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Conspiracy Theories, Cults, & Crimes
CONSPIRACY THEORY: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington
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Vanessa Richardson
Hi listeners. Exciting news Crime House plus and Murder True Crime Stories are celebrating America's 250th by dropping a four part limited series on the crimes that built America. These are the crimes and cases that gave us Miranda rights, sparked criminal profiling, and a murder that built America's missing children movement. Follow Murder True Crime Stories for a new episode every Monday leading up to July 4th. Or or you can listen to all of them right now with Crime House Plus. To join, go to crimehouseplus.com or if you're listening on Apple Podcasts, tap, try free at the top of this show's page.
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Vanessa Richardson
In June of 1776, two friends met up for a drink at Corby's Tavern in New York City. They had a lot to talk about. The Revolutionary War had been raging for just over a year, and it was starting to look like the scrappy forces of the 13 colonies might have the upper hand. Just two months earlier, the Continental army, led by General George Washington had driven the British out of Boston after an 11 month siege. Now Washington had arrived in New York to rally the city's defenses ahead of an expected British counterattack. The but the two men who'd met up at Corby's Tavern weren't celebrating. One of them, a gunsmith named Gilbert Forbes, thought the whole war was a huge mistake. The British army was the most powerful military force in the world. The Americans had gotten lucky in Boston, but this wasn't a fight they could win. Forbes wasn't alone in thinking this way, and he and his allies had a plan to stop the war. All they had to do was assassinate George Washington. Without their leader, the Continental army would fall apart and the rebellious colonists would have to surrender. Forbes drinking buddy liked this plan. His name was William Greene, and by the end of the evening, he agreed to help Forbes out by recruiting other agents for the plot. Forbes and Greene sealed their agreement by raising their glasses in a toast to the King of England. William Greene was an important ally for Forbes. Little plan not only was he a member of the Continental army, he was also one of George Washington's personal bodyguards. And now he'd sold out the man he'd sworn to protect and the man who would become our first president for a couple mugs of beer and a few shillings. A. From UFO cults and mass suicides to secret CIA experiments, presidential assassinations, and murderous doctors. These aren't just theories. They're real stories that blur the line between fact and fiction. I'm Vanessa Richardson, and this is Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes A Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I'll explore the real people at the center of the world's most shocking events and nefarious organizations. Remember, these Monday episodes are also on YouTube with full video. You can find them every Saturday and be sure to rate, review and follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes wherever you're listening. And if you want even more, subscribe to Crime House plus and get every episode of this show and the rest of the Crime House lineup ad free and early, plus at least two bonus episodes every month. To join, go to Crime House plus or if you listen on Apple Podcasts, tap try free at the top of the Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes homepage. Today I'm cracking open a conspiracy that's older than the Declaration of Independence. In the spring of 1776, as the Thirteen Colonies fought for independence, a group of British loyalists hatched a plan to sabotage the war effort by killing George Washington, and their plot nearly worked. The rush to stop the assassins, round up the conspirators and make sure that it never happened again is a gripping tale of revolutionary espionage, and it laid the groundwork for the network of spies and double agents who make up America's modern intelligence community. We'll get into the details of this daring plot right after this.
