prince were likewise again examined, but would confess nothing concerning the robbery; Cæsar was remanded, and Prince admitted to bail upon his master's entering into recognizance in ten pounds penalty, for his appearance at the next Supreme Court.

      But Cæsar acknowledged, that what Mary Burton had deposed concerning him and Peggy, as to his sleeping with her, was true.

      Deposition. —John Vaarck, of the city of New-York, baker, being duly sworn and examined, saith,

      1. “That about two o'clock this afternoon, his negro boy told him, there were stone things hid under the floor of his kitchen: that thereupon he went to look, and found the linen and plates, now shewn him, which he took out, and carried to the mayor.

      2. “That his said kitchen adjoins to the yard of John Romme, is a framed building, and the said linen and plates could easily be put there from the said Romme's yard, but could not be put there from his house, without taking up a board of the floor.”

      These were supposed to be part of the goods stolen from Mr. Hogg, and carried to Romme's, by Cæsar, alias John Gwin.

      Upon Vaarck's deposition, orders were given for the apprehending John Romme, but he absconded.

      WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18.

      About one o'clock this day a fire broke out of the roof of his majesty's house at fort George, within this city, near the chapel; when the alarm of fire was first given, it was observed from the town, that the middle of the roof was in a great smoke, but not a spark of fire appeared on the outside for a considerable time; and when it first broke out it was on the east side, about twenty feet from the end next the chapel, and in a short time afterwards it made its way through the roof in several places, at a distance from the first and each other. Upon the chapel bell's ringing, great numbers of people, gentlemen and others, came to the assistance of the lieutenant governor and his family; and as the people of this city, to do them justice, are very active and diligent upon these occasions, most of the household goods, &c. were removed out and saved, and the fire engines were in a little time brought thither; but the wind blowing a violent gale at S. F. soon as the fire appeared in different places of the roof, it was judged impossible to save the house and chapel, so that endeavours were used to save the secretary's office over the fort gate, where the records of the colony were deposited; and also the barracks which stood on the side of the quadrangle opposite to the house; such diligence was used in removing the records, books and papers from the former, many of which for despatch were thrown out of the windows next the town, that most of them were preserved; and though from the violence of the wind the papers were blown about the streets, we do not hear that any very material writings were lost; but the fire had got hold of the roof of the office soon after they began to remove the records, and though the engines played some time upon it and afterwards upon the barracks, they were of little service, the wind blowing very hard and the flames of the house being so near them, all seemed to be at their