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 time she mentioned the following Negroes as being present:  Cuff, Brash, Curacoa, Caesar, Patrick, Jack, Cato; but her especial Caesar Varick was not implicated!  Romme administered an oath to all these Negroes, and then made a proposition to them; viz., that they should destroy the fort, burn the town, and bring the spoils to him.  He engaged to divide with them, and take them to a new country, where he would give them their freedom.  Mrs. Romme was present during this conversation; and, after the Negroes had departed, she and the deponent (Peggy) were sworn by Romme to eternal secrecy.  Mrs. Romme denied swearing to the conspiracy, but acknowledged that her husband had received stolen goods, that he sold drams to Negroes who kept game-fowls there; but that never more than three Negroes came at a time.  She absconded in great fright.  It has been mentioned that Peggy Carey had lived at the tavern of John Romme for a short time, and that articles belonging to Mr. Hogg had been found under the kitchen floor of the house next to Romme’s.

The judges evidently reasoned that all Negroes would steal, or that stealing was incident upon or implied by the condition of the slave.  Then Romme kept a “tippling-house,” and defied the law by selling “drams” to Negroes.  Now, a man who keeps a “tippling-house” was liable to encourage a conspiracy.

A full list of the names of the persons implicated by Peggy was handed to the proper officers, and those wicked persons apprehended.  They were brought before the redoubtable Peggy for identification.  She accused them of being sworn conspirators.  They all denied the charge.  Then they were turned over to Mary Burton; and she, evidently displeased at Peggy’s attempt to rival her in the favor of the powerful judges, testified that she knew them not.  But it was vain.  Peggy had the ear of the court, and the terror-stricken company was locked up in the jail.  Alarmed at their helpless situation, the ignorant Negroes began “to accuse one another, as it would seem, by way of injuring an enemy and guarding themselves.”