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- [05:11]
Vanessa Richardson
So before we get into the assassination plan, let's start by taking a closer look at the guy the British were trying to kill. George Washington. You might have heard of him, but in 1776, Washington wasn't the big legendary figure he is now. He was just a 44 year old ex farmer who'd wound up in charge of the army going toe to toe with the British Empire. And by his own adm he felt like he was in over his head. Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia in 1732. He was the oldest of six children. His father was a plantation owner and a local judge, but the two were never close. Washington's father died when he was 11, and he later inherited the family's plantation and the 10 enslaved people who worked there in his early 20s. But in 1753, at the age of 21, he joined Virginia's militia in hopes of distinguishing himself in combat. And Washington got his wish. Back then, Virginia was a British colony, and the British were in conflict with the French, who had established a military presence in the Ohio river valley. Over the next few years, Washington played a key role in multiple battles of what's now known as the French and Indian war. Washington gained a reputation for being calm under pressure and quickly rose through the militia's ranks. But by 1758, when he was 26, Washington had reached the rank of colonel and commander, the senior most rank in the Virginia militia. But by then, he was done fighting. While the French and Indian war would drag on until 1763. The conflict had moved further north and Washington wanted to get back to his farm. So he resigned from the militia, married a rich widow, and returned to managing his plantation at Mount Vernon, Virginia. He wouldn't put on a military uniform again for more than 15 years. While Washington was growing his farm, relations between the colonies and their bosses back in England were withering. The British spent a ton of money during the French and Indian war. So to try and balance the books, they started imposing lots of new taxes on everyday goods in the colonies, like newspapers, glass and tea. This didn't go over well. Residents of the colonies didn't have any legal representation in the British government. This meant they had no say over what taxes were imposed or how much the taxes were. When representatives from the colonies tried to point this out to the British, they were basically told to shut up and deal with it. And if you studied any American history, you probably know that's not what they did. By 1774, leaders of the Thirteen Colonies realized they'd have a better chance of getting what they wanted if they could negotiate with the British as a unified body. So they formed the Continental Congress, A group of roughly 60 leaders from across the colonies who were opposed to the crown. Together, this group of delegates strategized about the best ways to resist the British and fight for the colonies needs. One of those delegates was George Washington. Not only was he a war hero and a successful plantation owner, but he was just as upset about British taxes and treatment of the colonists as anybody else. When the delegates debated policies and procedures, he didn't say much. When he did speak, though, he gained a reputation for being clear headed and decisive. But the British weren't in the mood to negotiate about Taxes or anything else. They were dead set on putting the colonists in their place. And on April 19, 1775, the tensions boiled over. That day, a British army regiment marched toward Concord, Massachusetts, to seize weapons and and gunpowder stockpiled by colonists. Along the way, they were confronted in Lexington by a number of colonial militias. After a brief standoff, someone we don't know who, started shooting. By the end of the day, over a hundred people were dead. The revolutionary war had begun, and George Washington knew which side he was on. At the first continental congress meeting after the fighting started, he showed up wearing his old man military uniform. Now that the colonists were formally at war with Britain, the continental congress realized they needed an actual army, not just 13 state militias. So in June of 1775, Massachusetts delegate John Adams proposed the creation of the continental army and nominated Washington to lead it. The other delegates voted unanimously to make him commander in in chief. Right away, Washington was worried that he'd bitten off more than he could chew. While he was a military veteran, he hadn't fought since the 1750s, and he'd never commanded more than a hundred men in battle. In a letter to his wife, he worried that the responsibilities of his new job were, quote, too great for my capacity. But even though he believed he wasn't up to the task, Washington knew that people were counting on him. So the newly appointed general rode off to Massachusetts, where he became a hero of the revolution. Following the fighting at Lexington and Concord, the British army retreated to Boston. Local militias had followed them there and were now camped outside the city, laying siege to the British forces inside. When Washington arrived In July of 1775, he took command of the siege. Throughout the rest of the year, he kept the pressure on the British forces in Boston, while simultaneously training these ragtag volunteer militias into a professional army. Washington appointed qualified officers across the army and built out a complex chain of command. From scratch, he imposed discipline on his soldiers. Anyone caught drinking, gambling, or using foul language was whipped or court martialed. He worked to instill a sense of national unity in soldiers who came from different colonies, reminding his men that they were fighting for everyone's freedom. And even though he was a slave owner, Washington recognized that the need for manpower was more important than his own racial prejudices. So he allowed free black men to serve alongside white soldiers, creating what would be the most racially integrated American military forces force until the Korean war almost two centuries later. But Washington's greatest triumph was ending the siege of Boston. In early 1776, he sent some of his troops on a daring mission. Washington's forces hauled 60 tons of artillery through the woods from Fort Ticonderoga to the city's outskirts. It was a grueling 300 mile journey through the winter wilderness. But it paid off. Under the COVID of darkness on the night of March 4, Washington and his men set up the artillery guns across the bay from Boston. Thanks to Washington's discipline, the men worked quickly and efficiently. By the time the sun rose, the British were shocked to see a row of long range artillery guns facing them. They were sitting ducks. If they left the city to try and attack Washington forces, the guns would tear them apart. If they stayed in the city, Washington could open fire and wipe them out. And if they tried to bring reinforcements through the harbor, Washington could blow the boats out of the water. A few days later, on March 8, 1776, the British commander, General Howe, sent an agreement to evacuate to Washington's forces. He and his men would leave the city without a fight.
