The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-02-17

THRILL saLy INrxREsrING--M OF THE FATAL
FIRE AT HKMPsTKAp.--That the truth OF facts 10
often more thrilling than the elaborated plot Of novel
with ME- Jonathan Miller, whose terrible nsfo tunes
we're s oreuy mentioned In this paper yeserdsy. Mr..
ming Square" small collection Of housss two miles
from Hampstead, ON the Jamaica road His house vas
about three quarters Of mile from the turn pike and
some twenty or thirty rods from the public lane Il
was old, lonesome house, and ret cheerful enough
too In GUNNER. for 1t emb owsred amid shrubberv
. .,,h trees miller owned and the farm eonnsotsd
yssrs old and 10 we'll liked by his nsishbors bearing
COED name for industry honesty and ths ether usual
OF psrsons In the land, in any part Of the world
possesses higher average Of excsllssoe.
1t must have bssn in 1882 that the following OCCUR
repces took place -
There was negro man. young giant Of fellow,
weraiDg from place to place around Trimming Square;
Mr. M, among others, had employed the negro his
farm He teo had lost some articles by the thief By
and BY the depredations Of the latter 1t any rate
he universally supposed to be the criminal beos
90 troublesome that the nsighbors took him up and
sort Of pstrsrohoal ssssmbsgs OF Them 1t was de-.
was ono Who seemed most willing to this punishnsn ut
AZ any rate the negro was tied mp and whipped and
then started off, with general warning from eli hands
never to come in the neghhorhood sgsin He vent
over TO the North Side" where along the shore
OF the Sound, and from time to time obtained work
Either he WAS most malignant and ferocious negro
which 10 mot likely from the facts ~ they out
the time or he was wrongfully charged with OF
the hefte and brooded them and his iguomi
punshment, TIL he determined vengeance. The
most Of his bitterness was toward Mr. Miller. His
friends sent him word from the North Side, and ad
vised him to be ON his guard against violence Miller
accordingly kept arms in his bedroom at night, and
The negro appeared ct the village Of jamaica ono
night about 10 O'Clock TWAS fne clear, moonlight
night. He .eixed on wagon, attached to which
nn0 Morse tied Ut In front Of the public
houses In jamaica lie drove along the Hem pstssd
.osH 20 hra@mns square down the lane stopping st
women, whom he frightened literally half to death
and then, somewhere about O'Clock at night tied
tho horse It the head Of Mr.. Miler's lane, nd
went down to the house.
As is customary in very many Long Island farm.
particularly the door Of kitchen which WAS adoin
Ing his bedroom, were usually left unlocked, even
during the night This particular night, however, II
happened by pure accident TO have the bolt up Ii
Afterwards supposed that the negro int to
have entered the Kitchen door-being familiar with the
way and accomplish his murderous purposes.
In the dead heur Of the night the shining With
great brillianoy Miller and his wife awakened BY
their little girl who In spssms Of terror told them that
there was . man at tho window. Miller jumped up i'm
mscatsly and sprang for his gun There enough,
ct the indow stood that stalworth creature and in
hand q heavy club He was looking steadily into the
The startled family within could see him. with
his club very clearly.
Mr, Mnisf Sa!sd 70 inc negro :rd asked him what
reply ME- Miller then told him to be OF, that he had
loaded gun. and would shoot him, unless he went on
spoke but stood With his club by his aide lookinx
fsYcey into the room. Mr. Miller then told him that
60 In that time he would shoot him down Still the
fellow neither moved, In offence or away. The two
minutes elapsed and little more beside and then Mr.
The terrified family had few moments Of awful sus.
pence then; for the fire had missed its object,
S1ss n% sn
the window and beaten them down with his olub
When the smoke cleared away there stood that
dufky form still. He had not stirred, and made nc
show Of being hurt. In few moments, however, h,
sunk down heavily upon tho ground beneath tbs
Several minutes more passed away. Mr.. Miller
walked to the 1indow, and saw, to all appearance
lifeIess body Unknowins what to do, and with the
solemn and terrifying circumstances Of the
him. he told bis wife that their nsghbors
BE- roufed and either no or she must 60 ana call them
rods Mrs. Miller said that she oouldu't stay there Il
her hufoa went; and that she would 60 herself So
che started When she got to the lane shs alarmed
confderates. She had also to 60 through the woods
to reach tho heuse and can imagine what jour.
The people came and on examining the body Of the
nesrs which Icy where 1t had fallen, Il found that
Mr. Miller invited the investigation Of the .uthor-
ties; but, BY the prompt and perfectly unanimous
voice Of all and every one, he vas fully justihsdas
every human being will justify him yet.
He and his family still continued to live in the house
the associations Of the fearn which 1t doubtless
had, must have become deadensd by time
The little GIRL mentioned previously, was affected
worst by the event Of the night visit Her
completely unstrung for many after. She vas
pale and pinng ana the sudden rustng Of piece Of
paper or any equally triHing matter, would completely
unnerve her.
In this last most heart wringipg calamity, words
were but mochery expressions OF sympathy to the
friends Of the dead woman and her chidrsn and Va
orbesr the utteranoe of them. The full particulars
tie fire. and the death OF the wife and family
yet reached u.s. Should It be proved, or approach to
probability that the premises were criminay set on
fire. 1t 10 not unlikely that suspicion will lea ward
The near csnnsotions Of the negro whose freaks We
have nArrated.-Brookiyn Eagle, Feb. 10.
JAMAICA News BY the steamship Isabel, al
Charleston, we have received files of the Kingston
Iamalcal IournaI To the Doth i1lf