Charles Nalle, a fugitive from slavery in Virginia and a resident of Troy, New York, was arrested by federal officials under the Fugitive Slave Law. Nalle faced a federal hearing and the real potential of being sent back into slavery in Virginia. Local vigilance members, including Harriet Tubman who was visiting relatives in Troy, gathered at the federal commissioner's office and led a crowd against the police officers holding Nalle and brought him away to safety. (By James Chapnick)