54 3Ien and Things in Albany Two Centuries Ago. 



The Indians who came to dispose of their furs were lodged 

 in Indian houses outside of the stockades, not being allowed 

 to remain over night within the gates, so watchful were 

 the authorities against surprise at all times. 



The Stadhuis, or City Hall, on the corner of Broadway 

 and Hudson streets, served for the courts, the meetings of 



the common council, and for 

 the confinement of criminals. 

 In the time of the revolution 

 disaffected persons and all 

 sorts of desperate characters 

 were confined here in unusual 

 numbers. At one time seve- 

 ral who had been condemned 

 to execution were incarcer- 

 ated in a lower room, where 

 the door of the apartment 

 swung in a place cut out 

 The City Hall, 1806. lower than the level of the 



floor. When the sheriff came to take them out he found 

 the door barricaded. He procured a heavy piece of timber 

 and endeavored to batter down the door. During the 

 attem.pt the voices of the prisoners were heard threatening 

 death to those who should persevere in the effort to molest 

 them, stating that they had laid a train of powder to blow 

 up themselves and their assailants. While a crowd 

 gathered and were looking on to see the end of this sin- 

 gular affair, some one suggested the idea of getting at them 

 through the ceiling. The prisoners renewed their threats 

 of vengeance, certain, speedy and awful while this was 

 being effected. The assailants persevered, nevertheless, 

 and having brought the fire engine, the room was suddenly 

 inundated and the train rendered harmless. How to de- 

 scend was still a difiSlculty, as but one could do so at a time, 

 and the disproportion of physical strength that apparently 

 awaited the first intruder, for some time prevented the 



