The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-06-07
Evidsnce, Of the Inves,isa,ins Committee.
A BORDER RUFFIAN GRAND JURY
LEAvENwoRrH CIrY, Kansas, }
May IL, 1856. :
sslitors of fhe Cbjcnno TTibuns.

Investigating Committee to-day. Sever;
witnesses were examined IN secret session
, | could soon ascertain-in fact know wha
their testimony is; but Iprefer to permi
the Committee to give it exclusively" t
the public in their report. The report vii
astonish the public-even that portion of i
which has read the reports of Kansas cor
respondents.
Samuel Smith, sworn-I came to Kansas
April I, 1855, and settled near Lecompton
| emigrated from Illinois. bought CLAIM
and settlel on it with Mr.. Oakley, VIII,
bought oie-half of it. Immediately afe
Mr.. Oakley left to get his family from Mich
iaan; | remained on the claim, | went t
Kansas City with Mr.. Oakley, and left IN,
boys on the cl i'm to build a cabin.
HIGH HANDED PROCEEDINGS.
A few days after returned committe,
claim belonged to DR.. Davis and Sheriff
Jones. DR.. Davis was with this committee
They claimed to represent an association
formed at Bernacia:' They ordered me t,
appear before them and have the matter ex
alnined. l refused. 4
SHERIFF JONES BURNS souATrER's CABIN.
We took possession of the claim on the
9th OF April. On the % Of May, Mr.. Jones
came with party Of men; was sick at
the time and i'll bed at Mr.. Oakey's cabin.
Jones came in accompanied by several
others: and til me he had burned down
my cabin. 1t ha been built only few
days. lie told me must leave the claim ;
1t was his. They threatened me in the name
OF the ASSOCIATION with hanging, tar and
feathcrng, &c. Up to that time Davis or
Jones never had possession of the claim |
did not leave, and we continued to improve
the claim.
On the 28th Of NJ I was Invited by a
nephew to assist liz raising a house | went
over there, and was at work, when an alarm
was given that company of armed men
were coming toward Mr.. Handcock's house.
We went there-half dozen of us, and
found a crywu of thirty men. Mr.. Jones
was the leader; they ordered us to disperse.
We stood firm. He toll his men to prepare
to aim; they were armed with rifles, bowie
knives and revolvers.
They had the word-ready and aim
when Mr.. Allison cried out-.'don't shoot"
lie spoke to me and said Owe ought to
be careful, for some of them boys would
shoot"
Jones ordered Hancock to leave the pre-
mises. H.ncock's goods and furniture Were
taken out, and his family driven out Jones
at this time was called Post Master at West
port.
had conversation with Jones; he ac-
knDwledged that he had threatened to my
wife to shoot me if he found me there again.
| returned to Oakley's cabin where lived.
and sent my boys round to rouse my neigh
bors while we fortified the cabin the bes,
way we could and loaded up our guns.
NOTICE TO QUIT.
founi written III red chalk on my door,
these words:
"Ynu are hereby notified to leave this
cabin by four o'clock this afternoon"
1t was no. signed. About that time
Jones and his company came down to the
cabin. went out and had consultation
with him he was anxious for me to leave
without any further tire uble; lie insisted
that should leave at all hazards.
After consultation with my friends, we
CO, uded to leave the cabin as we were
not strong enough to defend it. Jones went
some few minutes afterwards a man came
% from his crowd and set fire to the house
| Itw, burned down; our goods were res.
red b. ourselves after the house was fired
w lett the claim for several months-unti
M. Oakley returned.
| SHERIFF JONES TURNS FARMER.
| In the meantime, Jones used our rails and
raised crop on the claim. He never lived
on it, but bought house on the claim next
! to ours, bit never lived there.
THE saUATTERs RETURN.
Mr.. Oakley returned with his family
found no house for himself-took sick, 'anG
so did his family. On recovering, he set t.
work and built cabin on his claim, and
built one on mine.
In September Judge Lecompte issued al
injunction ordering me to stop cutting tim
her on claim belonging to Sheriff Jones
| At the time the injunction was served was
building cabin to winter in.
Alter the lines were run, Mr.. Oakley ant
| were put en- one claim and SO left it.
A BORDER RUFFIAN JURY.
went before the Grand Jury to com
plain of the burning Of my house but the,
refused to hear me. Mr. Isaacks, Attorne,
General, said that there was no law at tha
tin G fo' burning houses and mobbing
asked what should do if they came again
Should shoot them? He said might ge
along with that if could hold the claim
but would have to run the risk.
A LAW AND ORDER SHERIFF.
/ Edward Oakley, sworn-I came to th
Territory in April, 1855; settled near lie
compton on claim with my father-abou
a mile from the town plat, for there was N
town at that time
| On the 2Sth of May my fathers hous
was burned by S. j. Jones and mob. NJ
father was in Michigan at the time. Ii
burned down Mr.. Smiths house two O
T three weeks before that. did not see MI
Smiths house burned down, but heard MI
6 Jones acknowledge that he burned it.
saw one of Jones' mob get on the roc
to set it on fire. ..f .s~
THE PROPAGANDA AT MER-DE-CYGNEs.
j. F. Javens, swOrn-I came to Kansa
February 20, 1854, and settled on Mer-de
Cygne came from Missouri
, was at the November election. 1854.
voted. There were large companies Of arme
Missourians present who voted. was pei
sonallv acquainted with many of them fu
twelve years past. (The witness name
se.e eral If them, whose names We're on til
poll books.) sv s4
ss ~