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- [12:51]
Vanessa Richardson
Less than two weeks later, the British had boarded their boats and sailed out of Boston Harbor. General Washington had humiliated the British, and he done it without inflicting any serious civilian casualties. Washington was a national hero overnight. Thankful colonists celebrated in the streets of Boston. Harvard University granted him an honorary degree, and the Continental Congress created a special meeting medal for him to mark his achievement. But Washington didn't share in the excitement. He knew the British weren't giving up. They just sailed to Nova Scotia to wait while reinforcements sailed across the Atlantic. And he was sure their next target would be New York City, which would be much harder to defend. As he prepared for the battle ahead, Washington recognized that he had become an important source of morale for the revolutionary cause and needed to protect his own safety. So he issued an order requesting that the commander of each regiment of the Continental army provide four experienced, loyal, trustworthy soldiers for him to review. From this elite group, Washington Hand picked 50 soldiers, the best of the best, to form a new unit called the Lifeguards. Dressed in blue and white uniforms, the Lifeguards were charged with protecting General Washington at all costs. But some of them weren't planning on holding up their end of the bargain. If you're always on the hunt for a good deal like I am, you need to know about whatnot. It is the number one live shopping app in the US Bringing real time conversations and incredible discounts right to your phone. What I love most is the community. It honestly feels like hanging out with a group of friends who just totally get your style. It's also an amazing way to discover new brands because the sellers never gatekeep their best sources During a live stream yesterday, I connected with a seller who hooked me up with a gorgeous Sephora Collection eyeshadow palette and a Charlotte Tilbury lipstick Bundle for only $30 total. She was so sweet. It was such a fun experience getting to chat with everyone live while saving a fortune on something I love. Download Whatnot today and get $20 off and free shipping on your first purchase. Search whatnot W h a T N o t in the App Store, sign up and start finding the best deals on the products you love with $20 off and free shipping on your first purchase.
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The government gets a bad reputation, but did you know that the roads under your feet, the forecast on your phone, the letter in your mailbox, that's all government too. I'm Professor Lindsay Cormac and I'm hosting a new podcast called Government that Doesn't Suck alongside Professor Greg Jackson, who you may know from the hit podcast History that Doesn't Suck. Each episode we dig into the surprising story of an American institution, from the origins of the Internet to the National Park Service to the GI Bill and so much more. You'll hear the stories behind them, plus a conversation with an expert who knows it inside and out. This is the real history of how we built the country under your feet, and you'll never look at any of it the same way again. Listen to and follow Government that Doesn't Suck available now. Wherever you get your podcasts,
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- [16:43]
Vanessa Richardson
General George Washington hit the ground running as commander in chief of the Continental army. He turned a bunch of volunteer farmers into a Pilgrim professional fighting force and drove the British out of Boston without firing a shot. To the Americans, he was a hero, and to the British he was a threat, one who had to be dealt with by any means necessary. And In April of 1776, as Washington marched south to New York City to prepare for a British counterattack, he was heading into unfriendly territory. Not all of the colonists in America supported the war. A lot of them were Loyalists, British sympathizers who wanted America to remain a royal colony. And New York City was one of the biggest Loyalist strongholds around. The city was a major hub of international trade. And most merchants who made their money shipping goods to and from England didn't want to jeopardize their business with a war. A lot of the wealthiest families in the city had direct ties to England's royal family family. Also, the anglican church, AKA the church of england, Was the dominant religion in the city. The king of England is the formal leader of the Anglican church, so a lot of anglicans weren't willing to turn their backs on their own religion. But one of the biggest sources Of New York's loyalist leanings Was a man named William Tryon, the colony's royally appointed governor. Tryon had been born into a aristocratic family in England in 1729. He served in the British military in the Seven