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 THE NEW YORK NEGRO PLOT OF 1741 negro which she meant; Cork was unfor tunately of a countenance somewhat illfavoured, naturally of a suspicious look, and reckoned withal to be unlucky too; his being sent for before the magistrates in such a perilous season, might be thought sufficient to alarm the most innocent of them, and occasion the appearance of their being under some terrible apprehensions; but it was much otherwise with Cork, and notwithstanding the disadvantage of his natural aspect, upon his being interrogated concerning the conspiracy, he shewed such a cheerful, open, honest smile upon his countenance (none of your fictitious hypo critical grins) that every one that was by, and observed it (and there were several in the room) jumped in the same observa tion and opinion, that they never saw the fellow look so handsome: Such an efficacy have truth and innocence, that they even reflect beauty upon deformity!" How evidence of this kind, implicating other persons, was obtained may be inferred from the concluding paragraphs of the judge's sentence of the two negroes first tried: "And as it is not in your powers to make full restitution for the many injuries you have done the public; so I advice both of you to do all that in you is to prevent further mischiefs, by discovering such per sons as have been concerned with you, in designing or endeavoring to burn this city, and to destroy its inhabitants. This I am fully persuaded is in your power to do if you will; if so, and you do not make such discovery, be assured God Almighty will punish you for it, though we do not : there fore I advise you to consider this well, and I hope both of you will tell the truth. "And now, nothing further remains for me to say, but that you Caesar, and you Prince, are to be taken to the place from whence you came, and from thence to the place of execution, and there you and each of you, are to the hanged by the neck until

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you be dead. And I pray the Lord to to have mercy on your souls." These negro burglars and their white harborers had been arrested for theft, and soon after the meeting of court the negroes, Prince and Caesar, for this crime, and the three whites, Hughson and wife and their prostitute lodger, Peggy Kerry, for felonious receiving, were indicted, tried and con victed and sentenced to be hanged. The negroes were promptly executed; but the whites were held over, indicted, and tried a month later for the conspiracy to burn the city, and were convicted and sentenced to to be hanged for it and were duly executed. They protested their innocence and ignor ance of any conspiracy, but confessed their guilt of receiving stolen goods, and that they deserved death for that felony. The nature of the prosecution, not unlike that of Sir Walter Raleigh by Attorney General Bacon, may be inferred from the following extract from the speech of Mr. Attorney General Bradley: "Gentlemen, such a monster will this Hughson appear before you, that for the sake of the plunder he expected by setting in flames the king's house, and this whole city, and by the effusion of the blood of his neighbors, he, murderous and remorse less he! counselled and encouraged the committing of all these most astonishing deeds of darkness, cruelty and inhumanity. — Infamous Hughson! "Gentlemen, This is that Hughson! whose name and most detestable conspiracies will no doubt be had in everlasting remembrance to his eternal reproach; and stand recorded to latest posterity.— This is the man! — this that grand incendiary! — that arch rebel against God, his king, and his coun try! — that devil incarnate, and chief agent of the old Abaddon of the infernal pit, and regions of darkness." What wonder that his body was hanged in chains after death! The negroes first convicted of the con