The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-12-13

blacksmith's shop, on business. Before he went,
Branson urged him to take some kind of weap.
on, as it was suspected that gang would be
at Coleman's, where low groggery was kept;
but Dow refused to take shy, and said he was
not afraid of any of them. He went up to the
shop, and there he found Buckley, who COM
menced abusing him by words, and dared him
to step out the door and fight him. Buckley,
in the mean time, stepped out and cooked his
gun, threatening to shoot him. Dow paid little
attention to him, but as soon as he got his bust
mess done with the blacksmith which was
getting a piece of iron fixed, he stepped out,
and started for home.
Some little distance ahead of him he saw
Coleman sitting beside the road with shot
gun in his hand. Dow came up and passed
him when only few rods distant from him,
Coleman raised his gun, and, taking deliberate
aim at Dow, snapped cap. On hearing this,
Dow turned about to see what it was, when
Coleman recapped his gun, raised it to his eye,
and shot Dow dead on the spot Several buck.
shot entered his breast, killing him at once.
This was all done in sight of CoemaA's house
and the groggery, snd happened at one O'Clock
No one of those gathered about Colemans house,
and there were some eight or ten, went to re-
move, the body or to inform any one of the
murder. So the dead body lay by the roadside
till five o'clock, when Branson somehow or
other heard of it, and went and had the BODY
taken care Of
The following night, Coleman and Buckley
escaped to Missouri-some say for one pur-
pose, some for another. One rumor is, that he
has gone to give himself up to the proper au
thorties. But nothing has up TO this date been
heard of him.
Yesterday public meeting was held in the
neighborhood, when the testimony of several
persons was informally taken, which went to
show that Coleman willfully and coolly murder
ed Dow, without any other cause than having
this difficulty with him about burning the lime
kiln. Resolutions were passed expressive of
the sense oft meeting, and salute fired over
the grave of the lamented Dow.
Coleman and all engaged on his side are
rabid Pro-Slevery men, and this is not the first
time they have outraged public sentiment by
their acts. They have driven several Free
State men off from their claims near by. fred
upon them, &c. Dow and his friends are for
Free State. i am personally acquainted
with MIR. Dow, and have been for about q wear.
and have always found him to be very peaceful
and moderate man. This public meeting num-
pered about eighty men, among whom was a
part OF military company armed with Sharp's
rifles, who live between Lawrence and the place
OF the murder, which was Hickory Point some
ten miles south of us.
On the return Of this company, in the night.
they discovered party of horsemen at the town
OF Byanton, coming up in their rear, and, in &C.
costing them, voice was heard Branson is
here prisoner;" and, upon further inquiry, il
was made known that the Deputy Sheriff, who
lives in Missouri, had taken posse. and in
the evening, after the company had left Hcko-
INF had I'll
OF three Pro-Slavery men, friends of Coleman.
that they were afraid Branson would kill them.
Nobody had ever heard of this, and nobody be-
lieved it now. 1t was got up to help Coleman.
The company then told Branson to come with
them, when the Sheriff threatened to shoot him
II he moved; but BransOn got off his mule and
Joined the company, when the Sheriff left, say
ing he would go down and get 10, 600 men, and
come up and see what he could do. The
Sheriff's writ was issued by Justice of the
Peace by the name of Cameron, once q profes-
sed Free State man, but who has now accented
office under the Territorial laws. The com
pany took the ground that they did not recog.
mise any writ as valid, coming from this quarter.
thus an open resistance to the authority OF
that mock Legislature has been made, and who
will tell the end thereof? Branson came to
Lawrence last night, am informed, but do
not know his whereabouts. Those who rescu-
ed him l understand to be some of our promi-
nent citizens between this place and Hickory
Point. / also learn that Coleman's family are
gone to parts unknown. USE.
PETITION FOR TIE REMOVAL OF GOVERNOR
SHANNON.
From the Special Correspondence of the ST Lou;s
Democrat
LEAvENwORTH Cry, Noe. %, 1855.
Petitions are IN course of signature in Leav-
enworth, Doniphan Lawrence, Ocena, and To
peka, requesting his Excellency President
Pierce to remove Governor Wilson Shannon.
sublon the Doniphan petition:
To has Ercellency The President ofMe T. States.
May it please your Excellency: We, the I'M
designed, citizens Of Doniphan county, respect
fully petition your Excellency to remove the
present Chief Executive Officer of this Terrific
ry-Governor Wilson Shannon-and replace
him by gentleman of judgment and ability.
who, while friend of law and order" will re.
fuse to recognise, as law-abiding men, rufians
who have invaded our borders and violated our
ballot-box repeatedly, or residents of Kansas
who have invited such outrages and publicly
defended them as just, necessary, and even
constitutional
Many of us, may it please your Excellency,
expended our time and money used all our in
tuence, and voted in order to secure your cleo
ton; many of us are still the friends of YOUR
Administration, and hope to remain so; but
not one of us, we solemny assure you, Presi-
dent Pierce! will in future be found in the
ranks OF any man or any party who dares, as
Governor Wilson Shannon has dared, tacilly to
endorse the conduct Of the illegal voters from
Missouri, who have hitherto controlled our
elections, national and local and publicly boast
that they will act hereafter as they have acted
in time past.
And your petitioners will ever pray, &c.
Forty Pro-Slavery emigrants from Georgia.
sent out gratis by the shareholders of that State
to aid Davy Atchison in controlling the affairs
of Kansas, arrived last week at Kansas CITY.
and proceeded to the southern portion of our
young dominion. The Leavenworth Herald of
Saturday says:
" From the SOuth.-Accounts reach us by
every mail, that the Southern States are prepar
ing to send out scores of the right sort of emf
grants to Kansas. Next spring, they will be
gin to pass into Kansas, from Georgia, Ala
bama, Louisiana, North Carolina, Kentucky,
and Tennessee. Come on, here is the country
to get rich. Bring on your slaves, for there is
no country where slave labor will pay better
than in Kansas"
The call for Free State Law and Order
Convention, which l sent you last week, has
been signed by 100 Of the most prominent citi-
zens of Leavenworth. 1t will be strictly a
Squatter Convention. l understand that a pe-
tition to Congress, setting forth our grievances
and requesting redress will emanate from it.
Mr.. Parrot, the counsel Of McCrea, has sue
ceeded to-day in obtaining change of venue
to Tecumseh. LR
THE LAW AND ORDER CONVENTION ATIE.v
ENWORTH, &c
LEAvENwoRTH, K. T., Noe. Is, 1866.
/ have already sent you the proceedings of