New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-10-13
KANSAS.
EXPERIENCE OF A FREE-STATE SETTLER
Ccre.pond.nce Of The Mi..ouri Dernoera,.

~
Corre.pond,nce Of The Missouri Dcmocra'.
ST. LOUIS Sept q, 1856.
DEAR SIR: One Of The sirangest controversies mat
ever convulsed q civilized community now exists,
touching the question Who are the real authors OF te
ou.rsges that for the last twenty months have been
committed in Kansas ] have seen, heard and ielt
tlCse wrongs | carry on my person the evidence OF
wrongs having been committed, and propose TO pro-
claim 10 tie world through your paper my experience
during Xix months sojonrn ,hro' ghou that lll'iated
T,uItoty | am a native Of Joliet Illinois. Both of
my parents have been dead ten years during this time
w To last March my residepce has been at Bur
hneton, Wisconsin. In March | concluded TO emil
l,rSie 10 Kansas, which / did for tue purpose of
making it by future home. Collecting some funds l
stared with very comfortable wardrobe AMI riie'
| cane by the way Of ST. Louis, where took passage
in tie Cata act about the last of March, 1896
There we've quite number OF Kansas cmi5rants
from the Nonh and Sol'h on the boat; there was no
controversy contention among them. laddrl ~
Icavenworih City. where remained two days Wnle
tere SAW the City Marral at the Leaveuworih Hocl
with Mr. Murphy. the Mayor, come into the baggage
r,om overhaul the travellers trunks snd select one
tl,y thought might contain anna. This trunk con
tgined books and clothing that belonged q Mr. Bhs-
sett Of Denmark, Lee County, Iowa. He was com
uelltC 10 leave his bed ard open the trunk for their
rspeciion. From LeaveDworh | went = Lawrence.
There remained about week, and then vent 10 con
pany with Dr. Linn # Kenu"ky on to the blue
exploring The county. This Trip consumed about four
weeks. Nothing occurred on this excursion, OF ont
rage or violence, excepting nm attack made GA Mr.
HHys. formerly Dum NHGuld, ItCcD'lE lpul uSSouI'
but then Of Big Blue, by party of M-sourians. Mr.
HAYS bis return from LeavcnwOrth CRY whence
he had been to purchase PROVISIONS. lie was stopped
and his wagon upset. but was not robbed. After my
return from This trip did nothing fr some time. The
difficulties had as umed very serious aspsc.. Blu
too's men had arrived Most Of these men were
eIrolleo in the Territorial militia, but their conduct
such that few sf he better part OF t1en 'insed
10 take an active part in their outr ges The hostile
demonstrations made by these militia against Law
renee were lsuch that deemed it unsae > repalo
there consequently went 10 Topeka. The next day
s.1elc e was saCt ed. o. my way to Topeka wa
taken pris ner BY there militia. A man whom did
not inow propoundtd innunlerable questions to me,
touching my pace of nativity, my business, where ]
had been, where wes gong, what force there was st
Lawrence, Its CONDITION aDO means OF deense ws
then LborateC without further insult outrage, out
tie, said they were about to q play hell With Law
renee" Soon after they had me So returned t. that
place. After the raid, and tie militia bal been dis
banded, they formed themselves nt1 email gnerda
par les and Infested the M lie Territory These
wee III, SLY Bufords men, They did not work, they
would not and as they ha no means of subsistence,
they resorieO TO theft. robbiDg and murder The in
Jury done by these men - the &c ual set ers is meal
culable. When they stole horses, they cal ed II
"prtssing them; and when the owners retook them,
as was OCCASIONALLY done, then they announced to the
world that they had been attacked by the A60lnoa
ists7 Who stole their hores. These marauders pryed
chiefly Free-State men, but when their wants
bt too pressing, they would rob Their own lcnds
Thee vap abbds have now left the Territory Most of
them ein voluntarily to Missouri, but some of them
were driven ont 10y the United States troops. a few
liDeer about Leconp on, Leavenworth, &c They oil
syvw their intention tn be- iii the Territory 10 vote az
October election and then they will leave Il forever
Among the banditti who have infested the Territory
is H. {. Pate. When he and bib party were captured
they had in their possession property they had stolen
for Pn,e's Ia,iy had Plun0eed the store of Dr. West
fall of Palmyra and when attacked, he placed three
Ere, State men whom lie had captured in tent be
tween the two parties where Dr. Graham, one OF the
ri, oncrs, wounded. Pate with his party surIen-
d. IN Ia,
was dispersed by Col Sumner as also tnat OF Cen
Whitfield, who had come on TO assist Pate This com
pauy net again and shot a uian by the name OF Can
troli. He was Fret State man from Missouri They
b. und and gagged him, hurried him past his own
house, when his wife saw but did not recognize hIn
md, III a convenient place, shot him. This is the
band that sacked Osawatiane l was III business at
Lawrence several weeks before the 18th of July; On
that day went 10 Franklin. On my return i'll the
evening, being on foot, / was beset by party Of
three mcb-and have since learned that two OF them
were buord men, and the other resident OF Frank
lin-wh ssked me where was from. replied, from
Lawrence. Ais soon as l made this answer, one Of
item fred al me with a revolver which l Knocked
aside, the ball grazing my ann 1 was then Knocked
down by blow on he head aud ndered insensible
When l revived succeeded in walking, or rather IN
wandefn into Lawrence. On reaching the house OF
Mr.. SiOrrs, tainted and did not revive until morn
ing. was confined to my bed over four weeks am
still feeble and unable 10 endure any fatigue When
was Knocked down snds rendered insensible, must
have been greatly bruised or kicsei, IT was these
injuries that confined me So long, and from which 4
still suffer. Thee ruff ans robbed of all my money,
SIS III gold, draft If s. D and revolver have had
DO means 10 sustain my self Rud was obliged tn Dor
row money TO leave the Territory. hope 20 recover
my health. but II all, fear be at distant day. |
have endeaNoed 10 deal justy with all, and t. live
leaceaby. am waiting ies days III this city, when
lprOpoee TO visit my friends and relatives in Illinois aud
NscoDsiD AZ soon my health is restored iii ever is
lshuiieturn to Kansas which intend 10 make NY per
hsicni home IL Is most desirable country lift can be
lros cited ir.m thieves robbers murder,rs and those
who 90 there 10 contr the gov ernm-nt Sach is myex
peience in part, while Kansas The story is not af
told-it is already too vouminous now dra~ to a
close ali already extended narrative but had l time
and not al cad, trespsssin upon your columns
could bring to hight Immune able instance, of ,hh.ry
murder crime and outrage committed by these hirlif9
bands that roam over the praines and through the
forests OF Kansas wsyayiDg peaceful travellers burn
ing houses and intImontlbg oeensel.ss women and
children while their husbands and fathers are iyiny
fom glen glen and grove 10 grove to prut.t their
lives from these mercil,ss invaders. So numerous so
crest and 40 arfu have been the wrongs committed
that no earthly power Can hide pervert ds,ort or re-
pees them True the free presses have been DESTROYED
and their Il aders imprisoned. Crue;es such az woed
disgrace the character of the ecest savage have basa
inflicted upon the peaccable men, and children
of Kansas. This is called enforcing the lac All
the the Territory that could be watched
have been: md those who would have gone to Ransas
have been driven back. The most villanous acts Of
atroci,y have been preceded by threats uttered by
tho who have committed these acts And yet 10 sail
that no violence has been committed no wrong done
hat h.a k,1 kx,th ~h..