Years War and was later rewarded for his bravery by being appointed governor of the North Carolina colony in 1765. But Tryon didn't get along well with his new subjects. At the time, colonists were already upset about the English taxation, and as governor, Tryon only fanned the flames by imposing yet another tax in order to pay for his new mansion that he was building himself. Tryon became so unpopular that a group of poor farmers formed a militia known as the regulators to resist Tryon's policies. Instead of negotiating, Tryon called in the colony's provincial militia, and in 1771, they defeated the regulators in a battle near what is now burlington, north carolina. On Tryon's orders, about seven regulators were executed. Shortly after this incident, the British realized that Tryon wasn't going to get any more popular, so they transferred him to serve as governor of New York instead. As governor of New York, Tryon watched with dismay as the revolutionary movement took hold in the surrounding colonies. Even in New York, where roughly half of the city were loyalists, the other half were supporters of the revolution known as patriots.
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Vanessa Richardson
And as the war got underway, Tryon could feel the winds beginning to shift. Crowds started heckling him in public appearances. By October of 1775, while General Washington was laying siege to Boston, One of Tryon's spies gave him some disturbing news. The continental congress had given a secret order Urging the patriots to start kidnapping loyalist officials, and apparently, Tryon's name had specifically been mentioned. While debating the order in a panic, Tryon wrote to the mayor of New York, Whitehead Hicks, Demanding that city officials protect him. In his letter, Tryon issued a threat. If any harm came to him, A British warship stationed in New York harbor called the Asia Would open fire on the city. In response, mayor Hicks attempted to reassure Tryon that he was safe. But Made no concrete promises that he'd be protected. So a few days later, Tryon fled the city and took up residence aboard a British merchant ship anchored in New York harbor called the Duchess of Gordon. Over the next few months, Tryon built out a network of spies throughout the colonies. He paid informants to linger at docks and taverns where they stole mail being sent between patriot agents. And he pulled strings to get one of his former servants hired as a valet for a member of the Continental Congress, which gave him a steady drip of information about what his enemies were up to. He also went after Whitehead Hicks, the mayor of New York, who'd refused to guarantee his protection. As governor, Tryon had the authority to appoint the city's mayor. So In February of 1776, he replaced Hicks with David Matthews, A reliable ally who used his office to undermine the Patriots cause. And Tryon started throwing money around, bribing New York area gunsmiths not to supply weapons to the Continental army. One of those gunsmiths, Gilbert Forbes, was so committed to the Loyalist cause that he went to work for Tryon on an even bigger project. Forbes and other recruiters on Tryon's payroll started traveling throughout the colonies offering able bodied men money to support the British. Anyone who swore a secret allegiance to King George III would receive a small weekly allowance of roughly 10 shillings for reference. That was about equivalent to a week's worth of work for a soldier. In return, they would be expected to take up arms when British reinforcements arrived from England after the war was over. Each man who'd sworn the oath would receive 200 acres of land for their service. Over several months, Tryon's agents were able to convince a few hundred hundred colonists to agree to fight for England once the full might of the English fleet arrived. A number of these recruits were even active duty members of the Continental army. Tryon was surprised at how many members of the colonists own army were willing to switch sides for money. And in the aftermath of George Washington's stunning victory in Boston In March of 1776, Tryon decided to see just how far he could push these soldiers loyalties. That April, Washington arrived in New York to begin preparing the city's defenses. The British forces had regrouped in Nova Scotia after their retreat from Boston. He'd learned that as many as 25,000 troops were on their way from England to reinforce the group that had fled to Nova Scotia. From a tactical perspective, New York was the likeliest site for a British landing. Manhattan island was extremely difficult to defend. The city was full of Loyalists who Would welcome the invading troops with no resistance. And if the British captured New York, they'd be able to cut the 13 colonies in half, Dividing the American forces. So Washington and his army of 19,000 poorly supplied, lightly trained men had their work