new york conspiracy 1741
... that both Prince and Caesar brought the things of which they had robbed Mr. Hogg, to her master John Hughson’s house, and that they were handed in through the window. That Caesar, Prince and Cuffee used to meet frequently at her master’s house, and that she heard them talk frequently of burning the fort; and that they would go down to the Fly and burn the whole town; and that her master said, they would aid and assist them as much as they could possible. Also, that in their common conversations they used to say, that when all this was done, Caesar would be governor, and Hughson her master, should be king. She also noted that they had meetings, Caesar and both Prince and Cuffee. And in these meetings, they would say that when they set fire to the town, they would kill and destroy them. That she has known at times, seven or eight guns in her master’s house, and some swords, and that at such large meetings, they would generally present and be most active out of the bunch. Also, that Hughson used to threaten, that if she, the deponent, ever made mention of the goods stolen from Mr. Hogg, they would poison her; and that they would burn her whenever they met her. In addition the last thing she mentioned was that she never saw any white person in company when they talked of burning the town, but only, her master, her mistress and Peggy. The second case that followed the one concerning Caesar and Prince was the trial of John and Sarah Hughson. In 1741 on St. Patrick’s Day, what was to be the first of eight fires in six days, broke out in the city of New York. The fires, preceded and accompanied by robberies destroyed most of Fort Georgia a major provincial building and seat of government. An investigation of a tavern keeper, John Hughson, and his wife Cuffee, started by receiving and selling stolen goods implicated two black men, Caesar and Prince produced evidence which indicated that the fires and robberies were the result of concerted activity, raising the suspicion of conspiracy. The investigation led to the prosecution and trial of more than one hundred and fifty Africans and twenty Europeans. As a result, thirteen blacks were burned at the stake, sixteen blacks and four whites were hung and more than seventy blacks and seven whites were banished. With this John Hughson, Sarah, and his daughter Sarah where charged on June 4, 1741, for the coaxing and counseling the Negro Cufee to burn Mr. Philipe’s storehouse. For the second trial Mary Burton was yet again a key part in the case; she had a large amount of evidence and deposed before the judge saying, that there were many Negroes frequently at the Hughson’s house at night, eating, drinking; In which she has seen more than twenty at a time there. The Negroes used to bring supplies there in which john his wife and Peggy used at the meetings to discuss how they were going to burn down the town and kill the people. She also saw Caesar pay John Hughson twelve pounds in silver Spanish pieces to buy r...