Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-07-19

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other persons 70 act a. Judges, and the election
went On. Those persons voting who were
sworn were asked i they considered them
said they did they were allowed to vote. But
few Of the residents were present and voted,
and the Free State men as general thing
did not vote. After the -Missourians got
through voting they returned home. A formal
return was made by the Judges Of the cleo
ton, setting out the facts, but it was not veri-
fled. The number Of legal voters in the dis
trict was 96, Of whom majority were Free
State men. Of these voted. The total
number Of votes cast was 269.
FOURTEENTH DISTRICT.
1t was generally rumored in this district for
some days before the election that the Nilsson
rians were coming over TO vote. Previous to
the election, men from Missouri came into the
district and electioneered for the pro-Slayery
candidates. Gen. David II. Atchison and
party controlled the nominations in one Of the
primary elections
BURR OAK PRECINcr. asa
Several hundred Missourians from Bochan-
an, Platte, and Andrew Counties, Mo-, in
GLIDING great many Of the prominent citi.
zens Of ST. Joseph, came into this precinct the
day before, and on the day Of election, in
wagons and on horse, and encamped there.
Arrangements were made for them to cross
the ferry at St. Joseph, free of expense to
themselves. They were armed with bowie
knives and pistols. guns and rifles. On the
morning of the election the Free State candi-
dates resigned in body, on account Of the
presence of the large number of armed Mis-
~ a.. -
raed. Gen. b. F. Stringfellow was present
and prominent in promoting the election Of the
pro-Savery ticket, as was also the Hon. Will
lard p. Hail, and others Of the most prominent
citizens Of St. Joseph, Mo. But one of the
Judges Of Election, appointed by the Cover
nor, served on that day, and the crowd chose
two others to supply the vacancies.
The Missourians said they came there to
vote for and secure the election of Mai. VIM.
S. Richardson. Maj. Richardson, elected to
the Council, had farm in Missouri, where
his wife and daug liter lived with his son-in-
law, Willard p. Hall, he himself generally
going home every Saturday night. The farm
was generally known as the Richardson farm.
He had claim in the territory upon which
was saw-lnlI. and where he generally re-
manned during the week.
Some Of the Missourians gave as their rea-
son tor voting that they had heard that Eas-
tern emigrants were to be at that election,
though no Eastern emigrants were there
Others said that they were going to vote for
the purpose of making Kansas Slave State.
Some claimed that they had a right to vote
under the provisions Of the Kansas Nebraska
bill, from the fact that they were present Oh the
ground on the day of election.
DONIPHAN PRECINCT.
The evening before the election some two
hundred or more Missouri ans, from Platte,
Buchanan. Saline and Clay Counties. Missou-.
ri, came into this precinct, with tents, music,
wagons and provisions. and armed with guns.
rifles, pistols and bowie-knives, and EN-.
camped about two miles from the place of vo-
ting. They said they came to make Kansas a
Slave State, and intended 10 return to Missouri
after they had voted.
pointed by the Governor would not serve. and
others were appointed by the crowd. The
Missourians were allowed to vote without be-
ing sworn-some OF them voting many
eight or nine times changing their hats and
coats and giving in different names each time.
After they had voted they returned TO Miss u
ri. The Free Stale men generally did not
vote. though constituting majority in the pre-
cinct. Upon counting the ballots in the box
and the names on the poll book it was found
tina, there were too many ballots, and one Of
the Judges of Election took out ballots enough
TO make the two numbers correspond.
| The total number of white inhabitants in the
| Xlth District in the month of February, A. ID.
| 1855, including men, women and children,
| 36, of whom "a were voters-yet the poll lists in
this District show that 245 votes cast at this
election. For reasons stated hereafter in regard
to the election on the Both of March, your Conn
mittee unable to procure the Attendance of
witnesses from this District. From the records
| it clearly appears that the votes cast could not
have been by lawful resident voters. The best
test in the absence of direct proof by which to
ascertain the number of legal votes cast, is by a
comparison Of the census roll with the poll book
! by which it appears that but resident settlers
voted, and 23S votes were illegally and fraudu-
| l"nty given.
The election in the XIvth District was held at the
house of Benjamin Harding, few miles from the
town Of st. Joseph, Missouri. Before the polls
were opened, large number of citizens of
Buchanan County, Missouri, and among them
many of the leading citizens of st. Joseph, were
at the place of voting, and made a ma Orisy Of
the persons present. At the time appointed by
the Governor for opening the polls, two of the
Judges were not there, and it became the duty Of
| the legal voters present to select other Judges.
| The Judge who was present suggested the name
Of Mr.. Waterson as one of the Judges-but the
crowd voted down the proposition.--Som dis
cussiOn then arose as the right of non residents
to vote for Judges, during which Mr.. Bryant was
nominated and elected by the crowd. Some one
nominated Col. John Scott as the other Judge.
who was then and is a resident of st. Joseph.
AT that time be was the City Attorney Of that
place, and continued until this Spring, but be
claimed that the night before he had come to the
house of Mr.. Bryant. and had engaged boarding
for month, and considered himself resident Of
Kansas that ground. The Judges appointed
| by the Governor refused to put the nomination of
Col Scott to vote, because he not resident.
After some discussion, Judge Leonard, citizen
of Missouri, stepped forward and put the vote
himself and MIR. Scott was declared by him as
elected by the crowd, and served as a Judge Of
Election that day. After the election was over
he returned to St. Joseph and never since has
resided in the Territory 1t is manifest that this
election of a nonresident lawyer Judge, was
imposed upon the settlers by the citizens of the
State. When the board of Judges was thus COM
pleted the voting proceeded, but the effect of the
rule adopted by the Judges allowed many, If not
a majority of the non-residents to vote. They
claimed that their presence ON the ground, espe-
cially when they had claim in the Territory,
gave them right to vote under that construc-
ton of the law they readily, when required, swore
they were Presidents" and then voted. By this
evasion, as near as your Committee ascertain
| from the testimony, as many as so illegal votes
were cast in this District out of 153, the whole
number polled.
The election in the XVIII District was held at
Penseman's, on Stranger Creek, a few miles from
Weston. Missouri. On the dav of the election n