cut out for them. Shortly after the continental army arrived in the city, Washington's men constructed two two major strongholds. Fort Washington and fort Lee. They tore up city streets to use the stones for barricades. But Washington was also aware that he was in unfriendly territory. He sent squads out to arrest and disarm loyalists who were stockpiling weapons in Long island and Westchester county. And he issued a public proclamation forbidding anyone in the city from communicating with or visiting governor Tryon's ship in the harbor. Washington knew Tryon was up to no good, but he didn't know that Tryon's plans were already in motion. Shortly before Washington arrived in the city, Tryon had given his ally, Mayor Matthews, 120 pounds to try and bribe members of the lifeguards, which, for reference, was worth eight to nine years of work for the average person, and Tryon was willing to spend. He was still furious that the continental congress had pushed put out a hit on him, and now he wanted to do the same to general Washington. Matthews took five pounds for himself, then handed over 115 to his best recruiter, the gunsmith Gilbert Forbes. Forbes spent the late spring and early summer hanging out in taverns near continental army camps, Keeping an eye and an ear out for unhappy soldiers. And they weren't too hard to find. The rush of the victory in Boston had worn off, and morale was low. Soldiers were poorly supplied, and their pay was often late. Disease spread like wildfire in the army camps. Men who'd signed up to fight were instead spending their days doing the backbreaking labor of building fortifications. And there was a growing sense that the upcoming battle of New York would end in a bloodbath for the American forces. Forbes struck up conversations with these dissatisfied men, buying them drinks and pumping them for information. And eventually, In June of 1776, he wound up sharing a beer with William Greene, a member of the lifeguards. Forbes quickly befriended Greene. They met up for drinks multiple times, and Forbes always got them talking about politics and how Britain was going to win the war. Greene always nodded along with whatever Forbes said. Finally, Forbes suggested that they meet up at Corby's tavern, A bar on the outskirts of the city that was popular with loyalists. There, Forbes gave Greene his sales pitch. Swear an oath to king George and take up Arms for the British when the fleet arrived. In exchange for a small salary and a big plot of land. After the war, Greene took Forbes up on his offer. And then Forbes sweetened the pot, and he offered Greene a bonus for every additional lifeguard he brought on board. Greene said yes to this, too, and he had just the right group of guys in mind. Over the next few days, Greene returned to Corby's with four more lifeguards who all took the oath to support King George. Three were privates John Barnes, James Johnson, and Michael Lynch. And one, Thomas Hickey was a sergeant. And this wasn't Thomas Hickey's first time changing sides. He'd been born in Ireland and first came to the colonies as a British soldier, where he was stationed in Connecticut. But in the lead up to the Revolutionary War, he deserted in 1774 and later joined the Continental army. British deserters were highly sought after by the Continental army because of their superior training and experience. And general Washington certainly seemed to appreciate Sergeant Hickey's expertise because he was reportedly one of his favorite members of the lifeguards. But now Hickey was ready to change sides again and betray the man he'd sworn to protect. Once the five traitors had all been paid and sworn to secrecy, Forbes briefed them on the plan that Governor Tryon had cooked up. For the time being, they should play the part of dedicated patriots. But as soon as the British fleet arrived, it would be time for them to rise up. The traitors first and most important objective was to kill George Washington. As his personal bodyguards, they'd have plenty of opportunities to do it Once he was dead, they were to kill as many of Washington's top generals as possible. After that, the traitors would blow up the Continental army's supply of gunpowder and drive iron spikes through all their cannons to keep them from firing. Their final objective was to blow up the King's Bridge, which connected the northern tip of Manhattan island to the mainland. This would leave the Continental army trapped on the island with no leaders, no gunpowder, and no way to retreat or get more supplies. It was the perfect recipe for a massacre, One which would avenge the British humiliation in Boston and put an end to the American Revolution in a matter of hours. The traitorous lifeguards accepted their mission without hesitation. To them, it was all worth it for a little bit of money. But in the end, it was a different kind of money that brought the whole scheme crashing down.
