Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 20.pdf/194

 THE NEW YORK NEGRO PLOT OF 1741

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"There was a rising of the negroes in this city, in the year 1712. On the 7th of April, about one or two o'clock in the morning, the house of Peter Van Tilburgh was set on fire by the negroes, who being armed with guns, knives, etc., killed and wounded several white people as they were LIST OF NEGROES EXECUTED. coming to assist in extinguishing the flames. Notice thereof being soon carried to the Negroes Owners Hanged fort, his excellency, Governor Hunter, or Caesar Vaarck May ii, 1741 dered a cannon to be fired from the ram Cato Joseph Crowley June 16 parts, to alarm the town, and detached a Cato John Shurmur Ju'y 3 Cato or Toby John Provoost June 16 party of soldiers to the fire; at whose ap Fortune J. Vanderspiegle June 16 pearance those villains immediately fled, Fortune Capt. Walton !uly 18 Frank Henry Ryker July 18 and made their way out of town as fast as Galloway H. Rutgers July 18 •they could, to hide themselves in the Harry Mrs. Kipp July 3 Otheflo J. DeLancey July 18 woods and swamps. In their flight they (Chief Justice) also killed and wounded several white Prince John Auboyneau May n Prince Anthony Duane Iju'y 3 people; but being closely pursued, some con Quack John Walters July 18 cealed themselves in barns, and others Toney John Latham [Juty 3 Tom Bradt Mar. 13, 1742 sheltered in the swamps or woods, which Venture Cornelius Tiebout July 18, 1741 being surrounded and strictly guarded till Waft or Juan Capt. Sarly j August 15 York Peter Marschalk 'July 3 the morning, many of them were then taken. Some, finding no way for their escape, shot Negroes Owners Burned themselves. The end of it was, that after Albany Mrs. Carpenter June 12, 1741 these foolish wretches had murdered eight Ben Capt. Marshall June 16 Cuffee A. Philipse, Esq. May 30 or ten white people, and some of the con Curacoa Dick Cornelius Tiebout June 12 federates had been their own executioners, Cuffee Lewis Gomez June 9 Caesar Benjamin Peck June 9 nineteen more of them were apprehended, Gerardus Comfort June 9 Cook brought upon their trials for a conspiracy Francis Joseph Bosch June 12 Harry (Doctor) J. Mizreal, L.I. July 18 to murder the people, £c., and were con John Roosevelt May 30 Quack victed and executed; and several more H. Rutgers June.i6 Quash Robin John Chambers June 9 that turned evidences were transported." Will Anthony Ward July 4 The grand inquest of 1740—41 was begun Total — 35 persons executed. March i, by magistrates and officers, to detect and punish the perpetrators of the murder in Carolina, Georgia and the Hogg's robbery on the night before, in West Indies had come to the city and re which divers goods and coins and other ceived general credence; and that pend precious metals were stdlen from a store by ing this very inquisition Hackensack, a negroes and turned over to one John Hughsmall neighboring village in New Jersey, son, a shoe-maker and ale-house keeper. had been subjected to numerous incendiary During this investigation, and in the- course fires, causing the destruction of a dozen of about two weeks, a half dozen fires oc barns all attributed to negro slaves; and curred in the city, all of which were sus lastly that less than thirty years previous pected, and some proven to be of negro New York had itself had a similar experi origin. This produced a contagion of dread ence, the events of which are thus re and alarm which caused the arrest and com counted in a foot note of the present volume : mittal of many not already in jail and a LIST OF WHITE PERSONS CONVICTED.

John Hughson, Alehouse keeper, Executed, June 12, 1741 Sarah Hughson, his wife " """ Margaret Kerry, Harlot " "" " John Ury, Priest " August 29, 1741