The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-11-03
NUMBER z.
Kansas---Letter from McCrea.
LrAvENwoRrH, K. T.. Sent

LEAvENwoRTH, K. T., Sept. "a
DEAR FATHER 81 have by former letter
told you that the Court met last Monday /; I
now propose to give you a history of the
proceedings. Forty-eight grand Jurors were
summoned out of these the Judge selected
sixteen. publicly, who being duly sworn and
impaneled, retired to their room. He after
ward priUately added three to their number.
making nineteen, who on Thursday came into
Court several times for instructions, but in-
stead Of giving such instructions publicly,
the judge. each time sent them back to their
room, and sent such persons as he thought
proper to lecture them in private. Once he
sent r. R. Rees, the chairman of the com.
mittee that outraged Mr.. Phillips. Still the
jury continued to be agitated, divided, and
to force their Foreman to lead them into
Court, who, becoming excited, exclaimed in
open Court that the jury could not agree, as
there were three in favor of finding for muir
der, five for rnansiaughter, and eleven OPP
posed to finding any bill against me- Again,
the Judge sent them to their room without
lnstructing them that they, in such case
should report the bill back to Court with
an Endorsement Of "Not found;n and thus
the Grand Jury continued till Saturday vain
ly endeavoring to get the Foreman to do his
duty in returning the bill to Court indorsed
"Not found" when the Judge fraudulently
cooperating with my enemies on the Grand
Jury, adjourned the Court till the second
Monday Of next November. and I am, in
violation Of all law and justice, deprived of
my liberty.
This poor weak Judge makes my case as
much o party question as the Infamous
Stringfellow would if he were on the same
bench. When shall get out of his hands I
cannot tell. Another application will in q
few days be made by writ of habeas corpus,
and error taken out on that to the Supreme
Court at Washington, which think is my
only chance of ever getting out by law.
Now, that am writing, O'Clock, A. M,
the city is all awake and in arms, several sus-+
picious scoundrels having appeared assembled
about the streets in the evening in converse
ton with bandit, Hughes, who was last
night seen prowling about the house of Mr..
Philips, with gun in his hands. 1t is sup
posed that there is o company of ruffians
from Missouri assembled in the bushes near
the city, and there is force of at least three
hundred men well armed now ready to re-
ceive them on the part of our city: It is
supposed that they contemplate an assault
upon several of the citizens, including myself
and the democratic press in this city, the.
Kansas Territorial Register. Sentinels are
posted at every part of the town and in every
corner with signal. have heard several
persons say they would shoot Hughes. He
was shot at last night by man who was
passing by who saw him watching for Phil
ips but missed.
The people are determined not to be dis
turbed by him. and his associates any more,
and finding that the Judge sides. with those
ruttians, having one of them for Clerk, have
concluded to take the law into their own
hands this Hughes was captain of the band
of ruffians who mobbed Philips, and unless
he leaves town very soon, some daring hand
will certainly drop him into his grave
Matters are progressing toward the fnrma-
ton OF Stats Constitution. Members Of
the Convention will be elected on the second
Tuesday of next month, and we meet in con-
vention on the Oath of the same month, SO
as to submit it to the people before the ses-
sion of Congress.
The political aspect is fast changing. The
people almost universally repudiate the laws
passed by the late Legislature. All respect
able persons appointed by that body to Office
are resigning. The cocks are Growing and
have heard no shot fred The city was
never so still as it is tonight. hope I shall
never again have occasion to allude to such
night as this. believe that the present de-
monstration will have good effect upon
ruftians, both here and across the river. I
rather guess they will no think it prudent to
pay us another visit from Missouri
Yours truly, COLE McCREA.