The Tiffin tribune. [volume] (Tiffin, Ohio) 1848-1859, 1856-05-23

eNNSNo NffPlNttN uy HslDN. ANrrNeN HIi-
peafed at ihe fhomps5a. A cf " d
Of strangers soon began % gather afo rnd
demanding that che polls be opsn ed =.
our residents ieii Thompeon aud ap-
pointed another Judge. and selected i6o
clerks. ] had considerable difficulty 10
getting the Judges TO open tho polls -
They would 20 out aud whisper 10 ihe
crowd ouisidc. They were both pro Ella
very men, We agieed to on cath 10 adj
minister % tie Totsfs. The 6ist man ihnt
came up, in a1swcf 10 tile oath be said
elm here" lie fi.piy took ihe oath;
swearing he was resident. The other
Judges were disposed 20 take bic yoto
without swearing him
Cross-examined BY Mr. Whitfield.
ID. n. Grover Was the caadidaie Tor the,
Council, aud DR.. Harris aud Mr.. We'd
dell for the House. did not zee anb
one prevented from voting. ] say Gro
VET Harris aud Woddell did not pet a
majority OF the legal voters Of the dis
trict, | have been in tho Western
country since December, 1914.
Mr.. Whilfeld--Ale not the elections
here noisy aud qaarrelsome 10 tie West
ern country?
Witness-Our free state elections have
all been orderly aud qaNi-when tie ia.
vaders come over they have been stormy.
| was not personally threatened, nos do
know Of any special threat against me Il
J should protect; but il was common talk.
among the pro slaNery men, that il would
be dangerous for Rhy body TO pto est
And 50 we regarded il.
By Mr. Reed. ri was carrying motto
ces concerning our Coni ontion iur idfm4
ing constitution through our district.
At the hotel at A,chison, man from
Missouri pulled the papers away from me.
read them 10 the crowd. aud insulled and
abused me. They asked me il had read
The squatler Sovereign? lf ! did not
know they would not permit any body TO
| put up such bills bcrcs III did not know
was guilty OF high treason2 They
talked about tying ne before a Justice
OF tie Peace. They took my papers from
ne and used them Tor lighting their ci-
gars. A, night the Landlord gave me
room l heard men. among Others Mr.
Kelley, associate editor OF the Squa,tgr
Sovereign, using threatening language.
Mr.. Viii field objected Mr. Oliver
objected. Mr.. Whitheld and Mr.. Oliver
did not wish the committee TO investigate
every ltile trouble. OF course not.
Gov. Reeder said that he wished 10
prove that 10 was impossible for mm 10
enjoy his political opinions peaceably Ia
the Town Ut Atchison, aud the District il
eau overawe.
The majority Of tho Committee deci.
ded to receive the evidence.
Witness MIR. Kelley said that il would
be good plan to hang me and set an
example foe ~ aboliliomsls. Another
said had hetier be put on one side of
raft and my pony On the other and sent
down the Missouri Another said they
had better keep me there until the day
the speaking was TO come of, aud have
some fun when Lane aud Others came
there. Next morning they came TO me
and asked me where was going? What
lall this meanl9 | told them the object
lof M. After this conversation ] Went
down home, rs l agreed. BY tle other
side of tho river. in order to pacify them.
They advised me never to cali there again
with abolition documents. I'll did, they
said, my life would be short. IL was
against the law. they said, and lreasona'
ble
Messrs. Oliver and Whhfeld's ner-
voushess visibly increased They object
ed. The resolutions OF instruction 10 tho
committee were read by Governor Recder.
Tie maturity decided that il was their
duty TO inquire minulely into everything
concerning which the witness had testi-
fed.
BY Mr.. Oliyer--thi conversation at
night referred TO me as carrying about
these hRndbills. They said ttey would
have no Free State men. speak Ia their
town.
BY Gov. Reader-I had handbills in
reference to lie election Of delegates to
Congress; in regard TO the Constitutional
Convention, and another announcing
meeting at Atchison, at which speeches
would be delivered upon tbe political is.
sues Of the day.
By Mr.. Whitfeld-I was asked by
Robert Riddle, Of Leayenworth, TO dis
tribute them. l understood that tho
movement for State organization was
not participated in by one party only
| know Of many pro-slavery men who vo-
ted for the Constitution WAS never at
any meeting where they resolved they
would repudiste the laws. was at a
meeting at Leayenworth when the OBJ
jtct OF the State movement was stated by
Mr.. Parrotl TO DO 10 nominate delegates
for Constitutional cyayenlion-to DO
voted for by the people. Pro-slayery
men wele nominated as candidates at this
time, but declined.
James + Merriam called and sworn
was at the election in this d'strict on the
Goth Of March saw from three to four
hundred Missourians there. After dri-
wing from the polls two Of the Judges ap,
pointed by Governor Reeder, and select
ing two others--pro-slavery men--they
proceeded to vote. There were threats
made against tie d----d Abolitiohisis.
heard a man make a speech aud say
that he heard that the abolitionisls were
coming from Pawnee and Topeka, IN the
afternoon, to take possession Of the polls.