Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-07-07
LEAvENwoRTH, KANSAS,
Nav 24. A. ID. 1855.


Dear Father: We have received your letter of
the 28th ut.; the telegraph despatch of the 7th
inst, and the boxes, VIC have heard, are at the
warehouse, for which we are very grateful to all
parties donating.
Some eight days after date your dispatch came
to hand but was not such as to cheer us much in
our time Of trouble Poor E-- was least pre-
pared for the sweeping request to leave her hus-
band in trouble involving his life. She bears up
well. but is in q very low state of health.
You have, doubtless, looked for the particulars
of the cause of my shooting Clark, which, without
taking notice of rumored affront to my wife,
while boarding at the house of said Clark, when
we first came to this country, will give you in
detai and first, to what suppose to be the real
cause of his attack upon me. Clark was Mis-
souran bully, and one of those bandits who took
our election last spring by force of arms; and |
the minions of slavery were defeated, and certif-
Gates of election given to free State men; and
Phillips who has since then been attacked, kid
mapped from his own house, taken into Missouri,
side of his head shaved, tarred and feathered,
rode some three miles upon a rail, then sold at
auction by negro for two cents, although law
yer and in every way a gentleman and a man of
wealth, besides being man of family, only about
eight months from Massachusetts,; and that was
not all that was intended for me and Phillips
1t was concerted to take both our lives, as
learned by having position in a ballroom the
arrived, when Phillips entered with his wife. His
presence turned the conversation from the Cover
nor to him. and thus to me. 1t was even then
agreed that before the next election row should
be got up in some crowd where we were present
to take our lives. As soon as | could move with
safety, went to Mr. Phillips informed him and
advised him to 60 armed and, though no natural
demonstration was given, l could, from time to
time, see evidence of the plot MT being abandon
ed; and il was this which made me take the out
side of the crowd when Clark commenced to abuse
me, as will appear below,
The meeting at which this affair took place wa.
called under the influence of the sMssourians, tc
extend the time given by mob law for non-resi
dents (Missourians) for making personal settle
ment upon their claims which they in reality
never intended TO settle, but merely to speculat,
upon, and keep from free State men and persons
from the North, all of whom are looked upon by
those rufians with hate These meetings haC
commonly been largely represented by Missourian
but this time the actual squatters had a large ma
jority. Perceiying this, these Missouri ruffian
determined to carry their point by storm.
John Wilson called to the chair, who IN
der the p1etence of explaining the object of th,
meeting, delivered an abusive and blackguard ha
,rangue against every person who was not from
a slave State, the Governor coming in for a larg,
share, by way of comparison with his negroes; no
did those who desired to oppose the friendsof the
last election by exposing them escape his notice
NHc Nv ihst COuCiuucu' WIS Cdlltu Dut, KNOW
ing that plot was laid for me, and that coulC
not follow the previous speaker without showing
my contempt for him and his cause, which woulC
be the signal for an attack upon me, refused Il
go forward and called upon a man whom | suppo
,sed then to possess some qualities of gentleman
,by the nome of Easton. lie made speech, no
so long, but otherwise much in keeping with hi
predecessor. lie closed, and the crowd would tax
no denial. but pushed me forward
as went for ward to the stand Ia dry goods box
i being out Of doors) / thought there was some
thing wrong in those rowdies crowding to the in
side OF the circle and getting our party to the ou
s,de but went on slowly till near the box -
Clark, otherwise called the Platte county bully
no G-nd id abolition son of a b-b shall snea
in this msetpgP Knowing tina, the abuse wa