AREA HISTORY:  Conspiracy in 1803, York Borough, York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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CONSPIRACY IN 1803 – Page 548

On the 23d of February, in 1803, a negro woman named Margaret Bradley, was 
convicted of a misdemeanor in attempting to poison Sophia Bentz and Matilda 
Bentz, both of York; and in consequence thereof, was sentenced to undergo an 
imprisonment of four years in the penitentiary at Philadelphia.  The negroes of 
the place being dissatisfied with the above mentioned conviction and sentence, 
determined to have revenge on the whites, and sought it in the destruction of 
their property.

The conspired together to burn the town of York.  On nearly every successive day 
or night, for about three weeks, they set fire to some part of the town.  
Numerous patrols were established; strong guards were kept on foot, and the 
governor ordered out a detachment of the militia, which was constantly on duty.  
The governor of the State, Thomas McKean, offered $300 to any person who should 
discover those who were engaged in the conspiracy.  A negro girl, who had 
received instructions to set fire to Mr. Zinn’s barn at 12 o’clock, mistaking 
midday for midnight, perpetrated the deed at noon. She was arrested and 
confessed herself guilty, thereby lending a key to the conspiracy.  Several 
other negroes were arrested on suspicion; and during the following week a number 
were cast into prison, some of whom confessed.  Fires now ceased.  One 
indictment was presented against twenty-one negroes and mulattoes, a part of 
whom were convicted and sent to the penitentiary.

Among the principal fires in York may be mentioned the following:

On the night of Sunday the 20th of February, the stable of Richard Koch was 
burned.

On the night on Monday the 7th of March the stable of Mr. Edie, then in the 
tenure of Dr. Spangler.  The flames were communicated with rapidity to the 
stable of Dr. Jameson on the west, and to that of the widow Updegraff on the 
east.  Those three buildings were all on fire at the same time, and sunk down in 
one common ruin.

On the 8th of March the academy was on fire, but the flames were extinguished.  
This was the fifth fire in the town within the period of nine days.

On the 14th of March, they set fire to the barn of Mr. Zinn, whence the flames 
were communicated to the barn of Rudolph Spangler, Jacob Spangler, G. L. 
Loeffler and Philip Gossler.  These five barns, built of wood, filled with hay 
and straw, and standing near one another, formed but one fire.  This was the 
fire which led to the immediate discovery of the conspiracy.

After the fires had ceased, and most of those who had been engaged in the 
conspiracy were confined in prison, the justices of the peace and burgesses of 
the borough published a notice (on the 21st of March) “to the inhabitants of 
York and its vicinity to the distance of ten miles,” requiring such as had 
negroes “to keep them at home under strict discipline and watch, and not let 
them come to town on any pretense whatsoever without a written pass,” and when 
they came they were to leave town one hour before sundown “on pain of being 
imprisoned.”  Free negroes were to get a pass from a justice of the peace, in 
order that they might not be restrained for their daily labor.  Suffice it to 
say that the colored people of a later day in York are a different people.