Tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1856, 1856-05-22
F II ON X AN s A S.
Congressional Investigating Committee.
To the Editor Of the Missouri Democrat:
LAWRENCE, K X, May 8.
sTATEMENT or DIR. WEsTFALL.


STATEMENT OF DIR. wESTFALL.
| emigrated to the Territory on the 9th o
April last. For about ten years past l have
lived in Cass and Jackson counties, in Missouri
l am physician. l am well acquainted WIN
The prominent citizens of Jackson, Cass' Lalay
este and johnson counties. , ,o., =.
For about two years previous TO the o"th VI
March, 1855, l had kept dry goods store III
Jackson county-not more than ten rect from
the line which divides the State from the Ierri-
tory. I was always regarged as FRO. slavery
man until the formation of secret lodges IN Jack
son county TO control the Territorial elections;
I have no moral objections to Slavery; woulo
own slaves If able, if | lived in a Slave State-
NV relations are Shareholders. am NeoraS-
ka Democrat. When in Missouri | voted the
BENTON ticket | have no objections to the eX-
tension of Slavery, provided that its extension
is not forced upon the people OF the Territories
by foreign citizens.
Secret lodges were formed for the purpose of
controlling the elections III Kansas. | was re-
peatedly invited TO join them, but refused to DO
so.
They then began to brand me free soiler
Int naid no attention to them, and finally ac-
cused me of being an Abolitionist.
They became so maignant-trled so lnceS-
sanity to ruin my character and trade-that
determined to thwart their designs on Kansas.
On the Goth of March, Il company was organ
;zed to invade the Territory and control the
elections at Bull Creek. | was invited to go
with them by several citizens. | said | would
90 I determined to send the Executive infor-
nation of the frauds and thereby defeat the in
vaders' designs
On the evening of the goth, we encampad
near Bull Greek precinct, which is % miles from
the Missouri line. We came in wagons, bug
gies and horseback. presume there must have
been five hundred encamped within one mile of
each other that night. The largest company
was from Cass county; the smaller one in which
| was, were from Jackson. They were all hea-
Willy armed.
About shutdown, one or two Pro Slavery
Judges appointed by Gov. Reeder, came up. to
me- and stated that the Free State Judge of cleo
tions did not intend to act and asked II to Off
ciate III his stead.
| supposed that this offer had been made for
the purpose of proving what they considered my
political heterdoxy, and that they expected me
to decline. But seeing that, by accep ting it, l
could obtain the most minute knowledge OF their
proceedings, and thereby enable Gov. Reeder to
refuse certificates to the Candidates elected by
the invaders, promptly accepted the office, and
on the following morning went TO the polls in
company with ock Park, formerly of kentucky,
and Mr.. Payne formerly of Tennessee, whom
Gov. Reeder had appointed as judges oftho cleo,
ton.
Park had a claim on Bull Creek, and had
built little cabin on 1t, but had never lived i'll
*. He lived with Col. Gill, of Jackson county,;
Missouri. He had only been in Missouri few
months before the election and returned to Ken
lucky shortly after the election and has resided
there ever since
Dir. Payne had been a few weeks from Ten
nessee-his family were in Tennessee at the
time. He also had claim on Bull Greek, but
had never lived on it. He lived at Col. Gll's
also. He returned to Tennessee Immediately
after the election and has never been back since
When we met at the precinct asked how
was about swearing in the Judges, and said that
| could not serve if | had to commit perjury be-
fore acting. l said also that l could not see how
man could take the oath prescribed by Reeder
and receive the votes of Missouriaus without
committing perjury.
They remarked that | need rot give myself
any uneaSiness about that as they didn' intend
TO take an oath.
The polls were opened about 10 o'clock A. NJ,
and closed about o'clock in the evening, or per-
haps later; near as l can recollect, about
three hundred votes were polled az our precinct,
hne3o that ntnefeHthS Of the r0terS tccre citizens
Of Missouri! | knew the majority of them per-
sonally.
The election at our precincts resulted in the
election OF four Representatives and two Sena-
tors.
l have known Henry Younger, one Of the
Representatives elected to the Legislature, for
the last ten years. He has a large farm near
Independence is one Of the wealthiest citizens
eff Jackson and Cass counties, and has never
resided III the territory, except during the SEES
sion of the Legislature sat Pawnee and the
Shawnee Mission.
We copy the following for the purpose of showing
readers what is going on elsewhere in refereneC