The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-12-18
AFT AIRS IN KAN SAS.

| kef naO Deen ulSDanoeu according 10 tnelr own
request. Sixteen of the Free State prisoners,
tried for murder in the first degree, had been
acquitted.
From the Kansas documents accompanying
the Presidents Message, it seems that Governor
Geary on the goth September, addressed let
ter to the Governor of Missouri, in quite Aatter-
ing terms, but specifying numerous outrages
committed by citizens of Missouri in Kansas,
and closing as follows:
"Your Excellency will readily perceive from
the above the cause of grievance; and you will
much aid my efforts to restore order in this dis
tracted Territory by issuing a proclamation for
| bidding all robbers, incendiaries, aud murderers
now infesting this Territory, to take refuge upon
your soil, upon pain of being declared outlaws
and bandits, and making such other suggestions
| as you may deem advisable to aid the cause
| have so much at heart.
81 also desire your Excellency to cause to be
released from captivity the son Of o. @. Brown,
cambridge Faller, and any other persons, if
there be any such, who have been forcibly car
ried from this Territory into the State of Mis-
souri,"
The requests of Governor Geary, so reasonable
and so politely urged, it would seem, never met
with any response from His Excellency."
The following letter, from our well-informed
correspondent in Lecompton Prison, is full of
interest.
| Prison AT TBCUMsEH, KANSAS,
December /, 1856.
To the Editor o t6e National Era:
All the untried prisoners remaining at Le-
compton last Wednesday morning were this
day brought up to this place. Before we left,
another OF the convicted prisoners had escaped,
and the others had been taken to q new prison,
Lighthouse, sixteen by eighteen, iust in the
outskirts of Lecompton. Captain Hampden,
the Warden, had made sort of Second War.
den OF Mr.. Samuel Stuart, one Of the prison
ers lately from Detroit, and relative Of Sena-
tor Stuart, Of Michigan, and he now goes
about town purchasing provisions, and doing
whatever he chooses on his parole of honor
Since the departure of the militia we have all
been guarded by the regular troops.
Five OF our number escaped the night before
we were brought here. Captain Mitchell was
among the number who left; several preferred
to stay few days longer, as there was a pros.
pect of our being shortly brought here, where
we could have better quarters and fare, and be
where We could view the progress of the trial of
our friends.
Besides those who escaped since last wrote
Colonel Titus released two of the prisoners on
his own responsibility, and wholly without any
legal process, thus showing his opinion of the
validity and binding qualities of the pretended
Territorial Laws. The first he released was Z.
K. Folly. Titus's excuse was, that Folly had
shown him great kindness when he-Titus-
was prisoner at Lawrence. The other was
MIR. Butler who told Titus, the last day that
his militia guarded US, that he could not 90
aotth hlm to Nicaragua uRleSs he Mould let him
inn, cr,o fatr kco1- IL
guard, and told him to meet him at Leavep-
worth or st. Louis. think by this time But
Ter has concluded not to go to Central America.
Without approving of such deception, it may
have served to show that the bogus laws are
considered mere farce, even by the Pro-Sla-
very leaders themselves
Some new arrests have lately been made in
and around Ossawatomie. Five men were
brought in from this region last Tuesday night.
They were arrested nearly a week before.
1hey were among the earliest settlers of South
Kansas. Their names are Samuel, William,
and Henry Kllbourn, formerly of Chllicothe,
ONO; James Townsey, Fallston, Nd. and
William Partridge, from Viuland, Winnebago
county, Iowa. This last is brother of the
Mr.. Partridge who was murdered after the bat
tie OF Ossawatomie, while crossing Meridesin.
zach OF these men is charged with some eight
or ten 'horrid crimes, which have never been
committed by anybody.
In former letter, written during the trials
az LecomPton, spoke ola young lawyer, named
utnam, who was one of Captain Robinson's
company st Hickory Point, but who was after.
wards engaged as assistant counsel for the
prisoners. His company was also engaged in
ene burning OF Grasshopper Falls. The Pro-
slavery officials told him, if he acted as our
counsel, they would have him arrested for this
Shalr, and they have made good their word |;
ne IL now prisoner with US. Captain Robert.
son and the remainder of the company are at
large; no one complains against them, no of.
nciai would arrest them. This is the way law
Is administered in Kansas.
! have once told you that thirty-one of the
| prisoners hrst sent up here made their escape
lew days after their arrival. Ny former state-
ment OF this affair was incorrect. The other
sixteen did not wish to go, and for this reason
managed to get in a room by themselves.
nose who escaped were in two rooms, with
nall between them. The affair was all ar
| ranged between the two parties, and the hole
cut nearly through the outside wall, which was
OF prick, and sixteen inches in thickness in
each room, several days before their hasty de-
Parture The night of their departure, the re-
| naming bricks were removed, and a comic
song, with chorus of Pop goes the weasel"
was struck up, and sung by those in each room
alternately, and at each repetition of the cho-
rus, one Of the prisoners would "pop" out
BY this means, the prisoners in all the rooms
could tell whenever one went, and from what
room. The loud and boisterous singing, too,
drowned the noise made in getting out, and
kept down suspicion. A sentry walked up and
down by the side of the building, but he was
watched through the grating and whenever
he had once passed the hole in the WALL"
and had his back towards it. "pop went the
weasel When all who wished to go had
gone, 81. n. Dunlap, who had refused to 90.
| crawled out, to see if the bows had all got off
safely. While looking about, the sentinel
caught him, and called the sergeant of the
guard, who came, and brought the prisoner
back to the room, by way of the door, on open.
ing which he swore rather duently, and declared
that If he had known so many had escaped. he
would have shot Dunlap instead of bringing him
In. he ia about the only Pro-Slavery man in
the company. There was but one of the nris.
oners In the other room, when he opened the
door to that. This was little Walter Florentine.
who had been sung to sleep, and thus failed to
get away.
The trial of fifteen of them who remained
commenced on Wednesday. The other waS
discharged by noILe proseqsi. The cause
was this. 1t will be recollected that when the
prisoners were brought up here for trial. the
marshal compelled them to walk. altbonob
there was hardly well man among then
Two soon gave out, and were left living ON the
road until the soldiers baggage wagon came
up, and teek them IN. Several Others were 40