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Vanessa Richardson
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Vanessa Richardson
In June of 1776, the atmosphere in New York City was tense. George Washington and his Continental army were preparing for an attack by a much larger and better supplied British force. Morale was low among the Continental soldiers, and the city's governor in exile, William Tryon, had hatched a plot to assassinate Washington as soon as the British arrived arrived in New York Harbor. Tryon funneled money to the city's mayor, David Matthews, who in turn passed it along to local gunsmith Gilbert Forbes. Forbes used the cash to bribe five of Washington's elite lifeguards, led by Sergeant Thomas Hickey, to murder the general and his top officers before the battle could begin. But just days before the British invasion, the plan hit a snag. Like everything else about this plan, it all came down to money. Before the war began, the colonies all used British money. But once the fighting started, colonial governments started printing and issuing their own paper money to assert their independence. As a result, by 1776, there were more than a dozen different types of currency in circulation, and a lot of it was poorly produced on crude printing presses. That made it very easy for counterfeiters to create fake money and pass it off as the real deal. British agents also got in on the game, producing large numbers of counterfeit bills to try and destabilize the colonial economy through runaway inflation. Because of this, in some parts of the colonies, as much as half the currency in circulation was fake. Local officials were desperate to get control of the the situation, so each colony passed strict laws making it illegal to carry or use counterfeit cash, and these laws tripped up two of the conspirators in the assassination plot. Thomas Hickey and Michael Lynch. On June 16, a shopkeeper caught Hickey and Lynch trying to buy goods with counterfeit bills. The employee called the police and Hickey and Lynch were taken to the jail beneath New York City City Hall. Hickey and lynch weren't alone in their cell. They were locked up with a man named Isaac Ketchum, who'd also been brought in on counterfeiting charges. The three men started chatting and the two soldiers got a little too talkative for their own good. Hickey and lynch started bragging about their role in the upcoming plot to kill George Washington. But they didn't just tell their new friend all about their role in the top secret assassination plot plot. They also inexplicably gave him a written list of the other co conspirators. It's possible that Hickey and Lynch thought Ketchum was a loyalist as well. Maybe they were hoping to recruit him to their cause and earn a bonus. Or maybe they just wanted to look cool. But Hickey and Lynch had misjudged the situation. Their cellmate wasn't a loyalist or a patriot. He was just interested in getting out of jail. And now he had the perfect bargaining chip. On June 17, 1776, Isaac Ketchum appeared before the New York Provincial Congress. This organization, similar to a state legislature, had been created by local patriots to manage the colony after Governor Tryon fled New York City. The Provincial Congress also ruled on legal and criminal cases, including counterfeiting. But before they could decide decide Ketchum's fate, he told them he had information and wanted to make a deal. Ketchum told the 26 members of the Provincial Congress about Hickey and Lynch's assassination plot and gave them the written list of co conspirators. The members were shocked at what they were hearing. The thought that George Washington's own bodyguards could be bribed to betray him and the revolutionary cause was almost. Almost unbelievable. Some members of the Provincial Congress wondered whether Ketchum had cooked up the story in a desperate attempt to get released. To investigate the claims, the Provincial Congress referred the matter to a secret committee known as the Committee on Conspiracies. Chaired by a lawyer, former Continental Congress delegate and founding father, John Jay. The Committee on Conspiracies had recently been created to root out loyalist plus plots. In just a matter of days, Jay and his fellow committee members found another witness with information that corroborated Ketchum's story. William Leary was the foreman at an iron mill in the town of Goshen, about 70 miles away from New York. In June of 1776, multiple workers at the mill had quit showing up at work. Rumor had it that the men had been bribed by loyalists to go to New York City and take up arms against the their fellow colonists. So Leary, a dedicated patriot, made the trip down to New York to figure out what was going on in New York. Leary asked around and eventually tracked down several of the missing