New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-05-19


souri, these men consisted of two casses-one Of them,
the largest, had no business in the Territory but 10
vote the others lived also in Missouri, and pretended
to hold staked-o6 claims. -i
DR.. CUTLER sworn Came TO the Territory in Feb
ruary, 1854; came directly from Missouri and formerly
from Tennessee. He was one Of the first settlers 10
the XlVth Dstrict about Doniphan, where be re-
sided until last March. He acquainted with nearly
everybody in the XIVth District, having practced
medicine there. He testified TO the frauds in that
district and that Davy Atchison came over from Mis-
sour with large party. They held convention to
nominate candidates for the Assembly 1.-THE Territorial
Legislature). 1t appears that the Pro-Siavery men
who resided in that district had one set Of candidates
and these invading friends another. The invaders
wanted Strpgfellow and another man, and as they
were largely In the majority they succeeded and thus
StriBgfellow got into the bogus Legislature. Witness
testified that Atchison made speech at that Conven
ton, in which, among other things, he said There
care eleven hundred men coming over from Platte
County to vote, and if tina. 10 not enough there
"will be FIVE thosand-enough to kill every
I'D Abolitionist in the Territory" Wit
ness testified that everything went quietly on in
the Wolf River precinct for two hours as the ice
running in the river but after that time they began to
get over; the first that offered his vote Missou
rian named Blakely, one of the Judges, Mr.. Rich.
ardsop refused to let him VOTE as he had taken the
oath and would not pe1ure himself; a disturbance
was here raised by the men from Missouri Richard.
sons life threatened aud he resigned another pro-
Slavery man was Immediately elected in his place,
ard things went smoothly after that all the votes
offered received witnss then advised his friends,
the Free-State men, to 60 home, there was no use
of remaining as things were going; many went homei
while returning witness met party of men who, to
Inquiries replied that they from Platte County,
Mo-; witness said that he told these men that they
were violating the organic act one Of them replied
that Old Davy Atchison helped to make the law,
and he had told them that they had right to vote,
and he Atehison) knew Add sight better than wit
ness did
Here Rees objected to the examination Of witness
about Judge Of the Election, named EOupes, OF the
XvlIth District on legal point namely: that witness
was merely proving the declaration instead OF the ac
Mr. Howard read from "Greeneaf on Evidence, and
ruled against Rees, because the jury de dco in this
case was at Washington; but if further testimony
proving the fact this point were not given when the
Commission reached a point nearer the place where
election was held the testimony Of witness would be
stricken out
Witness stated with regard TO the Judge of Election
of the XVIIth District that he stated there were not
forty legal voters among all who voted and that all
the rest were Missourans Witness stated, on ques-
tOn that up to the time of election there was not
settler in that District who under the auspices OF
the Emigrant Aid Society. They were mostly from
the West, chiefly Missouri Witness stated that Maj
Gen Richardson said publicly, in Doniphan, that if
witness sent protest to the Governor his office would
be thrown into the river. Also heard threats from
Msomians and Pro Slavery men, that If Gov. Reeder
refused to give certificates Of election to those thus
elected, he would not live two hours" such threats
were frequent made. Witness received anonymous
letters thI eateniDg his life. Witness had examined poll
books of the Donphan, XIvth District. Witness
had given testimony with regard to the election in two
Districts the XIVth Doniphan District, and XYIIIth
both in that quarter He gave good many names
of persons who had voted, who live in Missouri,
across the Missouri River from Doniphan. Many Of
these were merchants, professional men and even
preachers and judges. What is the standard Of
morals in Missouri u Witness also stated that the
larger portion of those who came over to vote said
they were from Platte County just below, and that he
was not acquainted with them.
The cross alton elected nothing to shake the
testimony, but the coure pursued by Whitfield and
his attorney proved the straits to which they were
driven. They asked witness, who had been a can
ddate for the Legislature, if he had not proposed to
run on the Pro Slavery ticket. This witness denied,
but stated that he had represented himself as con-
servative Free.State man. (ie is strong Black Law
man Being merely DESTROYS Of pjuring witness with
the FreeState party their vengeance for his evidence
still persisted "Had he not said he was merely
fooing the Free-State men-that you were all
found 7" This was emphatcaly denied.
[Quite little scene came of at the close Of this tos-
timony Mr. Rees threw out slur on Ex Gov.
Reeder about putting words in Witnesses mouths to
which Reeder replied with considerable spirit clearly
showing that in the point of issue, the correcting of
name he was not out of the record At the close of
his testimony he was examined about his experience in
the war of invasion last FALL in which he was taken
prisoner last Fall and treated very badly but as nv
letters in The TRIBUNE last Fall contained the nara.
tive in almost precisely the same shape, need not
send you this part Of his testimony now
Mr.. LONG recalled to the witness stand, in giving
testimony from the poll-books as to the number of
Nissourans who voted let out the interesting Incl.
dent that Col WoOdsen who acted as Whitfeld's at
torney previou. to the removal of the Commit ION TO
Tecumseh. had been up to Tecumseh to vote hinself
at the March election, 1885, and had taken very ac
tive hand in the management Of the election being in
favor of the election of Strckler to the Council This
witness also testified TO the violence used TO the Judres
OF the Election, Burgess and fitzpatrick, to drive them
from their post 1t also came out that some of the
Missouriaps brought tickets with them and that some
of them badly directed, went to the wrong voting |
places. These printed tickets had been made in |
Missouri.
Mr.. JAMIsoS sworn.-Came TO the Territory from
Missouri in October, 1854; resides in the BUR- Oak