d the robbery, so said the jury.

On the 3d of May one Arthur Price, a common thief, was committed to
jail for theft. He occupied a cell next to the notorious Peggy Carey.
In order to bring himself into favor with the judges, he claimed to
have had a conversation with Peggy through the hole in the door. Price
says she told him that "she was afraid of those fellows" (the
Negroes); that if they said any thing in any way involving her she
would hang every one of them; that she did not care to go on the stand
again unless she was called; that when asked if she intended to set
the town on fire she said no; but she knew about the plot; that
Hughson and his wife "were sworn with the rest;" that she was not
afraid of "Prince, Cuff, Caesar, and Fork's Negro--not Caesar, but
another," because they "were all true-hearted fellows." This
remarkable conversation was flavored throughout with the vilest
species of profanity. Notwithstanding this interview was between a
common Irish prostitute and a wretched sneak-thief, it had great
weight with the solemn and upright judges.

In the midst of this trial, seven barns were burnt in the town of
Hackinsack. Two Negroes were suspected of the crime, but there was not
the slightest evidence that they were guilty. But one of them said
that he had discharged a gun at the party who set his master's barn on
fire, but did not kill any one. The other one was found loading a gun
with two bullets. This was enough to convict. They were burnt alive at
a stake. This only added fuel to the flame of public excitement in New
York.

On the 6th of May (Wednesday) two more arrests were made,--Hughson's
daughter Sarah, suspected of being a confederate, and Mr. Sleydall's
Negro Jack,--on suspicion of having put fire to Mr. Murray's haystack.
On the same day the judges arraigned the white persons implicated in
the case,--John Hughson, his wife, and Peggy Carey. The jury promptly
found them guilty of "receiving stolen goods." "Peggy Carey," says
Recorder Horsemanden, "seeming to think it high time to do something
to recommend herself to mercy, made a voluntary confession." This
vile, foul-mouthed prostitute takes the stand, and gives a new turn to
the entire affair. She removes the scene of the conspiracy to another
tavern near the new Battery, where John Romme had made a habit of
entertaining, _contrary to law_, Negro slaves. Peggy had seen many
meetings at this place, particularly in December, 1740. At that t