ATTEMPT TO FREE A SLAVE AT NIAGARA Falls, 1847

True Wesleyan (NY), August 14, 130

The Riot at Niagara Falls. A very unpleasant and distasteful circumstance took place here on our arrival, which disturbed the entire village. A few more such riots will turn the tide in favor of the Clifton House on the Canadian side. A slaveholder and his salve, a girl of twenty-two years of age arrived here and took lodgings at the Cataract Hotel, where there are a vast number of colored waiters. The girl made known her situation to one of them and stated that she was wretched beyond description because of the cruel treatment of her master and mistress. She wished him to convey here to the Canada side, where he should be protected by British laws. He was determined to free her if possible, but the master watched here carefully, and ke pt her so closely confined at night, as to render escape impracticable.

When ready to leave, her master contrived to detail the cars beyond the usual time. This was done to lull the suspicion of the colored people. He placed the girl in the car between himself and the window. She was heart broken when she f ound she was going back into slavery. The colored people attempted to take her out, but were prevented by a mob, who beat them severely. The cars were started in the midst of the scuffle. One of the colored men jumped on the car, and followed it to Lockpo rt, hoping to liberate the poor girl there. He was unsuccessful.

The same night, about eleven o'clock, several wicked boys began to fire off pistols, without balls. A report was then circulated thought town that the blacks had fired on the whites-- a statement utterly false, as I saw the whole transa ction from beginning to end. Not a colored man was seen in the street that night. It was a few drunken Irishmen, ripe for destruction, and several wicked young lads, commenced the work of destroying the little shanties of the poor blacks, and they would h ave burnt the whole of them if not fearful of setting fire to other houses. The mob made the slave case a pretext for attacking the colored people, because they sell root beer instead of brandy, and took away the custom from the grog dealers. On Sunday th e 11th, notices in writing were put up in different public places, ordering all the blacks to clear out in twenty-four hours. I told them not to regard these notices, but to keep perfectly quiet. They did not, and here the matter ended. They are still the re as numerous as ever.