Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-12-29

u<1~es StsAAAs9sS W. ~S8' ~ oceuS
we were correct. Read she news in another
column.
Yesterday we gave some facts in the history
Of the rise and progress Of the Nebfaska-Kah-
sas Bill, and the Legitimate fruits emapating
from that measure. We showed wherein Free
dom had been trampled upon, and wherein a
horde Of /" border rufians had assumed to
dictate to those whose only crime was desire
that all men should be free-free to think, to
speak, to act, if by so doing they did not inter-
fere with the rights Of their neighbors. We
recapitulated q series Of aggressions on the
part of those who, at all hazards, were deter
mined to plant Slavery on soil dedicated to
Freedom for thirty-four years, and we think
clearly demonstrated that the Free State men
in resisting the laws passed by bogus Legis-
lature, was acting in accordance with Right
and Justice. That the reader may understand
the cause of the recent disturbances. in Kansas,
we copy the following article from the St. Louis
Democrat, which carries with it an air Of truth
Iul0eSS al OuCc COuSIuCJuk.
LAWRENCE, X. T. Nov, 80, 1855.
MEssRs EDrroRs Your readers have doubt.
less ere this, by telegraph and otherwise, been
quanted with the startling state of affairs existing
here but as there are many conflicting and incor-
rect accounts, will endeavor to give your read
ers clear idea Of the present affair. That Kan
sas is upon the eve Of civil war, Is more than
probable and although war may be averted,
there does not appear to be much prospect Of it.
The difficulties first arose about that subject of
frequent difficulties in most new Territories-the
right to claims. Such, We say, was the direct
cause but the difficulties arose out of the slave
ry question indirectly, and that such is the only
aspect it now wears, it would be useless to deny.
The difficulties arose at a small town, or rath
er settlement, called Hickory Point, some ten or
twelve miles from this. There, the settlement is
mixed one, there being both Free State men and
Slave State men. use the terms as they are used
here, to denote the political opinions Of the par
ties, rather than the localities from which they
have come, as there are many of the so called
s'Free State. men" from slave States. Dow, the
the murdered man, is an Ohioan, but came here
about year ago from Iowa. He had timber
claim Immediately adjoining the claims of sever
al settlers from Missouri. Mr.. Branson, another
Free State man, lived near on timber claim, and
with him, Dow, who was a young man about %,
boarded. Among the Missouri settlers in the
neighborhood, was person named Coleman. He
appears to have been a violent, troublesome man,
from the time he settled here. lie took claim
belonging to another man when he first came, but
| was compelled to leave it on interference BY the
ncighboIs, and mutual arbitration. He is accused
of taking some timber and shingles from neigh
boring claim, to build the house he erected after
wards. He along with two or three persons, turned
| woman and her children out of the house her
husband bad erected on his claim, during that
husbands absence, and gave that claim to an en-
| igrating friend. But need not enumerate these
difficulties, which, although to appearance arising
from the existence of political antphathes, owed
their true existence to the depraved conduct of
bad men, who merely made this shield for their
conduct. Suffice it to say, that i'll feeling be-
| tween these parties thus existed.
1t appears that Coleman, Buckley, and others,
had burned n lime kiln, using timber cut from
land that Dow and Coleman both said was on
| part of their claims. Recently, the survey of
| township has been made in this locality, and these
lines showed the disputed land to be on Dow's
| claim. Nevertheless, Coleman and several others
proceeded to burn another kiln, as formerly.
Dow warned Coleman to desist, but Coleman re-
fused to do so. At this stage Of affairs, and be-
fore any actual violence had resulted from the
quarrel, Dow left the house of Branson, where
| he boarded, and went to blacksmith's shop in
the center OF the settlement, and quarter of
mile from CoIeman's shanty. When Dow enter
ed the shop, Coleman and Buckley and some 9TH
ers, were there, and it is the universal opinion
here that these two had agreed to shoot Dow
There was some alteration between them, and
Buckley raised his gun to Dow's breast, and cock
ed it. but Dow told him not to shoot him, and rs
Buckley did not appear to be ruf6an enough to
shoot, Dow got of, and left the shop with wag-
on skein he had taken to get repaired, his hand.
Coleman left the shop and went with him.
They went along the Santa Fe road, Dow's road
home leading him past Coleman's house, and
were wrangling as they went about the land in
dispute. When Coleman got to his house, no
left the other and went up to his door. Dow go
ing on, until he heard the bursting of cap on a
gun, when turning round, Coleman was pointing
his piece at him. Dow raised his hand and told
him not to fire, but Coleman put a fresh cap on
his fowling piece and fred. The distance between
them was Is yards the buckshot with which it
was loaded, scattering over his breast, two of
them entered his heart, and the veins in his neck
were cut. He fell in tho wheel track of the San
"a Fe road, and the body lay there for Eve hours.
Four or five of the pro- Slavery men were within
a short distance and saw it, as did some women,
| but no one went near the body. -,... ,
Some Free State men lived in sight and knew
what had occurred, but were afraid to 60 near
At dusk, Branson came and took away the body;
| the neighbors around heard of it, and the excite
ment rose. Coleman and some Of his confede-
rates fed in tho direction Of Westport. There
Coleman, who told the story in false light, was
advised to give himself up. lie went to Cover
nor Shannon at the Mission and did so. Mr..
Jones, Postmaster of Westport, Mo-, who was
elected Sheriff of the county in which Lawrence
is situated, by the Territorial Legislature at the
Shawnee Mission, came up with Coleman to take
him to Lecompton. At the town of Franklin,
which is four miles from Lawrence and Is from
Lecompton, they halted, and there they made up a
peace warrant for the arrest of Branson, to have
him bound over to the peace; the afidavits be-
ing made by Buckley and witnessed by a man
named Cameron, a person Of low repute, who
was elected as Justice Of the Peace for Lawrence,
and who was the only man living in the town who
would accept the Office at the hands of the author
tiles constituted BY the Legislature Of the Shaw
| nee Mission. Before he attempted to serve this
writ, Sheriff Jones raised posse Of fourteen
armed men. Coleman was seen with some of
these men at Franklin about dusk, and loaded
two pistols and rife, to be used in the expedition.
Upon tine day during which they thus arrived at
franklin, Qast Monday meeting had been held
| at Hickory Point to investigste the murder, and
try to bring the murderer to execution. About
eighty persons were present, Branson being of the
number, these being Free State men. A series of
resolutions was adopted, deprscating the murder,
and resolving to bring the murderer 10 iustice.-
| AZ threats bad been made BY some Of Dow's
friends that Coleman's shsnty, which was now