The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1856-05-27
THE KANSAS INVESTIGATION
Proceedings of the Congressional Committee.
Frauds Confessed By the Missouri Demo
crats and .Ss0orn TO by the Settlers.

LANHANCE, AAHsas, April 3tih. l8o6.
Is COMMITTEE Present. Massrs Sherman fCbolr-
mani Howard and Oliver.
ErSdenee Of Jordan ,Davidson. Mr.. Jof-
dan Davidson was swoln, ard being cx
amined, testified as follows Game 10 Kan.
sas fiom Missouri to vote; understood Recder
had sent cast for voters, so we came; other
inducements were given; don't know Of any
one who came and voted Free State ticket
and returned; Bond was the only one preven-
ted from voting that know Of; was thirty
yards from trouble with Bond: did mol see
much of it, -,---------.--
derstand Rcedcr had brought on votes from
Slavery into Kansas; ourpeoplc Who came,
thought they had the right; | contendcd my
self they had right; was not at election
last Fall: was not here in '54; there is a Sc
crct society to extend Slavery into Kansas;
society called by various names--''Social
Band" Friends Society,"" "Blue Lodge"
"Sons of the South" by Others; don't know
rs know what it is properly called; have
been at meeting or two; have never been
at any meeting in this Territory; have seen
no Lodge in this Territory; it was formed
some time in the latter part of 1854, proba-
bly,; have 500 copies of its ritual; think
written minutes are kept Of proceeding; we
have signs and pass words by which we know
each other; object was to extend Slavery in
TO Kansas, and unite all tne friends of Slave
~ for that purpose; am told it exists in other
Staies, as well rs Missouri; am told by some
one who belonged 10 said society in Virginia;
he may have joined it in Mssouri exists
probably in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ar
kansas; was first in Lodge latter part Of Feb
ruary, 1855, at Pleasant Hill, Cass county.
This society was used as means to coueen-
trate body of men on the 3Oth Of March,
1885, WAS good chance to come and vote; (;
don't know that it was lawful, thought it
was; don't know of Anti-Savery men who
came into tho Territory on purpose to vote; !;
friends Of the society could tie ribbon in
their coat and be protected; il was used rs
a means of understanding each other; at any
rate, they were sworn to find cut all they
could from the other party; expresses were
sent and received concerning Kansas emigra-
ton and elections by thissocicty; committees
were appointed; lodges were used at that
period for the purpose of notifying men 10
come here; heard Mr.. Wade, of Wcstport,
speak Of the Society first; don't know who
are the founders of the Society; think it orig
mated in Missouri; never heard that it orig
mated in Washington; first Lodge ever
heard cf was in Westport; person who was
the general agent to initiate came into Cass
county; he came to mc, asked some ques-
tions, and answered them; he initiated me !;
this agent was from Cass county; Mr.. PALM
or Initiated me, did not see him with any Of
the parties on the 3oth of March, don't re-
collect the oath precisely; substance Of it is
to promote by al lawful means the extension
of Slavery; never heard any Of the leaders
say it was unlawful to come over and vote !;
heard one person in the Lodge ask how they
could vote in Kansas Territory lawfully; ans
wcr was, we will swear in some how; my
conversation with Palmer amounted to his
asking my willingness to extend Slavery into
Kansas,
Eriaence Of WvRiam Lyoas.-Resiied in
this District on the 30th of March, 1865;
saw body Of strangers cncamped at that
time had con 'ersation with Mr.. Shelby; he
told me lie had come over one hundred miles
to vote; he said that eight hundred Missouri
ans would vote on chat day.
Cross-eropained.--They were armed with
guns and knives; l voted for Delegate to
Congress, in the Fall Of '54; saw great
many persons passing the day before the cleo
tion they were strangers; live on the Cali
fornia road, on the way 10 Douglas; they
said they were going to vote; they were from
Missouri, and many Of them told mo SO ,
suppose there were over 100 who went to
Douglas to vote, tho place of election; saw
some Of them returning on the day and some
Of them the day after the election; they were
strangers to me; had no women, children, or
furniture with them; they were noisy; lived
in this district and voted hire; those people
hurrahed for Whitcfeld, and for Hill, and
some for Whitefeld and Hill both.
Cross-eramined-Wa one Of the officers
Of election after Benson and Ramsey left on
the 30th Of March, 1856, at Douglas; was
appointed by the people on the ground at the
time, took charge Of duplicate papers not
sent to tho Governors Office; kept these
books until the Legislature convened at Paw
nee; have not got the books now; books
have been destroyed, lost or something, while
/ was away from home: last November or
December, while was from home, the chill
those | had found; put away papers con-
tanning a list of the voters; it was in my
fathers house; his family was living there; j
left it, and have never seen them since; ex-
pect father used them for shaving paper, not
thinking them Of much account; asked father
if he knew anything about them; he did
not; Wanful acted as ono Of the Judges of
that election: he was TO make the returns;
knew that ho took them and started. ~
Evidence Of Hammond Muzxy.--Was at
Douglas on the s0th of March, at election;
saw large crowd there. and many wagons;
got there just as Mr. Mace did; he tried to
vote, and when the Pro-Slavery party saw
that his vote was Prostate vote they said
he should not vote it; several men took hold
of him by the collar and pulled him away
he took hold of me and we were both pulled
away together from the poll; they cried out,
ACut his throat" "tear bis d--d heart out Of
him." saw one man draw knife upon him: