The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-07-10
THE NATIONAL ERA: WASHINGTON, D. C., JULY 10 1856

to vote, in order to give the election some show
of fairness.
The whole number of names appearing upon
the poll lists is l,034. After full examination,
we are satisfied that not over 232 of these were
legal voters, and 802 were non-residents and
illegal voters. This district is strongly in favor
of making Kansas free State, and there is no
doubt that the Free State candidates for the
Legislature would have been elected by large
msjorities, if none but the actual settlers had
voted. At the preceding election, in Novem-
Der, 1854, where none but legal votes were
polled, General Whitfield, who received the full
strength of the Pro-Slavery party, got but 46
votes.
% DIsTRICr-BLooMINGroN
On the morning of election, the Judges sp-
pointed by the Governor appeared and opened
the polls. Their names were Harrison Burson,
Nathaniel Ramsay, and Mr.. Ellison. The Mis-
sourians began to come in early in the morn
ing, some 500 or 600 of them, in wagons and
carriages, and on horseback, under the lead of
Samuel j. Jones, then postmaster of Westport,
Missouri, Claiborne +. Jackson, and Mr..
Steely, of Independence, Missouri. They were
armed with double-barreled guns, rifles, bowie
knives and pistols, and had flags hoisted
They held a sort of informal election, off at one
sue, at uTSb iOr OONcTuOT Vi hduS6S, anu SQOTJ
ly afterwards announced Thomas johnson. Of
Shawnee Mission, elected Governor. The
polls had been opened but a short time, when
Mr.. Jones marched with the crowd up to the
window, and demanded that they should be al
lowed to vote without swearing as to their res
idence. After some noisy and threatening talk,
Claiborne +. jackson addressed the crowd,
saying they had come there to vote, that they
had a right to vote if they had been there but
FIVE minutes, and he was not willing to 60 home
without voting; which was received With
cheers. jackson then called upon them to
form into little bands of fifteen or twenty,
which they did, and went to an ox-wagon filed
with guns, which were distributed among them,
and proceeded to load some of them on the
ground. In pursuance of Jackson's request,
they tied white tape or ribbon in their button
holes, so as to distinguish them from the CAB
olitionists." They again demanded that the
judges should resign, and upon their refusing
to do so, smashed in the window, sash and all,
and presented their pistols and guns to them,
threatening to shoot them. Some one on the
outside cried out to them not to shoot, as there
were Pros Slavery men in the room with the
judges. They then put pry under the corner
of the house, which was log house, and lifted
it up a few inches, and let it fall again, but de-
sisted upon being told there were Pro-Slavery
men in the house. During this time, the crowd
repeatedly demanded to be allowed to vote
without being sworn, and Mr.. Ellison, one of
the Judges, expressed himself willing, but the
other two judges refused; thereupon, body of
men, headed by "Sheriff JONES'" rushed into
the judges room, with cooked pistols and drawn
bowie-knives in their hands, and approached
Burson and Ramsay. Jones pulled out his
watch, and said he would give them five min
utes to resign in, or die. When the five min.
utes had expired, and the Judges did not re-
sign, Jones said he would give them another
minute, and no more. Ellison told his asso-
ciates, that if they did not resign, there would
be one hundred shots fired into the room in less
than fifteen minutes, and then, snatching up
the ballot-box, ran out into the crowd. holding
up the ballot-box, and hurraing for Missouri.
About that time, Burson and Ramsay were
called out by their friends, and not suffered to
return. Az Mr.. Burson went out, he put the
ballot poll-books in his pocket, and took them
with him; and as he was going out, Jones
snatched some papers away from him, and short.
ly afterward came out himself, holding them up,
crying, "Hurrah for Missouri" After he dis.
covered they were not the poll-books, he took
party of men with him, and started off to take
the pollbooks from Burson. Mr.. Rurson saw
them coming, and he gave the books to Mr..
Umberger, and told him to start off in another
direction, 80 as to mislead Jones and his party
Jones and his party caught Mr.. Umberger, took
the poll-books away from him, and Jones took
him up behind him on horse, and carried him
back, prisoner. After Jones and his party
had taken Umberger back, they went to the
house of Mr. Ramsay, and took Judge John A.
Wakefield prisoner, and carried him to the place
Of election, and made him get up on a wagon
and make them speech; after which, they pnt
a white ribbon in his button.hole, and let him
60. They then chose two new judges, and
proceeded with the election. Three hundred
and forty.one votes were polled there that day,
of which but some thirty were citizens. The
testimony is uniform, that not sven thirty of
those who voted there were entitled to vote
leaving three hundred and eleven illegal votes
We are satisfied, from the testimony. that had
the actual settlers alone voted, the Free State
candidates would have been elected by hand
some majority.
3D. DIsTRICT-TECUMsEH.
90 the 18th of March, persons from CLAY,
Jackson, and Howard counties, Missouri, began
to come into Tecumseh, in wagons, carriages,
and on horseback, armed with guns, bowie.
knives, and rsvolvers; and With threats en-
camped close by the town, and continued camp
luS uuJl tuc Qdy VI cIcCtiOu. lie nlgQC before
the election, two hundred men were sent for
from the camp of Missourians at Lawrence.
On the morning of the election, before the polls
were oseneQ, some three hundred or four hun.
dred Missourians and others we're collected in
the yard about the house of Thomas Stnson.
where the election was to be held, armed with
bowie-knives revolvers, and clubs They said
they lswe to Tote, and whip the damned Yam
KEGS, and would vote without being sworn.
Some said they came to have fight, and want.
ed one. Colonel Samuel II. Woodson, of indie.
pendence, Missouri, was in the room of the
judges when they arrived, preparing polbooks
and tally -lists, and remained there during their
attempts to organize. The room of the Judges
vas also filed by many OF the strangers. The
judges could not agree concerning the oath to
be taken by themselves, and the oath to be
administered to the voters-Mr. Burgess de.
string to administer the oath prescribed by the
Governor, and the other two judges opposing
il. During this discussion between the Judges,
which issteQ sou1e time, the crowd outside be-
came excited and noisy, threatening ana ours
ing Mr.. Burgess, the Free State Judge. Persons
were sent at different times by the crowd out.
side into the room where the judges were, with
threatening messages, especially against Mr..
Burgess, and at last ten minutes we're given
them to organize in, or leave; and as the time
passed, persons outside would call out the num-
Der of minutes left, with threats against Bur
CESS, if he did not agree to organize. At the
end of that time, the judges, not being able to
left the room, and the crowd bro.
ceeded to elect nine judges, and carry on the
election. The Free State men generally left
the ground without voting, stating that there
was no use in their voting there. The polls
we're so crowded, during the FIRST part Of the
day, that the citisens eonld not get up to the
window to vote. Threats were made against
the Free State men. In the afternoon, the Rev.
Mr. Gilnafrick waa aftackad Ind a.,... aa l.