workers. They were all hanging out at the house of the gunsmith, Gilbert Forbes. Leary struck up a conversation with some of the men as they were leaving. He told them he was a loyalist and he was interested in joining the British cause. And the runaway workers, eager to get a signing bonus for bringing in another co conspirator, spilled all the details to him. They explained how Governor Tryon was providing funds passed through Mayor Matthews and Gilbert Forbes to bribe colonists to switch sides in the upcoming battle. And they shared another key detail. They'd heard that Forbes had convinced a few of George Washington's lifeguards to join the plot. As Leary kept the men talking, he led them through the streets of New York, trying to lure them to a Continental army camp where they could be arrested. Before he could spring the trap, the traitors got suspicious and fled. But by then, Leary had everything he needed. He went straight to the New York Provincial Congress to report on what he'd learned. At 10am on June 20, Leary told his story to John Jay and the Committee on conspiracies. By 11, soldiers had rounded up the runaway workers Leary had talked to and brought them before the committee. Under pressure, the men started naming names. And a lot of those names matched the ones on the list Ketchum had provided. The plot was real. So the Committee on Conspiracies went to work to take out the traitors. John Jay immediately noted, notified George Washington that Governor Tryon and Mayor Matthews were funding a conspiracy against him. Right away, Washington had his three traitorous lifeguards, William Greene, James Johnson and John Barnes, arrested and locked up with Hickey and Lynch. Then, once the immediate threat had been dealt with, Washington ordered the Continental army to go after the ringleaders. In the middle of the night, on June 22, 1776, a detachment of soldiers descended on Mayor Matthews house. Washington's men burst inside and placed him under arrest, then ransacked the house in search of evidence. But they weren't able to find any documents implicating Matthews and the conspiracy. In custody, Mayor Matthews denied almost all knowledge of the plot. All he admitted to was taking some money from Governor Tryon and and delivering it to Gilbert Forbes. But he said he had no idea what the money was for. And he even tried to claim that he'd asked Forbes to stop selling weapons to the British and start supporting the patriot cause. The morning after the mayor's arrest, the Continental army paid a visit to Forbes shop, where they arrested him and brought him to jail for questioning. Forbes didn't talk at first. He refused to say anything about the plot or anything else for that matter. But he changed his tune after spending the night in a jail cell locked in leg irons. In the morning, the Committee on Conspiracies sent a local minister to speak with Forbes. The minister told him that he'd been sent to prepare him for death because if Forbes didn't start talking, he'd be executed for treason. Hearing this, Forbes suddenly got a lot more talkative. He told the Committee on Conspiracies and everything and gave them the names of all of his co conspirators. That included Mayor Matthews, who Forbes confirmed was a very active participant, despite what Matthews had claimed. Based on Forbes testimony, the Continental army arrested more than 20 people who had either given or taken bribes to betray their fellow colonists. But the one person who didn't see the inside of a cell was the man at the top of the hole. Whole scheme, Governor Tryon. Sitting on a boat in the harbor, guarded by an English warship, he was untouchable. But as word of the foiled assassination plot began to spread, Washington knew he needed to make an example of someone. On June 28, 1776, after a brief military trial where his co conspirators testified against him, Sergeant D. Thomas Hickey was led to a gallows in a field just north of New York City. Nearly 20,000 people had gathered to watch the hanging, including almost the entire Continental Army. Washington had ordered his soldiers to be there. He wanted to make sure they saw what happened to traitors. Although more than 40 people had been implicated in the plot to assassinate George Washington, Thomas Hickey was the only only one who was executed. And there are a few reasons why. Multiple people who testified before the Committee on Conspiracies had named Hickey in the plot. From Isaac Ketchum, the jailhouse informant to Gilbert Forbes, Hickey's co conspirators among the lifeguards also testified against him to save their own necks. Plus, Hickey was a politically convenient person to execute as an Irishman who'd previously served in the British British army. Killing him made it easier for Washington to rally the colonists against a foreign foe. But the biggest factor