Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-08-14
NEW SERIES, NO. "a.
IEhMS, { $500 at the years. a ssssass' sna.
political.
Ihe Kansas Invasions of '54.'56.
REPORT OF THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE


|
10 provide for the election of Delegates to
congress, and at the same time do it in such 4 ;.
manner as to obtain the Judgment of the House
Vi representatives upon the validity Of the al.
lesea Legislative Assembly sitting at Shawnee
Mission' Convention was held at Big Springs
IN the 9th and 9th days of September, 1856
lhis was party Convention, and party call
ing itself the Free State party was then organ.
lzed 1t was in no way connected with the
o'a'e moRsmaht. except that tha slsction Of
Delegate to Congress was fixed By IL on the
same day as the election of members of a Con-
stitutional Convention, instead of the day pre
serbed by the alleged Legislative Assembly,
Andrew Il. Reeder was put in nomination as
Territorial Delegate to Congress, and an cleo
ton was provided for under the regulations
prescribed for the election of March 80, 1856,
excepting as to the appointment of officers, and
the persons to whom the returns Of the cleo
tions should be made. The election was held
in accordance with these regulations.
(The Report here gives an abstract Of the
electeon of A. H. Reeder He received 2.sl6
votes
The resolutions passed by this Convention in-
dicate the state of feeling which existed in the
Territory in consequence of the invasion frem
Missouri, and the enactments Of the alleged
Legislative Assembly. The language of some
of the resolutions is violent, and can only be-
justified either in consequence of the attemnt
10 enforce the srossest acts Of tyranny. or for
the purpose of guarding against similar inva-
sion in the future.
In the fall of 1855, there sprang out Of The
existing discords and excitement in the Terrific
ry, two secret Free State Societies. They were
defensive in their character, and were designed
to form protection to their members against
unlawful acts Of violence and assault. One of
the societies was purely of local character,
and was confined to the town of Lawrence
Very shortly af'er its organization it prodAcrd
its desired effect, and went out Of uso and ccas,
ed to exist Both societies were cumbersome,
and of no utility except to give confidence to
the Free State men and enable them TO know
and aid each other in contemplated danger. So
far as the evidence shows, they led to no acts
OF violence in resistance to either real or alle-,a
laws.
On the 2lst day of November, 1855, F. NJ.
Coleman a Pro-Slavcry man, and Charlus "
Dow, Free State man, had dispute ubo,t
the division line between their respective claims.
Several hours afterwards, as Dow was passinr
from blacksmiths shop toward his claim, and
by the cabin OF Coleman, the latter shot Dow
with double-barreled gun loaded with slues
Dow was unarmed. lie tell across the road and
died Immediately. This was about clock
In the afternoon. His dead body was allowed
to lie where it fell until after sundown, when
1t was conveyed by Jacob Branson to his house
at which Dow boarded The testimony in re
gard to this homicide is voluminous, and shows
clearly that it was deliberate murder by Cole
man, and that Harrison Bulkley and a Mr..
targous were accessories to it. The excitement
caused by it was very great among all classes of
the settlers. On the Goth, q large meeting Of
citizens was held at the place where the murder
was committed, and resolutions passed that CoIe.
man should be brought to Justice. In the
meantime, Coleman had gone to Missouri, and
then to Gov. Shannon at Shawnee Mission in
johnson County He was there taken into Gus
tody by ). IL. Jones, then acting as Sheriff.
No warrant was issued or examination had -
On the day of the meeting at Hickory Point,
Harrison Brady procured peace warrant
against Jacob Branson, which was placed in
the hands Of Jones' The same evening, after
Branson had gone to bed, Jones came to hi
cabin with party of about twenty-five per-
sons, among whom were Hargous and Buckley
burst open the door and saw Branson in bed.
He then drew his pistol, cooked it, and present
ed it to Branson's breast, and said, "You are
my prisoner, and if you move will blow you
through The others cooked their guns and
gathered round him and took him prisoner
They all mounted and went to Buckley's house.
After time they went on circuitous route
towards Blantons Bridge, stopping to g drink "
on the way. As they approached it there were
thirteen in the party, several having stopped
Jones rode up to the prisoner and among other
things told him that he had ''.heard there were
, one hundred men at your house to-day" and
| that lie regretted they were not there," aud
that they " were cheated out of their sport. -
) In the meantime, alarm had been given in the
, neighbOrhood of Branson's arrest, and several
of the settlers, among whom were some who
+. had attended the meeting at Hickory Point that
g day, gathered together. They we're greatly ex-
cited the alleged injustice of such an arrest of
f a quiet settler under q psaee warrant by
i. " Sheriff Jones, aided by two men believed 10
bc accessory to murder, and who were allowed
I to bo at large, exasperated them, and they pro.
cceded as rapidly as possible, by nearer route
Q than that taken by Jones, and stopped near the
house Of j. S. Abbott, one of them. They
were on foot as Jones's party approached on o
' canter. The rescuers suddenly formed across
It the road in front Of Jones and his party. Jones
Q halted, and asked, !" What's up'" The reply
t was That's what we want to know What's
: up'" Rranson said, e They have cot a pris-
o oner." Some one in the rescuing party told
g him to come over to their side. He did SO, and
v dismountel, and the mule he rode was driven
y over to Jones's party; Jones then left. ot the
,s persons engaged in this rescue, three were from
> Lawrence and had attended the meeting
/. Your Committee have deemed tproper to detai
the particulars of this rescue, as it was made