New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-10-14
KANSbc,.
TIE FREE-sTATE. PRISONERS IN KANSAS
THEIR FARE, THEIR NAMES AND
uIIEIR f.InSpE(TS

u,der confinement at LecOmpt0n. IL was my sec
end visit 10 that forlorn little Virginia town. /
call il thus because the whole sensation Is that OF
the Old Dominion. Instead & the rising school
houses and churches Of Lawrence the little street
IL lined with bar. rooms, whereof the chief is the
"Vireinia Saloon" The tavern is true Virginia
bacon corn bread and dirty negro boys and girls 70
wait at table. Southern provinciali.ms strike one
ear at every moment, and the town il garnSoned
by Col. Tituss militia, Reinforced yesterday by
twenty five precious youths from Georgia IN hgn
state Of wtisAy.
The Governor declines al control over the PRISON
ers, but Marshal DonelsOn was very ready 70 ahln'
e TO see them. Ii fact, they we're very Wis DE oeus
allowed An area OF square r0dOr 80 oe'"ie '"o"
prison door, guarded by few young MISSOURI ms
who paced up and Town with loaded mu-h'''' "io'
one of the poor fellows, allowed for some red'ou "
cross the street pursued by an eSillookng sc'un-
d,.l with fixed bayonet II il singular how much
alike ALI slaver,'s officials look. saw ha!ta dozen
fines reteated the familiar features OF my Boston
friend, Mr.. Asa o. Buman
The hundred and five prisoners louDged about
looking as prisoners everywhere do. They are Kept
in a large unfinished wooden building, without an
a,om Of furniture Of any description. They do their
own cooking, with very scanty utensils, and such
provisions as shall hereafter describe. They have
obtained with great difficulty fifteen straw pallets
for the whole company. Some have no banke's;
but tLe majority possess the luxury OF one apiece
1t was an exceedingly cold windy day when was
there; the exposed side OF the house was unhiH
isbed aud about halt ts superficial extent consist
ed Of great gaps through which the wind wmstled
A t.xx ot men AZ about uOOr
fever an aguc.
Most Of them are young men, the flower of the
youth Of Lawrence. They are hght-hearted SET
of boys, aud are resolved to avenge them-elve' on
their captors by perfect Indifference I" captiNi'y,
This comes hard, however on some, fathers oi
families and owners of farms which are alike suit
ferug from their absence. Three weeks labor OF
hundred men, all lost in the busiest season OF the
year for if is the only time to get III the hay for the
Winters supply.
One man had left six children, all sick, and his
wife accidentally absent from home: he said he
supposed some Of the neghb0rs would look after
them Another carried in lis arms child who
was, | was told, the first child born in Lawrence,
and was christeued with the name Of the town.
The poor little thing looked rather iorOrn, as ITS
pald father carried it up and down the bare prison
room; early initiation into the sorrows OF
Kansas.
Among the crowd found two of the best emf
grants whom Worcester had sent, and Othe Is VINO
belonged TO companies which had organized. Not
one Of these seemed depressed, but all appeared
proud of being there. At first, they said, while III
the care Of the United States troops, and encamped
on the prairie, there many escapes; now the
guard was close that it was almost impossible
Col. Titus, who has charge of these is the head OF
one division OF Kansas militia, his force beng chiefly
from Missouri and other Southern States; he IA
the man whose life was humanely spared by the
Free-State men when they broke up his camp OF
outlaws He showed his gratitude by informing
his Free-State prisoners that II one Ol them at
tempted 10 escape. he should blow the building to
atoms. l looked and saw the cannon actually
pointed, not upon the entrance but so as to com
mand the ain portion of the building. There
stood the emblem Of despotism, with its concal pile
of balls beside il. never SAW but one cannon,
before, that looked so detestablc.
Even now the men say that some could escape
by killing q few scntincls; but this they will not do
or true Kansas reasOn-they would lose their
rifles whereas, if liberated, Gov. Geary assures
them that they shall be restored. l doubt tins
prospect, however, from the fact that out OF
fourteen horses, possessed by different individuils
Cfthe number when captured, only three can now
be fOund and a horse ranks second to Snaps
rife in the affection Of Kansas man.
All these prisoners are bound over for trial in Oc-
tOber on the charge Of murder in the first degree.
You are aware Of the brilliant series OF engage
mcnts in which the ffeemen OF Kansas had driven
the invaders from their borders before Gov. Geary
were killed. In return for this, every Free-State
man who is accused by any body OF having taken
part in those engagements Is IN danger OF arrest
The greater part, however, were taken after the
battle at Hickory Point, while of the Pro Slavery
men, who still had the black flag flying when these
Were taken, not one was captured.
IL each of these prisoners had in broad daylight,
deliberately murdered man, they could have been
placed in no worse position than they are now, Tor
simply defending the liberties of their country under
most fearful proyocatiOn.
For instance in the attack on Osawkce, the Free
State men, on entering the Pro-Slayery fort found
man chained 10 the floor by heavy log chain ABOUT
eight feet long which was rNcted 10 his leg. In
this portion he had been kept for six weeks on the
charge of stealing horse. In all the evaporation
produced hy this discovery, man was killed; but
the MissOurans were compelled to perform the la
Dor of detacling the chain from the leg. My in
formant saw il done For this affair some Of those
whom l saw at LccOmpton were imprisoned and
Others in this place are hiding from arrest work
iDg on their farms, with horse ready sadded for
instantaneous escape from any suspicious VISITORS
All these arrests have been made by the United
States troops whom it is the present policy or the
people not to resist But this patience cannot last
for ever; and only repeat, what l have every day
asserted, when say that the election of Fremont is
the only thing that can avert blocdier conflict
fhan has ever yet stained this soil. When not a
single PrO-SaNcry man Is arrested. how
bep seeing that the Administration is sustaining
Missouri
The Governor excuses himself by SAYING that the
Frce-Staie men make no complaints. But he does
not wait for complaints on the other side. and he
Omitted 10 that he sent up 10 arrest the leaders
four train Of emigraDts without an affidavit from
ny one. lie has been repeatedly Informed of the
l.. a = - la N a l.