day coals were discovered under the stables of a Mr. John Murray on Broadway.  On the next morning an alarm called the people to the residence of Sergeant Burns, near the fort; and in a few hours the dwelling of a Mr. Hilton, near Fly Market, was found to be on fire.  But the flames in both places were readily extinguished.  It was thought that the fire was purposely set at Mr. Hilton’s, as a bundle of tow was found near the premises.  A short time before these strange fires broke out, a Spanish vessel, partly manned by Spanish Catholic Negroes, had been brought into the port of New York as a prize.  All the crew that were Negroes were hurried into the Admiralty Court; where they were promptly condemned to slavery, and an order issued for their sale.  The Negroes pleaded their freedom in another country, but had no counsel to defend them.  A Capt.  Sarly purchased one of these Negroes.  Now, Capt.  Sarly’s house adjoined that of Mr. Hilton’s; and so, when the latter’s house was discovered to be on fire, a cry was raised, “The Spanish Negroes!  The Spanish!  Take up the Spanish Negroes!” Some persons took it upon themselves to question Capt.  Sarly’s Negro about the fires, and it is said that he behaved in an insolent manner; whereupon he was sent to jail.  A magistrate gave orders to the constables to arrest and incarcerate the rest of the Spanish Negroes.  The magistrates held a meeting the same day, in the afternoon; and, while they were deliberating about the matter, another fire broke out in Col.  Phillipes’s storehouse.  Some of the white people cried “Negro!  Negro!” and “Cuff Phillipes!” Poor Cuff, startled at the cry, ran to his master’s house, from whence he was dragged to jail by an excited mob.  Judge Horsemanden says,—­

“Many people had such terrible apprehensions on this occasion that several Negroes (many of whom had assisted to put out the fire) who were met in the streets, were hurried away to jail; and when they were there they were continued some time in confinement before the magistrates could spare time to examine into their several cases."[244]

Let the reader return now to the robbery committed in Mr. Hogg’s house on the 28th of February.  The officers thought they had traced the stolen goods to a public house on the North River, kept by a person named John Hughson.  This house had been a place of resort for Negroes; and it was searched for the articles, but nothing was found.  Hughson had in his service an indentured servant,—­a girl of sixteen years,—­named Mary Burton.  She intimated to a neighbor that the goods were concealed in Hughson’s house, but that it would be at the expense of her life to make this fact known.  This information was made known to the sheriff, and he at once apprehended the girl and produced her before Alderman Banker.  This benevolent officer promised the girl her freedom on the ground that she should tell all she knew about the missing property.  For prudential reasons the Alderman ordered Mary Burton