How It Began
To keep Alexander's name a secret, Zenger used false names. Zenger's name, though, was on every article because he was the printer. Cosby was furious about the articles, and ordered a public burning of the newspapers in front of City Hall on November 6, 1734.
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William Cosby was a very greedy man. James Alexander began writing articles indicating that Cosby was a corrupt Governor. For example, he said Cosby tried to rig elections.
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Through a hole in the cell, Zenger was able to communicate to his wife and told her what to write in the papers. Because of this, the New York Weekly Journal was able to be published each week except for one. Benjamin Franklin noticed the Zenger case and persuaded Andrew Hamilton to defend Zenger. Hamilton, 59 years old, reluctantly agreed to defend Zenger.
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Cosby thought that if the printer was arrested, the newspaper could not be published. Zenger was arrested on November 17, 1734, accused of libel. In Zenger's time period, libel was published information that opposed the government or any person. Today libel is any false information published about the government or anyone. At the hearing, the court set a bail for £400, which was more money than Zenger could pay. As a result, Zenger was in a third floor jail cell in City Hall for almost nine months.
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