The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1855-12-17
ueetsag at Law renee.

hEhinst poAitANat poiNot9'
MeetsaE AT Lawrence.
meeting was called nj Lawrence, Nor.
-, at s A. NJ, :. \. Wood, presiding. Mr..
j. B. Abbott explained its object The
murder Of an unotfending citizen at Hickory
Point. the violent arrest # Mr.. Branson. enc
of the most peaceable citizens of the coun-
~, &C., &c, We're dwelt upon.
AR. ARA>SoS's SPEECH.
Dir. Branson himself being present was
called on. He was man of forty or hftv:
quiet, respectable looking r.rmer. He said
taat the C. BASED who had peen shot boarded
with hun. that the meeting Of the citizens
the day before had first convened at his h"u
and then Y decided to the spot where Dow
was murderca That he attended that meet
ing, and etul5.ed home when it broke up,
and retired to bed at the usual hour. 4 out
8 o'clock he was awakened by some kind Of
noise, md Immediately asked who was there
The reply was IA friend" He responded
SCENE in,o when the door VAS burst open.
and Immediately the hoasa was filed with
armed men. He was undressed ana had To
60 into the middle of the floor. when Mr.
Jones, Postm tstcr of Westport, who had
been elected Saeritf Of Douglas County rs
the bogus l. s-lslature, presented il pistol ~
H'S pi1ASt ~AA kaSA'htLhiSs "a oit III pa
oner.''
They then ordered him 10 put on his
clothes Immediately. H. responded that he
hoped they wouldn't hurry him. but Jones
and GONE of the others replied that ;hey
would he must come Immediately ,,oi
theg would blow him to h-n!p lie hurried
on his clothes az fast he could, and they
took him and put him on a mule, and started
OF leag NJ his family "a distress and anxiety.
There WAS another man about the house. who
started of and gave the alarm after the&
left. From his house. Mr.. Branson stated
tla; h. clptQrs did not follow direct course.
bar role r0uul several houses. H. asked
$ me ct the men who were close 10 hun
what ne en taken farY The men re
Piled, ~ only peace waffdlei." II
afterwards asked Jones what he was taken
for2 Jones SAID, son. ust IA pence warran
but We had ~ fun. We expected 10 bave
seen chose ,ixt9 II "A that were there to-day
We have had .iV fun
THIS, he sud was the talk Of ull Of them
ms they came along they We're boasting 81
what They woIa4 have donc, and visa x theF
cont have met his friends. As gney up-
cached the he e Of Mr. Abbott, they me-
the company Of men, fifteen IN number, Tex
se,ls the SAM AZ Jones', who had been ap-
ff4AiI VI iLN IHlufAAGAs EBI llttI CUNT hNI IL
.scue him, having apprehenslons that
MS life was IN danger This company was
plan ed across the roa1-Jone,' party halted
taey came mar. ! vice from his fT.e.l.is
requested Branson 10 come oar and io.a
them, voice from Jones' company said me,
would shoot him if he did. There was a
click of the locks Western Rifles on enc
sid9, and sharp's Rides the other, anI
both parties leseled their pieces. Mr.. Bran
son rode his mule out from among the party
who had taken MIN, and, stopping between
the parties, asked what he sh0uId do " It'll the
nnie. VOICE from ms frienus said, Let
am 90 ii dlsmounted, and man stepped
= from the RANKS Of the Free State party and
gave the mule 1 kick, driving him back to the
opposite party. The latter commenced to
curse and thfeatel The Free State men
did n0t Say much, and seemed determined 10
let their opponents make the first attncs
rus the latter dad not appear 70 relish, ind
kept threatening, the would be Sheriff ieela-
ring that Governor Shannon had prom <ed
that they should .inse ten thousand men to
enforce the Jaws Of their Legislature. and
that they would ct them see. lis party,
however, retreated, and sent messengers 10
Gov. Shannon for q miilla force, while tie
Free-State men wheeled about and marched
to Lawrence; most Of them lived about the
Neakarnsa, but they won't 10 Lawrence 20
organize IT, against their enemies 80
Mr.. BransoI "a that he had been request
ed bs some Il - To leaye Lawrence and se-
crete himself or iy, ~ that no one would
have even the semblanteof an excuse for at
tack Lawrence. lie said he did nos wish
to involve any Of his frleud and IL It WAS
the vii Of the majority be would 60 but hc
lid moi w4nEto leave; lis wife, his llully aAa
property were there unprotected, aad Hid
could 60 HON even il theg shoua. iuarder
hin. rs they bad done his frieni Daw.
Ills remi ~, which were rather u simpl,
AMI plain narrative than speech, had pro.
forni edeesi and when be spoke of leaving
the Q were loud cries Of no, no.
pLANs--IsTENTIoNs.
Other Speakers followed. Ir. Lowry.
Secretary TO Gov. Reeder, then rose and pro-
posed the selection of committee OF ten u
cooperate with the Militia Companies. W.
want defence not aggressIons; sc want 10
lawiessness. nothing irregular.
Mr.. Conway SAID:
They had ignored the action and the au-