Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1856-10-24

prospscfs.
csr~,ondsss Of ne ". Y. Tribune
TOPEKA. Sept, 80. IS.
Yesterday / visited the prisoners Of
seats now under con6ne nent at Le-
compton Il was nv second visit to
that iorIorn little Virginia town. l
call Il thus because the whole sensa-
ton y that Of the Old Dominion. In.
stead Of the rising school-houses and
churches Of L.wrence. the little
street is lined with bar rooms. where
Of the chief IS the "Virgiris Saloon. :"
The tavern is true Virginia--bscon.
corn-bread and dirty negro boys and
girls to wait At table. Southern pro-
vinc;alisms strike ones ear At every
moment. and the town is garrisoned
By Col. Titus's militia. rc-enforced
yesterday BY twenty precious
youths from Georgia, ia high state
Of whisky.
The Governor declines all control
over The prisoners. bat Marshal Don
slson Was very ready to admit me to
see them. In fact. they were very
visible. being allowed an area Of a
SQUIRE rod or so before their door.
guarded By few Young Missourisns.
who paced up and down with loaded
muskets. / met one Of the poor fel-
lows. allowed for some reason TO cross
the street. pursued by an eviI-looking
seoundrel With fixed bayonet. Il is
singular how much alike all Slavery's
officials look. saw half dozen
times repeated the familiar features Of
my Boston friend, Mr.. Asa o. But
man.
The hundred and Eve prisoners
lounged about. looking as prisoners
every where do. They are kept in
large unfinished wooden building.
without an atom Of furniture Of my
description. They do their own cook
ing. with very scant utensils. and
such provisions as shall hereafter
describe They have obtained with
great difficulty fifteen straw pallets for
the whole company. Some have no
blankets; hat the majority possess
the luxury Of one apiece. II was an
exceedingly cold windy day when |
vas there; the exposed siie Of the
house was unfinished and about half
iu superficial extent consis ed Of
great gaps through which the wind
whistled. A few OF the men lay
about on the floor sick with fever and
ague.
Most Of them are young men. the
flower Of the youth ofLswrence.-
They ere . light hearted set Of boys,
and are resolved to avenge themselves
on their eaptors by perfect indifference
10 captivity. This comes hard, how.
ever. on some. fathers Of families and
owners Of farms which sre alike suf-
fsring from their absence. Three
weeks labor Of hundred men. all
lost. Ia the busiest season Of the year.
for is is the only time 10 get in the
hay for the Winters supply.
= 0ne man had left six children, ell
SICK. and his wife accidentally absent
from home; he said he supposed some
Of the neighbors would look after
them Another carried in his arms a
child, Who was. was told. the FIRST
child born IN Lawrence, and was
christianed with the name of the
town. The poor little thing looked
rather forlorn. a. It's palIid father car
risd IL up and down the bare prison
room; an early initiation into the sor-
rows Of Kansas.
Among the crowd / found two Of
the best emigrsnts whom Worcester
had sent. and others who belonged to |
companies which had organised
Not one Of the seemed depressed,
bat ell appeared proud Of being there.
A. est, they said, Wills in care Of the
Usised States troops. and encamped
on the prairie. there we're many es-
espes; now the guard was SO close
that Il Was almost impossible. Col.
Titus. who has charge Of these. is the
head Of one division Of Kansas militia.
his force being chiefly from Missouri |
and other Southern States; he is the
man whose life was humanely spared |
By the Free State men when they |
broke up his camp Of outlaws. He
showed he gratitude BY informing the
Fss-State prisoners that IL one Of
them attempted to escape. he should
blow the building to atoms. look.
I'd and saw the cannon actually point.
ID, not upon the entrance. but so as
70 command the main portion Of the |
building. There stood the emblem OF |
Dc 'posism. With its conical pile Of balls
beside Il. I never saw but one can
noa. bclore. that looked 90 detestable.
Even now, the men say thai some
eould escape BY killing few seniinels;
bat this they will not do. for true
knnsas rsason--they would lose their |
ridss whereas. II liberated. Gov.
osary assures them that they shall be
restored. I doubt this prospect. how
ever, from the fact that out Of four.
tsen horses. possessed by different in.
dividusls Of the number when cAp,ur.
cd. only three can nov be found; and
= horvs ranks second to Sharp's rifle
In the affection Of . Kansas man.
All these prisoners are bound over
iov trial IN October. on tho charge Of
nardsr 10 the 6rst degree. You are
aware the brilliant series Of engage