Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-01-22
I F1om the NelC York Mercury

the Enemy Extraordinary TEST ,nony
IFSom the Near York Merc,sryI
| We have at our elbow an old volume one
OF The very few which, in Revolutionary
times, dared 10 attack the private character
OF George Washington, whose glorious
achievements have given us the Centennial
/ OF liberty We now celebrate. Ii is entitled
Minutes OF tie trial ana examination OF
certain per sons IN the province OF New York,
charged with being engaged in the conspt-
racy against the authority OF the Congress
ana the liberty OF America. London. Pub
lished by j. Bew. No % Paternoster Row,
NJ. ID. c. G. L. XXXvI" This rare voIu ne
attempts to sully the reputation OF the great
Virginian, and we should have passed IL
over but for the fact that its insinuations
have been embodied in the earlier military
annals of the great struggle, now almost In
accessible and forgotten. These records pur-
port that Washington was intimate with a
| servant girl named Mary Gibbons, who
waited on him at his headquarters In this
| city, aud that she stole military dispatches
1 from his pocket, which, after being copied,
/ were returned. The copies were sent 20 the
enemy, whose ships OF war were anchored in
the bay. Before We proceed further. IL is ne
cessary to describs the haunts of the British
| loyalists, at whose instance Mary Gibbons
oecame fami liar wi III her master, for the pur-
pose OF purloinins the plass of his great cam
paign.
| In the spring OF ITT6 washIngton's head =
! quarters We're locatei in al oil mansion not
! FAR from the liSpenard meadows IN the
vicinity or the street in the IF h ward ca lei
/ after that name. Above the m "a lows was
| then celebrated place known as Richmond
| HliI, Low the lower portion OF NarIck street
"A short distance from it stood an old inn,
! "COrbieS' Tavern" which was nightly
haunted by the adherents of King George.
| Another tavern which they frequented stood
| near the old barracks, on the spot which is
| familiar TO the present generation as IT IRON
Row Over this inn was the sign "Ser-
geants Arms" Here one of the 90 ~ guard
| OF Washington, Thomas Hickey, q traitor
| and an Intimate friend OF Mary Gibbons,
was in the habit OF meeting loyalists, who
had, after Washingtons plans had been OBJ
| tained, encompassed his death by assasslga-
| ton. The Sergeant's Arms was kept " one
| Alexander Sinclair, a Scotchman.
| THE FIRST CLEw TO THE CONSPIRACY
| was found In novel way. Mr.. Collyer, a
waiter at the Sergeants Arms, and, as he
proved, a valuable friend of the country,
rushed TO the house of Joseph Smith a pa
| triotic American, and informed him tn at he
had some affairs of great importance To COM
municate, and thathe would lay them before
him II he would promise protection from
| violence. The walter was at once Informed
| that he would not only be protected, but
would be handsomely rewarded If his dis
| coveries were OF any importance. Enc0ur-
| aged by this promise, Collyer said that the
| Sergeants Arms tavern was the scene OF q
| great conspiracy-that men met there and
declared that they would not submit to the
| damnable oppression of the American Con-
gress; that he concealed himself in al ad-
| joining chamber, that he heard them speak
of an engagement that had been entered fnto
| in New York and the neighboring province
TO free themselves from Congress-; that he
4
| arms were distributed among tn psrtisans
| and that a CORES pondence was established
| between them and the British army.
| Mr.. Smith questioned him concerning the
| names of the persons who had met at his
masters house, and learned from him that
Messrs. Forbes, Garrison, Cockshall, Burke,
and Sebring were the most active persons.
Mr.. Smith, continues the narrative, sent
| this information at once TO the American
Congress, and the latter determined to act
| with the utmost caution and arrest the
Leader yuh q al 70
| be Gilbert Forbes.
A DESCENT ON FORBES HOUSE ON BROAD
WAY.
Accordingly party of tried men were Sc
lected TO make descent on Forbes house,
which was located on the lower portion of
broadway, near Wall street. He was gum
I smith. AT O'Clock on the morning OF June
2, 1916, the party, under the command of
Capt. Labbateau, surrounded Forbes house,
and, having broken open the frolt door,
rushed up stairs TO his bedroom, where they
| found him asleep. He was utterly SURPRISED
The captain demanded the keys OF tue va
rious rooms and of his trunks, aud the men
seized him lest he might escape. He surren-
! dered his keys, but not before he was in
formed that they were demanded in the
| name ard in behalf of the American Con-
gress. A search was then made, resulting
in the discovery of the most mporta At docu-
| ments which were transmitted to Congress
Among them was copy Of the articles of
association OF the conspirators, and their
names, who had pledged themselves virtu-
ally to lead civil war in this city in favor
of King George. Forbes was taken to ill
and close watch kept upon him night and
day. Subsequently the conspIrators whose
| names were recorded on the docurn snts
| found at Forbes house. were arrested, and
these papers led to the complete discovery of
the plot In which Mary Gibbons and Thomas
Hickey were the leading actors.
Aware of the importance of the papers
| sent TO them. the provisional congress APP
| pointed the following patriots as court of
| inquiry, and to bring to condign punish
ment such person or persons as they should
IND concerned In the cnnSnirarV. Pefar
| Livingston, president; j. NJ Scott, NJ arinus
| Willett, Alex. McDougal, Joan Berrlan,
| mus, John Abel. Com. Byvank, John
| Stoughtenburg, James Wetseli, John Crsm-
shere; and Gilbert Smith, secretary.
This court convened at the house OF Mr..
Jasper Drake at Beekman Slip. Mr.. Abra-
| nam Livingston, appearing, fnforneI the
court that he had called upon Forbes in jail,
and that he promised to disclose matters OF
great importance, if security should be given
| him for his own personal safety. Forbes was
subsequently brought before the court. He
showed great signs Of CONSERVATION aud
| guilt, and with q faltering voice begged the
committee to allow him some time 70 COM
pose his mind, and permit him to have coun-
sci to assist in his defence. Tue president
replied:-"Sir, we shall show you all the
candor and justice you can expect. ghe
questions we shall put to you are only con-
corning matters OF fact, aud If you wish for
some time only 10 be better able to prevari-
cate and evade, inform you that your re-
quest cannot be granted"
tlemen, you Will not De harsh and hasty
with me. / am sure / never meant any
harm against my country, but minded the
business OF my shop. have been treated
very cruelly-torn out of my bed at the dead
of night, my sick wife and family alarmed,
my papers seized, and my house ransacked
without my knowing why or wherefore, and
| thrown into a prison, denied q counsel or
assistance of any friend or acquaintance"
Mr.. Mulligan-"Sir, L am surprised you
have the boldness to speak in this manner
| before the court, after what you have been
| guilty OF. advise you TO conceal nothing,
| as you hope for pardon"
The court, after some further remarks,
finding Forbes obdurate, rema lded him to
prison.
After examining other witnesses, who tes-
| titled in q general way TO the conspiracy and
Forbes connection with 1t, the principal
witness was called. His testimony is given
verbatim, as recorded in the volume be-
| fore us.
VIM. COOPER, (soLDIER,) SWORN.
Court.-"Inform us what conversation you
heard at the Sergeants ATms?"
Cooper.-"Being there the 2lst of May, /
heard John Clayford inform the company
that Mary Gibbons was thoroughly in their
interest, and that the whole would be safe.
learnt from INQUIRY that Mary Gibbons was