Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 20.pdf/192

 THE NEW YORK NEGRO PLOT OF 1741 parties and bloody purpose of it, we pre sume there can scarce be a doubt amongst us at this time; the ruins of his majesty's house in the fort are the daily evidence and moments of it, still before our eyes; if the other frights and terrors this city was alarmed with, to their great consternation, are, as to some amongst us, so soon slipped into oblivion; yet, surely others will think we ought once a year at least, to pay our tribute of praise and thanksgiving to the Divine Being, that, through his merciful providence and infinite goodness, caused this inhuman horrible enterprize to be detected, and so many of the wicked in struments of it to be brought to justice, whereby a check has been put to the exe crable malice, and bloody purposes of our foreign and domestic enemies, though we have not been able entirely to unravel the mystery of this iniquity; for it was a dark design, and the veil is in some measure still upon it!" Notwithstanding the veil of mystery, however, the evidence upon which five persons, two negroes and three whites, were convicted and hanged for burglary and felonies receiving seems, at this distance, convincing and satisfactory according to modern rule and practice; while as to the remaining white person, "the priest Ury" and most of the negroes, the proof, tho positive, is far from removing the "reason able doubt" of guilt required in these days, — indeed much of it would not be ad mitted as competent evidence. The most shocking feature of the whole proceeding is the cruelty of the -legal punishment in flicted, whereby, after the fashion of those days, many human beings were burned alive, and the corpses of some of the gib beted were hanged in chains, as if to show that there was punishment after death. The limits of this paper will permit only a few excerpts from this quaint and curious volume bf legal annals of the colonial days of the metropolis to illustrate its

style and the nature of the grand inquest at this bloody assizes. Here is a copy of the title page, inviting close inspection and analysis, as of an antique curio and rewarding it like the official head notes of court opinions : A JOURNAL OP THE

PROCEEDINGS IN THE DETECTION OF THE CONSPIRACY FORMED BY

Some White People, in Conjunction With Negro and other Slaves, FOR Burning the City of New York in America, And Murdering the Inhabitants.

Which Conspiracy was partly put in Execution, by Burning His Majesty's House in FORT GEORGE, within the said City on Wednesday the Eighteenth of March, 1741, and setting Fire to several Dwelling and other Houses there, within a few Days succeeding. And another Attempt made in Prosecution of the same infernal Scheme, by putting Fire Between two other Dwelling-Houses with in the said City, on the Fifteenth Day of February, 1742; which was accidentally and timely discovered and extin guished. CONTAINING,

I. A NARRATIVE of the Trials, Condemna tions, Executions, and Behaviour of the several Criminals, at the Gallows and Stake, with their Speeches and Confession; with Notes, Observa tions and Reflections occasionally interspersed throughout the Whole. ' II. AN APPENDIX, wherein is set forth some additional Evidence concerning the said Conspiracy and Conspirators, which has come to Light since their trials and Executions. III. LISTS of the several Persons (Whites and Blacks) committed on Account of the Con spiracy; and of the several Criminals executed; and or those transported, with the Places whereto. By the Recorder of the City of NEW-YORK. Quid facient Domini, audent cum talia Fures f

Virg. Eel. NEW-YORK: Printed by James Parker, at the New Printing-Office, 1744.

This full title page is pregnant with sug gestions, legal, social and historical of colonial conditions in our present great