Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-04-25
The Skeleton In
Old New York
By EDWARD I'm EYCK


teenth century one of the most fash
Ionable residential parts of New York
city faced the Battery. AS the city
grew the dwellings there became oc-
cupied for small shops, followed by
skyscrapers. Recently the De Roode
dwelling was torn down to make
room for tower Office rookery and
revealed a. vault which had been orig
inally built to contain valuables. The
door was paneIed like the rest of the
room and was only to be opened by
touching a spring, though this con-
trivance was SO rusty that it had
doubtless not been available for many
years. In the vault the workmen
found a skeleton.
The find was reported to the His
torical society, and one of the mem,
bcrs interested in Old New York took
it upon himself to learn if there was
a record of any one missing in the
family to which the RACED house had
belonged. The De Roodes had return
cd to Holland when the English took
New Amsterdam, and the investigator
wrote them, reporting the find and
asking if any information could be
furnished concerning it. The follow
ing is the reply he received
AT the time the British General
Howe occupied New York the man
sion in question was occupied by an
English family named Spencer. The
De RoOde family still owned the prop
erty, renting it to the Spencers. After
the Revolution IL De Roode came over
from Holland to sell it and while in
America heard of a mystery that had
occurred in the house during General
llowe's occupancy of the city.
alfred Spencer was vigorous
Tory. He believed that the 'unholy
resistance to the king as he called
the Revolution, would soon collapse
and the traitor Washington would
swing to Il gibbct He entertained the
officers Of the British army of occu-
pancy, aiding and abetting them in
every way in his power.
During this time Able Spencer, his
daughter, WAS furnishing information
to the American forces under Aaron
Burr, located just beyond the northern
end of Manhattan Island. Another
matter unknown to her father was
that Lieutenant Brayton in that ar
my was her lover, and it was to him
that she was transmitting information
which on more than one occasion she
carried herself.
"A Captain Woodbridge of Howe's ar
my was In love with Miss Spencer and
encouraged by her father In order to
avoid suspicion as to her real status
she pretended to listen to Captain
Woodbridge's suit, though more in def
erenCe to her fathers wishes than
from inclination. Whether she took
Woodbridge into her confidence and
revealed the fact that she loved an
other, but did not wish her father to
know it, does not appear. The truth
Is that Spencer was such a tyrannical
old curmudgeon of the pure British
type that If he had known of his
daughters contemplating marriage
with II detested rebel he would have
taken her back to England at once.
Able was understood to be an honor
able girl, and 1t is not likely that she
deceived Woodbridge rs well as her
father
when 1t was learned that the Brit
ish forces were about to evacuate New
York, Spencer determined to go with
them, or, rather, to sail for England.
AS the Americans marched into town
the white wings that We're bearing
Spencer and his family to England
would be seen entering the Narrows
Of New York bay.
There is note extant in the Brayton
family sent by Able Spencer-how is
not known-t to her lover telling him of
the expected evacuation and that her
father was about to take her to Eng
land. But she was intending to disap-
pear just before the ship sailed and he
would find her waiting for him when
he arrived
"a packet sailed for England on the
day the British left the city, carrying
number of Tory families who object
ed TO remaining to be under the rule of
the Continental congress Indeed, if
they remained 1t was probable that
their property would be conttScated.
Asbe Spencer made no objection to go
ing, thus throwing her father off his
guard. She contrived to elude him on
his way to the ship with the other
members of the family, she to so with
friends In Il separate boat He got
aboard the ship. and she was casting
anchor before he was aware that Abbc
was missing. When he discovered the
fact it WAS too late to return. for the
Americans were marching into the city
Rather than put himself In their pow
er he decided to 20 on his way without
his daughter, for he knew she had rel
ativeS In New York who would take
care of her till she could take the next