in Hickey's execution was that those foreign foes had almost arrived. By the time the conspirators were arrested, the British invasion fleet was just days away from reaching New York. There simply wasn't the time or the resources to put 40 people on trial. Washington needed to make an example of what one person to deter any other traitors and then get back to work preparing to defend the city. Unfortunately, while the Patriots had done a great job foiling the plot against Washington, they didn't fare as well against the British invasion. The British invasion fleet landed at Staten Island, New York on July 3, 1776, five days after Hickey's execution. Washington's Continental army fought hard throughout the summer and fall, but they were badly outnumbered by the British forces. In September of 1776, Washington was forced to give up most of Manhattan and later retreated into New Jersey. The British would occupy New York City for the rest of the war. When it became clear that the British were going to capture the city, Washington's forces moved the imprisoned conspirators to jails further inland. Gilbert Forbes and Mayor David Matthews were transferred to a prison in Connecticut. After that, we don't know what became of Forbes or of the other four lifeguards who were locked up for their roles in the conspiracy. But Mayor Matthews had a more exciting end to his story. He managed to escape from jail in November of 1776. Once he was free, he made his way back to British occupied New York City. There his he was reunited with William Tryon, who returned to the city and resumed his role as governor. After the British regained control. Tryon reappointed Matthews as mayor and both men continued to rule the city until 1783 when the war ended with an American victory. You probably know what happened to George Washington after the war, but you may not know about what became of the Commission Committee on Conspiracies. John Jay continued to lead the Committee throughout the war years, during which the Committee had its own dedicated militia and secret budget to conduct raids on Loyalist strongholds all over the colonies. After the war, Jay and his fellow committee members laid the groundwork for what would become our modern counterintelligence agencies. Today the US Intelligence community considers John Jay America's first, first counterintelligence chief. And what about Tryon and Matthews, the men who dreamed up the conspiracy that John Jay stopped? They didn't go on to quite as much glory. After leaving New York in 1783, Governor Tryon returned to England. He died in 1788, a little over a year before the man he tried to kill was inaugurated as America's first President, Mayor Matthews moved to British controlled Nova Scotia, where he eventually served as Attorney General. He died there in 1800. Even though the Governor and the Mayor had orchestrated a plot to kill America's most famous founding father, their names are still a part of New York's history. Fort Tryon park in northern Manhattan is named in the Governor's honor and a playground in the Bronx is named after David Matthews. But it's seems like the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation had the last laugh. A plaque at Matthew's Playground refers to him as, quote, a thief, an embezzler and a spendthrift, although it doesn't mention he tried to kill George Washington. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Vanessa Richardson and this is Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes. Come back next time. We'll hear another story about the real people at the center of the world's most notorious cults, conspiracies and criminal acts. Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes is a Crime House original Powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media, Rimehouse on TikTok and Instagram. Don't forget to rate, review and follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly makes a difference and to enhance your Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus. You'll get every episode of this show and the rest of the Crime House lineup ad free and early, plus at least two bonus episodes every month. To join go to crimehouseplus.com or if you listen on Apple Podcasts, tap try free at the top of the Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes show page. Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes is hosted by me, Vanessa Richardson and is a Crime House original. Powered by Pave Studios, this episode was brought to life by the Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes team. Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benedon, Natalie Pertzovsky, Lori Marinelli, Alyssa Fox, Truman Capps, Kaylee Pine and Michael Langsner. Thank you for listening.
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There's a pill version of Ozempic.