Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-04-27
NEW SERIES, VOL. 9, NO. 43.

two hundred, came here, and did up the
election for u.s. We made no resistance, but
let them have their own way They were
IN the day before, with about fifty covered
wagons, besides many on mules and on horse
back. They were armed with all kinds of
weapons to the teeth. We thought it best
not to interfere. We did not intend to fight.
am informed that about two thousand went
10 Lawrence, and that they would surround
the precinct until the ten days allowed for
protest expires"
correspondent of the Boston Journal,
whose letter is dated at Lawrence City,
April 2, says
Kansas was completely overridden on
our day of election, last Friday, by the miser-
able hirelings of the slave power They
commenced pouring in here about daylight,
and ere sunset there were about twelve hun.
dred camped within three miles of the polls
All day Friday, too, they were coming in bv
scores, some on horse back some in wagons
ana on foot from encampments near by
ABOUT nifty wagons were stationed near the
place OF election. Their men were all armed
to the teeth Some with pair of revolvers,
,ssiR%ie ,siSie Knit knife and do"1 ,%sr dark Rum and
whiskey was bountifully supplied to all who
wished it. They had with them two carron-
ades, but during the day kept them out of
sight Lawrence contains about four hun
dred voters, and over one thousand votes
were polled. Missouri men surrounded the
pohs as soon as opened, and continued in pos
sessiSn s. Nll late in the afternoon, when the
tree state men were allowed to vote. Violent
threats were heard on all sides.
Edwin Bond Of Watertown narrowly
escaped with his life. lie was in the crowd
when Missourian stepped up to him and
said, =" Here is the d-d bully" I think
he struck Bond. Bond turned and ran to.
ward the river, SOM ten rods distant. and n
he brushed past me IL revolver was fired
upon him: Immediately W., riaes wer.
aimed at him. when they were @ n.ovn M
by some of the leaders. Bond Jumped do W.
the embankment, some fifteen or twenty feet.
and left in hot haset. G. Stearns was in the
vicinity taking notes. A Missourian look
ed over his shoulder, and seeing something
which he did not like, called npon the infuri.
ated mob to shoot him" kill him he s
q damed abolitionist - and such expressions.
He was Immediately surrounded by five or
six hundred drunken devils and, had it not
been for Col. Young" their leader. he
would no doubt have been shot He kept
the crowd at bay, and conducted Mr. Stearns
to place of safety. The editor of the Her
aid Of Freedom was threatened, during the
day, and they swore they would burn his Office
at night But as most of the Missourians
returned at dark, no act of violence was COM
mitted.
Our citizens formed themselves into ten
companies, of ten men each, to act as guard
through the night, determined to sell their
lives as dearly as possible if worse came
to worse. Some of their leaders, knowing
that they had threatened to burn the place,
stayed throughout the night. 1t was with
the utmost difficulty that their leaders could
restrain them at all. In all the districts vet
heard from a similar course was pursued.
Many of the judges were driven from the
polls, and men from the crowd of Missouri
ans put in their places. The election will
no doubt be contested; but if it is, Missouri
says every " damed Yankee will leave the
territory. Not only Missouri, but the whole
South, would come in