Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-02-21
Trouble in Kansas.

ii'iDiS III -is'u'l-.
The ST Louis d imIcra, Of the ~ b oI
JanuIry containing some 2ain'uI inteilj.euce
ir m Kansas Its special correspondent
writing from lawrence under date Of tae
20'h Of Janulry, says:
"Mr. Slocun, the Ere Estate Mayor or
Lavenworth, resigned his office some time
ago. \ p-o.slaycry Mayor was elected. =
The election for State officers was to BE-
held throughout the Territory On Tuesday
last. At Ltvenwortb am informed, the
, Mayor issued PROCLAMATION forbddng the
opening Of the tOils. This dcspotic mandate
excited great Indignation. Tre judges ad-
journed the election till Thursday, and ap-
pointed it 70 be held al EasliD. An srmc !
force was raised at Llvcnworth, or in that
vacinity, TO seize the Dallot-box. The Free
Slste raeH we-e iafopcd II ussir danger,
and prepared to meet ID. Sytss broaght
the intelligence to Llvenworth that the
Tree-State men were arming. They then
determined to take them by surprise, and
therefore postponed the attack until the
eveniog~when they expected to find the
Frce-Sate men unprepared and % sieza the
ba!lot-b>x without any difficulty, Al twi-
light the pro-savery men maize a. charge
sbou: dUz n Frec-S,ate men stood await
ing item; but their was twenty others con-
cesled They then halted at about one
hundred yards from the house Thy were
thrty-fve or forty strong majority on hprse-
back, and all OF them well armed, Some
of the Frees State men in the house got en-
cited and rushed out to charge on the
enemy. As sool' as the pro-slnvery men
saw their force. they wheeled about to with
draw to some distance. They then pl,ceI
a picket guard in the lane that led to the
house. and disermed one or two Free-State
men who attempted TO pass it some tim,
after. Mr.. e. P. Brown, a Kentuckian, de-
termineI to put stop to their interference,
with an equal number Of Free-States mnn
marched up to the picket guard. Both par
Ties presented arms Mr.. Brown lold them
to surrender or be shot. They surrendered.
Four Of them were disarmed; the other,
friend of the Fcee-State guards, was perult-
ted to retain his arms.
"After this exploit several Of the Free-
State men returned to their homes; they
thought the pr1-siivery men had left
About two O'clock, as Mr. Stephen Sparks
(of Rush county, lndana) was on his way
home, ir company with his son and nephew
they were pu'sued by company OF fifteen
mounted men, who ordered them to halt and
surrender. They refused to do SO, retreated
to fence, and prepared to defend them
-.el-s So t.. asri.s ~, Suho u"A- ea- hasss--
back, gallppeI back to Elstin, and informed
Mr.. Brown of the situation Of his friends
Mr.. Brown, with fifteen men, marched
rapidly to rccue them, aud arrived before
they were arrested. Both parties moved on
to cross road, where the pro-slavery men
were reinforced. They parted, but before
they had gone far several shots were fired
into the ranks O! the Frte-State company
An engagement ensued. Vol!ey after yolley
was rapidly exchanged The combatants
then retreatcd to two houses al rfieshot
distance, and kept up constant fire for five
or ten minutes. One Free. State man, with
a Sharp's rifle, lay down behind snow
bank and fired at every man OF the opposite
party who dered to show himself. The fir
ing vas keptu until both parties we're CAhau-
sted when the Frae-S'ate men Withdrew to
Ensiun. The baliut-box, in the mean time
had been secured and carried out of town
by one Of the voters"
1t is further stated that, on the follow ing
morning,as Mr.. Brown was returning alone
to Leavenworth, he was ovcrpowered by an
armed force, arrested, and taken back to
Easton, were he was kept under guard
through Friday, aud at night taken out and
SO cruelty beaten that he died soon after
waids. The Karsas "Ierald of Freedom"
in commenting on the above acts OF violence
and further anticipated diff ,ulties when the
State Government is to lie Pu. into opera
ton in MlrcH inyokes the speedy nterpoSi-
lion of Congress 10 prevent civil war.